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Chinatown, 1974

Chinatown

English

USA

Rating:8.5
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Profile of Chinatown

Chinatown can be described as mind bending, cynical, and bleak. The plot revolves around a private detective, being haunted by the past, and power relations. The main genres are mystery, drama, and thriller. In terms of style, Chinatown is neo-noir and involves twists and turns. In approach, it is serious and realistic. It is located in Los Angeles. Chinatown takes place in the 1930s. The movie has received attention for being a classic, an Oscar winner, and a masterpiece. Note that it involves violent content.

Summary of Chinatown

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 in Chinatown
Jack Nicholson

as J.J. 'Jake' Gittes

Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Cross Mulwray in Chinatown
Faye Dunaway

as Evelyn Cross Mulwray

Photos

Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown (1974)

Clips

Chinatown
Chinatown: Official Trailer

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

Chinatown:
The story telling and acting was amazing. I might have loved it. But I just found it too disturbing (SPOILER) watching the young girl being led off by the incestuous rapist at the end.
CHINATOWN:: I recently watched it and enjoyed very much. The acting and the direction was fantastic. I enjoyed the story and thought it was well developed. I'm giving this movie 5****STARS.
Likely to see
Not for me

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