Cynical Tale of the Corruption that Build America

Rating: 9/10 (4 November 2015)

Roman Polanski's 1974 Neo-Noir Chinatown is a film that helped define both the genre and the era in which it was made.
Chinatown centers on a '30s Los Angeles private investigator, Jake Gittes (who turned to the profession after being unable to work as a police officer in the corrupt environment present in his assigned district of Chinatown), who is tricked into digging up dirt on the head of the department in charge of the city's water (a hot issue as Los Angeles was experiencing a drought). When the man soon turns up dead, Jake's investigation reveals a conspiracy much larger than he had imagined. Though the conspiracy itself is intricate and intriguing, and the characters are very compelling, the real draw of the plot is in its themes. Do not go into this film too focused on the minutiae of the plot, but rather look at what the picture as a whole, and particularly its ending, is trying to say about American greed.
The acting is terrific, with three great performances by Nicholson, Dunaway, and Huston. The direction is precise and tight yet patient, allowing scenes to develop naturally while always driving the plot along. The filming feels rather restrained and almost classical for the most part, and many shots feel like they could have easily have been from a film from several decades earlier. The music too feels this way, the Jerry Goldsmith composed score evokes instantly evokes the noir films which Chinatown takes most of its cues from.
A cynical look at the greed and corruption that shaped America, Chinatown is a classic of '70s American cinema, and a must watch for any fan of film.