Chinatown (1974)

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writer:

Robert Towne (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

20 kesäkuu 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A private detective investigating an adultery case stumbles on to a scheme of murder that has something to do with water.

Plot Keywords:

Water | Detective | Murder | Corruption | Private Detective

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 18 wins & 22 nominations

Cast

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
Beulah Quo	...	Maid
Jerry Fujikawa	...	Gardener
Belinda Palmer	...	Katherine
Roy Roberts	...	Mayor Bagby
Noble Willingham	...	Councilman
Elliott Montgomery	...	Councilman
Rance Howard	...	Irate Farmer
George Justin	...	Barber
C.O. Erickson	...	Customer (as Doc Erickson)
Fritzi Burr	...	Mulwray's Secretary
Charles Knapp	...	Mortician
Claudio Martínez	...	Boy on Horseback
Federico Roberto	...	Cross' Butler
Allan Warnick	...	Clerk
John Holland	...	Farmer in the Valley
Jesse Vint	...	Farmer in the Valley
Jim Burk	...	Farmer in the Valley (as Jim Burke)
Denny Arnold	...	Farmer in the Valley
Burt Young	...	Curly
Elizabeth Harding	...	Curly's Wife
John Rogers	...	Mr. Palmer
Cecil Elliott	...	Emma Dill
Paul Jenkins	...	Policeman
Lee de Broux	...	Policeman (as Lee DeBroux)
Bob Golden	...	Policeman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Warren	...	Driver (uncredited)

Directed by
Roman Polanski

Writing credits
Robert Towne		(written by)
Roman Polanski		uncredited

Produced by
C.O. Erickson	....	associate producer
Robert Evans	....	producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
John A. Alonzo

Film Editing by
Sam O'Steen

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Production Design by
Richard Sylbert

Art Direction by
W. Stewart Campbell

Set Decoration by
Ruby R. Levitt		(as Ruby Levitt)

Costume Design by
Anthea Sylbert

Makeup Department
Hank Edds	....	makeup artist
Susan Germaine	....	hair stylist
Lee Harman	....	makeup artist
Vivienne Walker	....	hair stylist

Production Management
C.O. Erickson	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Ader	....	second assistant director
Hawk Koch	....	assistant director (as Howard W. Koch Jr.)
Lee Rafner	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Bill MacSems	....	property master
Gabe Resh	....	set designer
Robert Resh	....	set designer
L. David Gordon	....	draper (uncredited)
Mike Reedy	....	property maker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Clint Althouse	....	boom operator (as Clint Althaus)
Bob Cornett	....	sound editor
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound re-recordist
Larry Jost	....	sound mixer
Howard Beals	....	sound editor (uncredited)
David Dockendorf	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Roger Sword	....	sound editor (uncredited)
John Wilkinson	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Logan Frazee	....	special effects

Stunts
Jim Burk	....	stunts
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alan Gibbs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hal Needham	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Hugh K. Gagnier	....	camera operator
Earl Gilbert	....	gaffer
Bernie Schwartz	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Richard Bruno	....	wardrobe
Jean Merrick	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Florence Williamson	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John C. Hammell	....	music editor
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Uan Rasey	....	musician: trumpet solo (uncredited)

Other crew
May Wale Brown	....	script supervisor
Gary Chazan	....	assistant to producer
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Lee Sollenberger	....	animal trainer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures
• Long Road
• Penthouse

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinéma International Corporation (CIC) (1974) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• C.I.C. (Consorcio Ibérico Cinematográfico) (1974) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1974) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1974) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• CIC (1974) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1975) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (19??) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (19??) (Australia) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1976) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Award Winning Collection)
• Paramount Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Paramount Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Phillips (1992) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Prem'er Video Fil'm (19??) (Russia) (VHS)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Freedom Service Company  production services
• The Family Jewels  jewellery

Runtime:

131 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

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:

1972 Canyon Drive, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Ranked #2 on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 greatest films in the genre "Mystery" in June 2008

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Reflected in the glass behind Gittes while he signs the contract with Mrs. Mulwray.

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.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Stella Street (2004)

Soundtrack:

The Way You Look Tonight

As coolly intense and exceptionally-staged as any detective story/film-noir of the 40's & 50's

Chinatown is a tremendous collaborative effort that produced one of the most memorable Hollywood pictures of the 1970's. Director Roman Polanski (his last film in America, and the first he made in America after the murder of Sharon Tate), stars Jack Nicholson & Faye Dunaway, and writer Robert Towne, all come together to create a detective story classic. At times it slows its pace down so the viewer can think along with Nicholson's character, to take in the environment as well as the situation he's in (i.e. when he goes to the empty reservoir, when he visits Noah Crosses house the first time). And the script has the perfect sense of drawing us into a story, fueled by curiosity, grit, and cynicism, and engages the viewer by its realistic dialog between the characters.

J.J. Gittes (Nicholson, in one of his best 70's performances) is in Los Angeles circa 1933 in the line of private investigator, usually dealing with people who may or may not believe that their significant other is having an affair. Evelyn Mulwray feels this may be the case with her husband Hollis, and Gittes decides to take the case. However, this draws him into a deeper case involving the city's loss of water once Hollis- a major player in the water supply controversy in the city- is found murdered. This eventually leads him to Noah Cross (John Huston), a big businessman and who also happens to be Evelyn's father. Intrigue starts to develop, as Jake's own life begins to be at risk.

As a intricate, detailed detective story the film is an above-average work, with Towne's script containing the maturity, and wicked sense of humor, of a James M. Cain or Raymond Chandler novel. When the thrills come they come as being striking. And when humanity and compassion get thrown into the mix, the film reaches a whole other plane of intelligence. The last third of the film could turn off some of the audience (depending on one's own level of belief), but it holds strong thanks to the performances. Nicholson doesn't over-step his bounds in any scene, finding the right notes in suggestive conversations. Dunaway is better than expected (though I'm not sure if it's an great performance). And Huston's Noah Cross is one of the more disturbing villains of that period in movies. 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.