Smart film-noir draws me in every time. This film is one of the smartest. What casting! The star of the film is 1930's Los Angeles. Jack Nicholson is the flawed good guy, Jake Gittes. Film legend John Huston is the bad guy. The theme is the exercise of power. When Jake was slapping Faye Dunaway, my dismay matched his when we both suddenly understood exactly what she was saying. Few movie moments equal that one for provoking sheer astonishment mixed, finally, with horrified comprehension.
