Chinatown (1974)

Chinatown
Directed by Roman Polanski
Written by Robert Towne
1974/US
IMDb page
Repeat viewing/Amazon Prime (free to Members)
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

Ida Sessions: Are you alone?
Jake Gittes: Isn’t everybody?

This is one of those classics that you can pull out on any occasion, even with non-classic movie fanatics, and be assured that everyone in the room will love it.  That is because it is perfect.

The setting is 1937 Los Angeles.  Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is a private investigator who seems to specialize in messy divorces.  We will learn that he has the instincts of a crack detective.  A woman pays Jake a visit and tells him she, Evelyn Mulwray, wants Jake to tail her husband Hollis and get a picture of him with his paramour.

Hollis is Chief Engineer for the Los Angeles Water and Power Department, a position that gives him a lot of power over how the scarce city water supply is allocated.  He is under enormous pressure to approve a dam that he opposes.  Jake’s “operatives” follow him around but he appears to have water on the brain 24 hours a day.  Finally, Jake is able to photograph him at a bungalow being affectionate to a young blonde.  He provides his report to Mrs. Mulwray.  The next day the photo is in the paper along with a lurid headline.

Noah Cross: You may think you know what you’re dealing with, but, believe me, you don’t.
[Gittes grins]
Noah Cross: Why is that funny?
Jake Gittes: That’s what the District Attorney used to tell me in Chinatown.

Shortly thereafter a mysterious woman introduces herself as Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway).  She is not at all happy with the publicity and. of course, did not ask for her husband to be followed. She says she will sue.  With John Huston in an incredible performance as Noah Cross, Burt Young as a client, Diane Ladd as Ida Sessions, and Roman Polanski as a hoodlum.

This movie is a murder mystery and has many unforgettable twists and turns and it would be criminal for me to go any further on the off chance one of my readers has not seen it.

This is a movie I can and have watched over and over.  It’s hard to say whether I prefer the direction, the script, the cinematography, the acting or the music.  That is because they are all perfect. Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway were on fire at this exact time.  The plot gives you both an entertaining mystery and something to think about afterwards.  Polanski draws you in and makes the time fly.  This will probably still be a classic 50 years from now.  Unreservedly recommended.

Robert Towne won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.  Chinatown was nominated in the categories of Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Music, Original Dramatic Score.  I can’t understand how John Huston was not nominated and I would have voted for Jerry Goldsmith’s jazzy score over Nino Rota’s copy of a copy of a copy of his own work, beautiful as that music is.