Greetings again from the darkness. The latest of the monthly 1970’s film screenings hosted by Dallas Film Society and The Dallas Morning News was the classic Chinatown. It was shocking to see 35-40% of the hands go up when host Chris Vognar asked how many had never seen the film. I felt a combination of guilt, pride and envy since my viewings number approximately 15 or 16, not counting “pit stops” while channel surfing. This is truly a classic film that should be seen by all lovers of movies.
This is a chance to see the work of three film greats at their absolute peak: Jack Nicholson, Roman Polanski (director) and Robert Towne (writer). I have previously discussed Nicholson’s work in the 70’s (Five Easy Pieces, The Last Detail,Chinatown, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest). He is so confident and assured and expert in his manner and delivery. It is so much fun to watch the perfect actor in the perfect role. Regardless of what you may think of Roman Polanski the man, he is unquestionably an excellent director (Rosemary’s Baby, The Pianist, The Ghost Writer). His visual flair is on full display with cars, wardrobe, colors, and camera angles. It is obvious he adores the source material. Robert Towne has some terrific screenplays on his resume (The Last Detail, Shampoo), but none better than this one. Along with Network (Paddy Chayefsky), this is one of my two favorite screenplays of all-time. It is outstanding!
Some people refer to this as “the Nose movie”, thanks to the scene where Polanski, in a cameo as a tough guy, teaches Nicholson a lesson about sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. What I love about the story and the movie is that we are along with Gittes (Nicholson) for the whole thing. There are no shortcuts … no narrators … no flashbacks … we get to solve the mysteries right along with him. Too many movies make it easy for the viewer. I prefer to work a little. And trust me, this one makes you work. Is it a whodunit? Is it a kidnapping? Is it a political power play for control of water? Is it just outright corruption? The answer is YES to all of these!
If you have seen it before, watch it again and pay attention to the absolutely perfect mood score from Jerry Goldsmith. Check out the wardrobe – the number of suits worn by Nicholson is crazy. The same holds true for Faye Dunaway’s dresses. Pay attention to the multiple “eye” references right up to the final two … Dunaway in the car and John Huston shielding his “granddaughter” from the grisly scene. You may have missed the supporting work from John Hillerman, Diane Ladd, Rance Howard (Ron’s dad), Burt Young (Paulie in Rocky) and James Hong. James Hong? If you are a “Seinfeld” fan, you’ll recognize him from the Chinese Restaurant scene where he pages “Cartwright”. Especially pay attention to the powerful performance of John Huston as Noah Cross. And no matter how many times you have watched it, the “nose” scene will still make you cringe.
If you have never seen the film, I urge you to set aside some time to watch this classic. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted. Take it all in and then … “Forget it Jake. It’s Chinatown.”
Movie Reviews from the Dark 