L.A. Confidential (film)
1997
Search results
People also ask
Is Chinatown the greatest movie ever made?
Is Chinatown a neo-noir movie?
Did Nicholson make Chinatown a great movie?
Why is Chinatown the greatest film noir of all time?
Feb 6, 2000 · “Are you alone?” the private eye is asked in Roman Polanski’s “Chinatown.” “Isn’t everybody?” he replies. That loneliness is central to a lot of noir heroes, who plunder other people’s secrets while running from their own.
- Jerry Goldsmith’s Soundtrack
- The Unorthodox Setting
- John Huston as Noah Cross
- Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Cross
- Jack Nicholson as Jj “Jake” Gittes
- The Script Is Pretty Much Perfect
- The Subtle Way The Mystery Unfolds
- The Tragic Ending
- Chinatown Solidified The Neo-Noir
- Chinatown Is The Culmination of The Entire Film Noir Genre
One of the most memorable elements of Chinatown is its soundtrack, which echoes the classic Noirs of the past. Composed by none other than Jerry Goldsmith, the movie’s haunting score is an integral part of the viewing experience that only adds more emotion to the most powerful scenes. What’s even more impressive about this score is the fact that it...
Unlike many detective movies before it, Chinatown takes place in the sunny and sandy streets of Los Angeles. While this may seem a bit mundane by today’s standards, this was a pretty titanic shift back in the day. The unspoken rule among detective movies of the time was that they always took place in some city’s grimy underbelly. Meanwhile, Chinato...
It’s practically a genre tradition to have a corrupt politician or business mogul at the center of the conspiracy, but none are as vile and despicable as Noah Cross. Not only did he kill some business rivals to monopolize Los Angeles’ water supply, but he also fathered his own granddaughter after having an incestuous relationship with his daughter....
Upon first glance, Evelyn Cross may look like the usual damsel in distress for the detective to save or the femme fatale he has to be wary of. While Evelyn has shades of both, in the end she reveals herself to be a tragic figure and victim who’s at the mercy of an immoral world. RELATED: Faye Dunaway: 10 Best Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes Fa...
When it comes to cinematic private eyes, none could be more iconic than Jake Gittes. While he’s obviously not the genre’s first sleuth, Gittes became an entire generation’s default hardboiled detective to emulate in their works. Jack Nicholson’s performance (and writing) helped make Gittes more than just another stereotypical detective, instead of ...
Aside from the famous line about the eponymous location (you know the one), Chinatown is loaded with quotable quotes that only use a few words to deliver one hell of a suckerpunch. Not only that, but the central mystery and everything that happens in between is airtight, with nary a plot hole in sight. This is because Robert Towne’s script is as cl...
A common practice in older detective movies was to have a narrator or to give the focal private eye a lot of monologues for the audiences’ sake. This was done for exposition’s sake and while it was appropriate back then, it can come off as tedious or on-the-nose today. Chinatown, on the other hand, chose to handle its investigations silently, letti...
Chinatown is best known for its heartbreaking ending, where Evelyn dies, Gittes is left broken, and Cross gets away. While depressing endings are common today, Chinatown’s came out in a time when detective movies usually ended happily. This risky creative decision paid off well, as it’s considered to be one of the best endings ever seen. What makes...
Chinatown is obviously not the first Neo-Noir of its time, but it’s undoubtedly the most important one. While gritty detective movies were pretty common in the ‘70s, few were made in the style of The Maltese Falcon and its ilk. At the time, these movies were often criticized for prioritizing violence over the actual mystery, with many filmmakers ex...
Chinatown may bear the hallmarks of a classic Film Noir but technically speaking, it’s a Neo-Noir. Simply put, Neo-Noirs were a revival of the classic Film Noirs of the ‘40s and ‘50s. During the resurgence’s early days, most of its examples were modernizations (ex. Dirty Harry and The Long Goodbye), with Chinatown being the rare period piece. By fo...
Roman Polanski’s “Chinatown” is not only a great entertainment, but something more, something I would have thought almost impossible: It’s a 1940s private-eye movie that doesn't depend on nostalgia or camp for its effect, but works because of the enduring strength of the genre itself.
Jul 18, 2021 · The Chinatown screenplay is viewed as the Hollywood gold standard; Jack Nicholson’s performance is considered among the all-time best; and Roman Polanski’s direction is irrefutably masterclass. We’re going to break down our Chinatown movie analysis – its legacy, historical context, and influence.
When Los Angeles private eye J.J. "Jake" Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired by Evelyn Mulwray to investigate her husband's activities, he believes it's a routine infidelity case.
- (79)
- Roman Polanski
- R
- Jack Nicholson
Add to it some good cameos (Burt Young as a driver, Polanski playing the little guy in the infamous 'knife' scene), and a smooth soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith, Chinatown comes out as strong piece of movie-making, and arguably one of the greatest in the crime/mystery genre.
Chinatown is a 1974 American neo-noir mystery film directed by Roman Polanski from a screenplay by Robert Towne. The film stars Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway.
