Chinatown (1974) - Roman Polanski

A private investigator based in Los Angeles, Jake Gittes, gets a visit from a woman calling herself Mrs. Mulwray. Going by the name Ida Sessions, she hires him to dig into the alleged affairs of her husband, an engineer named Hollis Mulwray. Jake follows him and catches him on camera with a younger woman.

Not long after he takes the job, the actual Mrs. Mulwray, Evelyn, shows up at his office and threatens to sue him if he doesn't drop the investigation immediately. Things get messy when Hollis is found dead.

Despite the threats, Jake pushes forward and uncovers way more than he bargained for. Hollis's death isn't just a random tragedy; it’s part of a massive scheme to flip cheap land for millions, orchestrated by Hollis's former business partner—who also happens to be Evelyn's father, Noah Cross.


An all-time classic... this film remains a masterclass in mystery today.
The screenplay is top-tier, the acting is superb, and the characters are incredibly well-developed.
Nicholson shines as J. J. Gittes, Faye Dunuway is excellent, and John Huston is haunting as Noah Cross (who sits at number 16 on the AFI list of greatest villains).

Memorable scenes:
- Roman Polanski cutting Nicholson's nose
- Nicholson slapping Dunuway
- Jokes about Chinatown
- 'Only when I breathe.'

The movie also tackles heavy themes like corruption, money, and pure greed.
I'll just say the plot twist is shocking—it's twisted, and honestly, pretty realistic in its darkness—and that ending is one of the most depressing things you'll ever see.
So, what are your thoughts on the film?

It’s been ages since I last sat down with this one. Honestly, a rewatch is long overdue.
I still vividly remember that incredible sense of atmosphere and tension. All things considered: a top-tier classic.

Honestly, I’m just sitting here tearing up... because you just don't make movies like this anymore.

The movie is great—especially when you think back to that scene where Nicholson slaps Fay Dunuway, and she starts screaming about how they're basically family, like father, daughter, and sister all at once. I guess it took me a while to actually process the implications of that, but man, that scene is absolutely jarring.

An absolute masterpiece. Honestly, I could probably sit through this one three hundred times and still find something new to appreciate. 😁

hollowsailor19 said:Memorable scenes:
- Polanski cutting Nicholson's nose
- Nicholson slapping Fay Dunuway
- The jokes about Chinatown
- 'Only when I breathe.'

Those moments are nothing compared to the ending, when that guy tells Jake Gittes: "forget IT jak... It's Chinatown." That final beat is what really won me over and turned this movie into a total classic.

redowl90 said:These scenes don't even compare to how the movie ends—that moment when the guy tells Jake Gittes, "forget IT jak... It's Chinatown." That final beat is what really sold me; it's why it became a classic.

I didn't quite catch that—what does he actually mean by it? I know there's some sort of mess involving a woman in Chinatown, I guess.

Thomas Peterson5 said:it took me quite a while to realize what that actually meant

👏 🙏

So I guess he just has to wipe the slate clean once the case is closed.

Forget the Chinese! 😁

🙏🙏

I honestly just can't get enough of everything Roman Polanski has ever made... 🙏

Recently caught Two Jakes—Jack Nicholson still delivers a solid performance. It’s a decent enough film, though obviously lacks the spark of Roman Polanski's original masterpiece.

An absolute masterpiece; easily one of the most significant American films of the seventies!

Paramount Pictures has announced they're adding Chinatown to their Centennial Collection—it’ll come packed with extra features, including an audio commentary featuring Robert Towne and special guest David Fincher.

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/dvd/chi...al-collection/

They just released a new edition last year, and now this—and a Blu-ray next? They’re definitely overdoing it!

Nicholas Walker3 said:They dropped a new edition last year, now this, and then a Blu-ray... they’re overdoing it.

Of course they’re overdoing it—but there’s always some collector willing to drop cash on whatever the "definitive" version happens to be. Just look at how many times they've repackaged classics like The Wizard of Oz, 300, The Matrix, or Casablanca. Take 300, for example. They’ve churned out single discs, double features, collector's box sets, standard Blu-rays, and now a Blu-ray with a booklet and unreleased footage—all within a tiny two or three-year window. It’s the exact same pattern we see with The Matrix.

One of the absolute best🙂

A definitive list of the top 20 films set in Los Angeles🙂

Honestly, this is an absolute classic. Aside from "Repulsion," I’d say this is Polanski at his most intense—and maybe even one of the finest examples of neo-noir ever put to film.

It’s decent, but not great. The dialogue drags a bit and the plot feels overly complicated. It probably would have been more engaging if there were more action.