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Chinatown (1974)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Release Date:
20 June 1974 (USA)
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Plot:
A private detective investigating an adultery case stumbles on to a scheme of murder that has something to do with water. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Water
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Detective
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Murder
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Private Detective
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Corruption
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Awards:
Won Oscar.
Another 18 wins
&
22 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(125 articles)
Roman Polanski Granted $4.5 Million Bail
(From newsinfilm. 26 November 2009, 10:40 AM, PST)
Polanski wins $4.5M bail, house arrest likely
(From Filmicafe. 25 November 2009, 12:08 PM, PST)
(From newsinfilm. 26 November 2009, 10:40 AM, PST)
Polanski wins $4.5M bail, house arrest likely
(From Filmicafe. 25 November 2009, 12:08 PM, PST)
User Comments:
An excellent piece of filmmaking.
more (327 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Jack Nicholson | ... | J.J. Gittes |
 | Faye Dunaway | ... | Evelyn Mulwray |
 | John Huston | ... | Noah Cross |
 | Perry Lopez | ... | Escobar |
| John Hillerman | ... | Yelburton |
| Darrell Zwerling | ... | Hollis Mulwray |
 | Diane Ladd | ... | Ida Sessions |
| Roy Jenson | ... | Mulvihill |
 | Roman Polanski | ... | Man with Knife |
| Richard Bakalyan | ... | Loach (as Dick Bakalyan) |
| Joe Mantell | ... | Walsh |
 | Bruce Glover | ... | Duffy |
| Nandu Hinds | ... | Sophie |
| James O'Rear | ... | Lawyer |
 | James Hong | ... | Evelyn's Butler |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
131 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:16 |
Singapore:NC-16 |
Argentina:16 |
UK:15 (video rating) |
Canada:A (Nova Scotia) |
Brazil:12 |
West Germany:16 (f) |
Australia:M |
Canada:13+ (Quebec) |
Canada:PG (Manitoba) |
Canada:R (Ontario) |
Finland:K-16 |
Netherlands:16 |
New Zealand:R16 |
Norway:15 |
Spain:18 |
Sweden:15 |
USA:R |
UK:X (original rating)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Ranked #2 on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 greatest films in the genre "Mystery" in June 2008
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Goofs:
Anachronisms: When Jake gets home after following Mrs. Mulwray and his phone rings, it is clearly not the sound of a 1937 telephone. The sound of his placing the receiver on the cradle is authentic, but the ringer is no earlier than the sixties.
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Quotes:
[first lines]
Jake Gittes: All right, Curly. Enough's enough. You can't eat the Venetian blinds. I just had them installed on Wednesday.
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Jake Gittes: All right, Curly. Enough's enough. You can't eat the Venetian blinds. I just had them installed on Wednesday.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Charmed: 12 Angry Zen (#8.14)" (2006)
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Soundtrack:
The Vagabond King Waltz
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FAQ
A Note Regarding SpoilersWhat is the meaning of "Chinatown" and the last line of the movie?
Is "Chinatown" based on a book?
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more (327 total)
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Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb top 250 movies | IMDb Mystery section |
| IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |
If it wasn't for the fact that most of the cast would have been too young or not born yet, this movie could have been made in the 1930's or 1940's. It reminds one of the film noirs that Hollywood used to make during that time period. It is a superb example of film making, certainly among the 20 best movies I have ever seen.
Jack Nicholson is private detective Jake Gitties, who can be as hard-boiled as Humphrey Bogart's Phil Marlowe. But Gitties is different: He is intelligent, dresses well and has associates whom work with him. Gitties is hired by Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) to investigate into an extra-martial affair she believes her husband is having. However, the investigation leads into bigger things involving the water supply of Los Angeles, which is in the middle of a drought. A series of double-crosses, murders and plot twists all lead into a climatic showdown in Chinatown which has a surprising conclusion.
If the saying `They don't make them like they used to' was ever more true, it was with this movie. Sex is only suggested between the Nicholson and Dunaway characters, yet it is convincing enough. And although Faye Dunaway is a beautiful woman, we never see frontal nudity of her (Directors today would do just the opposite). Some of the plot twists also would not be possibly made today, especially the ending (Which, if you haven't seen the movie, I cannot reveal).
Nicholson is a tour de force in his role as Gitties, but the rest of the supporting cast (Including John Huston as Mulwray's deceptive father) is equally superb. As to how Nicholson could loose the Best Actor Oscar to Art Carney in Harry and Toto is beyond me. Faye Dunaway was also nominated for Best Actress, only to loose to Ellen Burstyn for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. Fortunately, Nicholson and Duanway have both won Oscars since. In addition, the film itself received nominations for Best Picture and Best Director for Roman Polanski (Who has a cameo in the movie as the knife-welding thug who cuts Nicholson's nose), but those Oscars would be lost to The Godfather, Part II. The only Oscar won was for Robert Towne's screenplay, which is today considered the model for film writing. After watching the movie, one will know why. From the stellar performances to the sharp direction to the superb screenplay, this is a cinema treasure.