A Haunting Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (17 August 2005)

As the film scene takes place, one can almost hear the sound of a heartbreak, as the horn locks in place, and the main protagonist witnesses how fate has unfolded its dark wings. In this film noir gem by Roman Polanski, Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway played so well together, one can't but flinch at the moment its resolution hits us. It's tragic, dark, unforgiving, and yet we can't look away.
Robert Towne's flawless script takes us through one eye-opening experience after another. As we wonder whether any of the scenarios in the film were based on reality, or if it's all the work of a creative writer. Every player does his or her part to the best of his ability, doing justice to every line, every nuance, every tentacle that lurks in the midst of the corruption at the heart of the story. There are so many disturbing pieces, and they all fit perfectly. Never before had a detective encountered so much evil in so little time.
This film works probably even better after 30 years of its initial release. It was a classic the minute its first screening ended, and a classic it remains.