AFI Top 100: #21
Popularized in the 1940's, the genre of noir had seen a resurgence in the '70s that almost feels like it was split into various subgenres. Roman Polanski's Chinatown is one of, if not the best example of bringing this genre into the more risqué generation of filmmakers. This film is such an excellent and thrilling drama that is able to capture me into every scene like no other noir has ever done before. Partly due to the exceptional performance from Jack Nicholson and partly due to the mesmerizing script from Robert Towne, this movie has truly proven itself an instant classic in my head. This is also actually the first Polanski film I have ever seen and while his name has been rightfully tainted in everyone's minds because of what an awful person he turned out to be, it is more than interesting to look back on his filmography and appreciate what a talented storyteller he was. Arguments can be made about separating art from the artist but there are so many good things about this film, ignoring Polanski's direction, that deem it worthy of its iconic status.
When the Chief Engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is found dead in a reservoir after being accused of adultery, private detective J.J. Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired by his wife named Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) to find out what happened to him. As Gittes works to unravel the mystery, he uncovers some shocking and revelatory information that will test who he can trust and what the real incentives are. Films released at or before this time were just as responsible for boosting the cultural revolution as much as any other kind of art, even if it was in what may now seem like minor ways. Before the Hays Code was abolished, audiences would never have seen content like this on screen and the way that Polanski translates this previously taboo material into a narrative that resembles that of earlier noirs is wonderful. Of course, noir films during that time of content restriction were able to find plenty of ways to work around that issue and still get their point across but almost none were able to graphically get away with that subject matter. This is what makes Chinatown stand out so well amongst other noirs that might not have as much confidence. This film is able to portray its sexual material, violence, and governmental corruption in such a nondiscreet manner that would have definitely been censored by the code of the earlier days and this just signals such an important transition in this time of filmmaking. While plenty of movies released in the '60s were able to test audiences and really see what creative limit the filmmakers could reach, this particular film incorporates those elements into its classic story with ease. I almost half expected Nicholson's character to bust out a cheesy line in every scene or subtly wink at the camera when he was about to participate in some more riskier adult interactions but instead, Polanski takes this formula and makes it much more mature than I would have expected.
What really makes Chinatown great, however, is the script from Robert Towne, performance from Jack Nicholson, and the cinematography from John A. Alonzo. Nicholson has more than proven himself over the years as one of the twentieth century's finest actors but this might be my favorite role that he has ever been placed in. He is, without a doubt, one of the best leading men for this kind of movie and his energy that he brought to this role was spectacular. His aura was so humorous yet genuine and caring and the main reason why I loved his performance so much was because of how well Nicholson embodied Gittes. Not entirely wisecracking but not entirely stoic either, this character is such a complex one that I feel matches the energy of Nicholson to a tee. The script from Towne was amazing too and provided Nicholson plenty of range and atmosphere to play with. Plenty of twists and turns riddled the story which makes the noir element of the world that much more interesting and the dialogue between the characters was just exquisite. Each and every line carried so much weight and really helped to distinguish the characters from each other, which I often have a hard time doing in noirs of the late '30s/early '40s. The cinematography from Alonzo was just as fantastic at building this visual world and so many of the choices that he made did nothing but keep my attention. However, the one element of this film, just like many others of the time, that I feel like could have been handled better was the portrayal of Faye Dunaway's character Evelyn. Her character was written and directed as the stereotypical, crazy wife and her development throughout the film did not do much to redeem her at all. I did not really like the way she was portrayed on screen and the constant abuse she suffered from the male characters was very unnecessary (not to mention one of the main twists being about rape and pedophilia). The treatment of Dunaway's character is much less favorable than any right-minded person would want but that is not really to be expected of Polanski (hence the disgusting twist). The actual standout elements of this film include not only her performance but so many of the cinematic and technical pieces that Polaski really had nothing to do with and because of the beautiful harmony that these pieces are able to achieve, this film ends up being one of the most exciting noir stories ever put to screen.
Chinatown is one of the best noir films I have ever seen and thanks to Towne's script and Nicholson's performance, I was genuinely engaged for its entire ride. Despite its horrible treatment of women, which most films could have improved upon in this era, I loved this film for all of its twists, turns, and excitements that riddled the story. I'm also very glad that this story was conceptualized in a much more progressive era or else it would have been a much less memorable movie. Never would I have thought I could have felt for a private detective investigating the mystery behind a small town's water supply but alas, here we are.
My Rating: ★★★★½
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