The perfect Neo-Noir

Rating: 10/10 (16 April 2007)

There are a number of different paths to take when creating a neo-noir film. In "Chinatown," Polanski and screenwriter Robert Towne went in the then-innovative direction of essentially "playing it straight" with their neo-noir. That is to say, there is nothing really "neo" about it other than being in color. It's set during the noir period, with noir dialogue and noir characters. However, Polanski executes the film so perfectly that it becomes perhaps the single most essential noir film of all time (or at least in the top two with "The Maltese Falcon").
The plot is everything a film noir should be--mysterious and somewhat convoluted, following the hard-edged detective Jake Gittes through the dark underbelly of the new city of Los Angeles. While the underlying scheme may seem a disappointment, the seeming banality of it enhances its disastrous effects on those involved even further than they would be otherwise. However, perhaps the strongest element of this film is its incredible characterization. While noir was always loaded (some would say hampered) with stock characters, even the characters who seem to fit the stock roles in "Chinatown" have extra layers of depth beyond what one would expect. Gittes is not simply a hard-nosed detective, but a man with an extreme stubborn streak and a need to prove his own intellectual abilities; Evelyn Mulwray is not just the femme fatale or the damsel in distress but an over-dramatic and fascinating combination of the two who seems to vacillate back and forth while she decides herself which she is; Lou Escobar is an intelligent and competent detective who only seems a step behind Gittes because he lacks some of Gittes's information; and of course Noah Cross is one of cinema's all-time great characters, though the details would constitute a spoiler. The dialogue of the film also deserves mention, as it sparkles with noir-speak slang, almost poetic rhythm, and the type of literary edge that always made the language of films noir so interesting.
Perhaps the most easily noticeable element of this film is its incredible acting. Jack Nicholson is surprising and thus particularly effective in his relatively restrained, nontheatrical turn as Jake Gittes. He even manages to resist the temptation to take the character out of control and over the top when possible, which is quite an accomplishment for an actor who has made such a career out of doing just that. Faye Dunaway's performance is a fascinating study in duality, as her character seems self-consciously aware of her position as both femme fatale and damsel in distress throughout this film and then vacillates between them as though she is still trying to make up her own mind about who she is, which of course she is. Meanwhile, John Huston simply steals the show in an absolute powerhouse performance as the charming and villainous Noah Cross that ranks as one of Hollywood's all-time great performances.
Overseeing this entire process, Roman Polanski directs the film perfectly. Everything from the editing to the cinematography is executed magnificently, resulting in a truly beautiful film in which every shot accentuates the mood of the piece and every scene is told as much with the camera as with the dialogue.
All together, Roman Polanski's "Chinatown" is a monumental film achievement. Years after the death of the film noir, Polanski crates perhaps the ultimate in the genre, following all of its conventions while adding layers of depth that perhaps no other noir can lay claim to. This film might also be the last example of noir played for real rather than for laughs or genre deconstruction, making it an almost priceless piece of cinematic history.