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Chinatown , 1974

English

USA

Rating:8.5
Plot

Many films from the 1970s allow even the most gripping narratives to flow with the consequences of real life. CHINATOWN is a classic film whose intrigues and adventures culminate in life-changing moments for its protagonist, Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson).

Director Roman Polanski's classic neo-noir detective story is set during a heat wave in 1930s Los Angeles, where residents suffer from a water shortage due to an ongoing drought. With stellar contributions from composer Jerry Goldsmith and screenwriter Robert Towne, whose script recalls the hard-boiled cynicism of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, CHINATOWN is a complex and superbly crafted period drama that has become Polanski's most critically acclaimed film. Private investigator Gittes runs a sleazy detective agency. When a client (Diane Ladd) hires him to spy on her "husband," who is rumored to be having an affair with a younger woman, Jake uncovers a plot against the man--but this is only the tip of the iceberg. Still to emerge are a sex scandal implicating the real wife (Faye Dunaway), with whom Jake is destined to become more closely acquainted, and a real estate swindle of tremendous proportions devised by her tycoon father (John Huston), backed up by a vast network of corrupt city officials and landowners who make life hell for the private eye.

This story crystallizes the impact of a chance meeting with the romantic ideals of the early 1970s, when the American urban landscape and economic power structures were in flux.

Details
Language: English
Country: USA
Release date: 20 June 1974
Runtime: 131 min
Awards: Academy Awards
Awards
Robert Towne for Best Original Screenplay at the 1974 Academy Awards
Cast and Crew
Jack Nicholson

as J.J. 'Jake' Gittes

Faye Dunaway

as Evelyn Cross Mulwray

Photos
Chinatown (1974)
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Clips
Chinatown: Official Trailer(0: 0)
Critics Reviews
Entertainment Weekly

But it's Polanski who pries the genre open until it goes metaphysical.

TV Guide

A wonderfully brooding, suspenseful revisitation of the land of film noir, Chinatown is not only one of the greatest detective films, but one of the most perfectly constructed of all films.

Users Reviews

This movie is as good as it gets. It's a model for how the suspense mystery genre should be done and oh so few are. There's nothing else to say. It's the best. Get it. The only caveat is that you won't be satisfied with any of your other movies...

This is a cool movie which Jack Nicholson could have acted by himself and it would still be cool. If you want to know what noir is, this movie is a must.

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