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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:
(120 articles)
Robert Towne: The Hollywood Interview
(From The Hollywood Interview. 4 November 2009, 12:49 PM, PST)
AFI's 100 Years ...100 Movie Quotes
(From Extra. 4 November 2009, 4:45 AM, PST)
(From The Hollywood Interview. 4 November 2009, 12:49 PM, PST)
AFI's 100 Years ...100 Movie Quotes
(From Extra. 4 November 2009, 4:45 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Yes, this really is the best movie ever...
more (326 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:
Because this film was the first of a planned trilogy, Jack Nicholson turned down all detective roles he was offered so that the only detective he played would be Jake Gittes.
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Goofs:
Anachronisms: In scene with Gittes, Mulvihill, and Yelburton (“Mulvihill! What are you doing here?”), elevator call buttons are modern, automatic elevator type - they have lights. In the 1930's, elevator call buttons were generally black and had no lights.
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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 O Caminho das Nuvens (2003)
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Soundtrack:
The Vagabond King Waltz
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FAQ
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is "Chinatown" based on a book?
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more (326 total)
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Related Links
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| News articles | IMDb top 250 movies | IMDb Mystery section |
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From the first 10 minutes of the first time I saw this movie in the theatre, I've truly loved it, more any other movie I've ever seen. Why? Well, that easy, it's just so... PERFECT!
Obviously there are many other great movies, and many other movies I personally also love, but Chinatown has a real spell over me. Other fans have commented here on the story and the spellbinding way that the forlorn and utterly mysterious story unfolds. I certainly agree.
Chinatown's cinematography and editing? Yes, I agree again! IMO, it's breathtaking, with pacing so tight that I sit straight up thru the whole movie and my nerves become completely raw every time I watch, listen and FEEL it again.
I don't think anybody has commented yet on the great choice of the many supporting actors. Each one so well cast and very believable in their roles! You've got the entire cast credits list (thank you IMDb) so I won't list them here but there are so many memorable performances here! It would be unfair to highlight one, two or three! Good cops, bad cops, ugly rich, up-and-coming, downtrodden poor, the very honest and very crooked with all shades in between! Each and every role a character study in and of itself and together they make a living "time capsule" of the forties that we can revisit for generations to come.
And then there's that sound track which hooked me on great trumpet players and the Est Coast Jazz sound of the era. I just love that music and way it interweaves with the ongoing theme - it's perfectly united with the faithful and compelling use of the film-noir style.
I saw this movie first in Chicago and heck, back then I knew nothing about LA, though I've since moved to and lived in the area for years. Once relocated, I quickly discovered the historically interesting side to the story and then appreciated the movie from yet another compelling angle. No question, the plot is fundamentally sound with many totally unexpected and yet quite plausible turns. But I later understood that it's within the realm of believability from factual standpoint, as well as intellectually/emotionally.
Geez, I'll never forget that first confrontational scene at the Albacore Club! The study in absolute raw and evil power as masterly portrayed by John Huston. In the very same scene Jack Nicholson skillfully paints the subtleties of his cautious, cynical, small-time hustler character. The air crackles! I must have played this scene in my mind a thousand times. When I visited Catalina Island for the first time in about 1985, not knowing its significance to the movie, I walked by the Albacore Club (The Tuna Club in real life) and froze transfixed. I recognized it instantly of course, and I must have stood there gawking for 20 minutes not saying a word. I could literally HEAR the Chinatown theme - the memories were that clear and fresh!
In closing, I guess then what does it about Chinatown for me (why I feel so strongly that it is the very best movie of all) is that every facet of the movie construction, from the opening scene to the ending credits, somehow fits together in a homogeneous, complete and absolutely flawless way.
I find it fascinating to analyze the characters and their makeup. To imagine the reasons they did what they did. But there is NOTHING I would change. Nothing.