DVD Review: Chinatown (A+)

Chinatown (1974)
Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Hillerman and John Huston
Directed by Roman Polanski
MPAA: R
Grade: A+
Review by Scott Standish

Hollywood churned out some incredible films in the 1970s and right near the top of the list belongs Chinatown. Directed by the sure handed Roman Polanski (he also plays a bit part in the movie), Chinatown is a tribute to the great film noir mysteries of the past and yet the storyline soars beyond its genre, standing strong on its own as a great thriller. Nominated for eleven Oscars (and winning for best screenplay), Chinatown is a true classic, a film that continues to hold up extremely well as the years go by.

Jack Nicholson stars here in the role of Jake Gittes, a sarcastic but successful LA private dick that makes his bread and butter spying on unfaithful husbands and wives. Its a dirty job but the money is great, and Jake (in the words of the lead detective also tracking the case) has found his true calling. Nicholson slides into this role with gusto and he mixes into it just the perfect amount of swagger and cool. From the start of the movie one can just sense that Jack Nicholson IS Jake Gittes, and for my money, this is truly Nicholson's best acting performance (with his performance in the Shining a close second).

Just as Jake Gittes gets tossed a weird case from the wife of LA Water District executive Hollis Mulwray, things start getting complicated. Enter Faye Dunaway, a beautiful yet mysterious blonde that also wants to track down the mistress of her husband Hollis Mulwray. At this point, Jake has two women claiming to be the wife of Hollis Mulwray, a lawsuit on his hands, and alot of open questions. When Mulwray shows up dead, he knows he's onto something big.

Gittes tracks the Mulwray case but as he learns more about the Mulwray family, he also learns about the LA water system being crooked. Like the great film noir mysteries of the past (Kiss Me Deadly, Pickup On South Street, Maltese Falcon), the plot here can get complicated, but the pacing and style of this movie makes it clear that the viewer should just hang on. For screenwriter Robert Towne, these are simple layers of the plot that get stripped away, and at the end, the main characters will come together in a revelation that is well worth the viewer's patience.

Its important to point out here that legendary director John Huston plays the eerie Noah Cross, the head of the LA water district. Huston brings a style all his own to this role, and this is a perfect example of how well Roman Polanski thought this film out. Huston is perfect here: has ties to the film noir genre as a director, and he's a strange old bird that fits the mood of this film to a tee. I can't imagine anyone else in this role.

Dunaway is absolutely dynamite in the role of the "wronged wife with a lot to hide" role, and Jack, well, what can you say, he's Jack Nicholson. Don't rent, go out and buy Chinatown on DVD and keep it in your collection. The next time you look into the movie section of the paper only to see Scooby Doo 3 and Lethal Weapon 9, fire up the popcorn, turn off the lights, and dust off Chinatown, one of the best film noirs of our time.

Buy Chinatown On DVD From Amazon.com