"You've got a nasty reputation, Mr. Gittes. I like that."

Rating: 8/10 (9 March 2007)

Upon its release, Roman Polanski's 'Chinatown' was a critical success, and was lauded as one of the greatest neo-noirs of its time. Furthermore, over thirty years later, the film remains standing as one of the few post-1960 productions that can credibly be compared with the likes of 'Double Indemnity' and 'The Maltese Falcon.'
Jake 'J.J' Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is a Los Angeles cop turned private investigator, who specialises in spying on and photographing cheating partners. Gittes is hired by a woman named Evelyn Mulwray to investigate her cheating husband, Hollis Mulwray, the chief engineer for the city's water department. However, shortly after, Mr. Mulwray is found murdered in the reservoir, and the supposed Mrs. Mulwray turns out to be an impostor. Nevertheless, we know that the real Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) is tied into this mystery somewhere; how simply remains a matter of time.
Polanski beautifully evokes the time and place of 1930s Los Angeles, never straying too far from that iconic film-noir style. Despite being filmed in colour, we are always reminded of the film's roots, complemented by Richard Sylbert's wonderful production design and W. Stewart Campbell's art direction. Missing, also, is the Jake Gittes narration outlined in the original script  this typical noir component was, no doubt, simply excluded for its redundancy. Through Nicholson's terrific acting, we already know what Gittes is thinking; we don't need to be told again. Furthermore, by not including narration, we only learn the newest developments in the crime as Gittes does, heightening the suspense and uncertainty of the ultimate outcome.
Technically, the film is near flawless. John A. Alonzo's cinematography is stellar, as is the shadowy original score from the always-reliable Jerry Goldsmith. The acting is also top-notch, with Jack Nicholson notably receiving most of the acclaim, and picking up his fourth unsuccessful Oscar nomination for Best Actor (he would eventually win the following year for 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'). The supporting cast, however, is equally good, with Faye Dunaway brilliant as Evelyn Mulwray, legendary film director John Huston great as her wealthy, scheming villainous father and an enjoyably memorable cameo from Polanski himself as the knife-wielding thug who slices Gittes' nose.
The shocking and tragically downbeat ending to the film certainly came as a surprise to me, though it probably wouldn't have to devoted fans of the film-noir genre. It is he with the money and power that ultimately emerges triumphant, we are told. When Evelyn is trying to escape her father, brandishing a weapon in his direction, Jake warns her to "let the police handle this." "He owns the police!" she replies, before desperately shooting her father in the arm. Just seconds later she is shot down by police. Jake is led away from the scene, all too aware that it was his actions that led directly to this outcome. However, he is now powerless to do anything. The rich and the powerful have, and will continue to, get their way. Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown.