Review: Chinatown

Set in L.A. during the 1930s, Jack Nicholson stars as P.I. Jake ‘J.J.’ Gittes, who is approached by a woman calling herself Evelyn Mulwray (Diane Ladd), who asks J.J. to look into the possibility of her husband’s infidelity. Her hubby Hollis, is the L.A. water commissioner, and sure enough J.J. snaps Hollis in a compromising position with someone other than his wife. But then another woman comes to J.J.’s office also calling herself Mrs. Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) and it’s then that J.J. realises he’s been conned by those out to get Hollis. Meanwhile, Evelyn, daughter of Hollis’ business partner Noah Cross (John Huston) wants to sue Gittes. But when Hollis later turns up dead, Evelyn turns to J.J. to find out who killed him. James Hong plays Evelyn’s faithful butler, Roy Jenson and Roman Polanski are a couple of goons, Perry Lopez a somewhat unfriendly cop.

 

Terrific 1975 modern noir/detective film from director Roman Polanski (“Repulsion”, “Rosemary’s Baby”) and screenwriter Robert Towne (“The Last Detail”, writer-director of “Personal Best”) is clearly one of the best post-1960 films of this sort. I’m not quite as high on it as some, but nearly. There’s a lot of 40s noir in the film, except it’s in colour and there’s a new breed of actor at the centre in Jack Nicholson. One of his best-ever turns, Jack has some elements of the typical Bogey gumshoe, like the being glib from time to time. He adds a pugnaciousness and slight crassness that is all his own. His J.J. Gittes is angry, fiery, stubborn, and absolutely not cool or calm. Hell, his pugnaciousness and seeming propensity for beating someone up or getting beaten up himself is actually quite funny. The guy has a smart mouth and it gets him smacked around from time to time in a way that would never have happened to Bogey. It all adds up to set him apart from all who have come before him, and it’s crucial to making the film’s finale work. Faye Dunaway is particularly sensational in one of her best-ever turns as well. Her performance and character are fascinatingly layered and hard to read at first. She’s an unusual blend of iciness and fragility, and ultimately not quite the femme fatale you might be expecting.

 

Casting all across the board is definitely one of the film’s strong points, so it’s not just the two leads. There’s lots of memorable little turns by veteran character actors throughout. Burt Young appears at the beginning and climax in an amusing turn as a distraught client of a cheating spouse, and is perfectly cast (He’s a louse, so perhaps he deserved to be cheated on). Diane Ladd’s cameo at the beginning of the film is also memorable. Poor Roy Jenson must’ve hated working on this film as he continually takes an arse-kicking (both physical and verbal) from Gittes. He’s spot-on, and it’s very, very funny. We also get a rock-solid bit of slimeball character work by Higgins, AKA John Hillerman as a clearly shifty deputy water commissioner. Director Polanski himself has a superlative cameo as a diminutive hood who cuts Gittes’ nose. Towering over all of the supporting cast, however, is an expert bit of scene-stealing by the one and only John Huston as the embodiment of rich, patriarchal corruption and depravity. The name Noah Cross might sound biblical, but he’s a thoroughly repugnant, evil creature.

 

The ending (which the director insisted on, despite screenwriter Towne’s protestation) is one of cinema’s most memorable. ***** POSSIBLE SPOILER ***** It’s a huge kick to the guts, completely defeatist in the best way possible. It’s not supposed to end like this, and that’s why it’s so great that it does, and partly why you feel so achingly bad for Gittes. Far from the typical detached and cynical gumshoe, he seems completely disheartened, disillusioned, and broken by what happens. He cared, and that emotional investment leaves him shattered. It just goes to show that sometimes the director really does know best, because a more upbeat conclusion just wouldn’t sit right with this dark, filthy subject matter ***** END POSSIBLE SPOILER *****

 

If the film has any flaw, it’s that it moves far too slow, but that doesn’t end up being such a significant detriment when everything else works so well. I suppose you could argue that the plot could stand to be a little easier to follow, but impenetrable plots are a staple of noir, and this is hardly the most confusing or incoherent that I’ve seen.

 

Classic 40s noir/detective trappings with a seedy underbelly, and a 70s attitude and cast, this is a benchmark of the genre post-1950. Nicholson is a refreshingly angry and pugnacious hero, Dunaway a sensational femme fatale/victim, and Huston oozes evil, rich corruption in a showcase part. Stunning to look at (admittedly owing a lot to L.A.’s fine scenery), and with an excellent music score by Jerry Goldsmith (“The Omen”, “Planet of the Apes”, “Star Trek: First Contact”) topping it all off. This is a must-see, and not just for genre fans. It still packs a punch after 40 or so years. 

 

Rating: A