Reel Thoughts

Jack (Nicholson, that is) plays Jake Gittes, an ex-cop turned PI who specializes in tailing adulterous halves of married couples for the vengeful, paying halves.  One auspicious day, Evelyn Mulwray (eventually played by Faye Dunaway) hires Jake to tail her husband, Water Department Head Hollis, whom she suspects of having an affair.  The trouble?  Hollis shows suspicious behavior but rarely of the extramarital kind, and the woman who hired Jake is not the real Mrs. Mulwray.  When Jake's investigation is spilled to the press, complete with photos of Hollis with what looks to be another woman, Evelyn reveals that she was not the woman who hired Jake and slaps him with a lawsuit, but Jake doesn't go away quietly.  Not wishing his dubious reputation to be further dragged through the mud, he starts poking around further and finds Hollis dead via what looks to be suicide.  Now fully on the case, Jake investigates Hollis' dealings only to uncover a tangled web revolving around Los Angeles' water supply, a shocking secret of Evelyn's, and the possible involvement of her concerned yet morally ambiguous father, Noah Cross (John Huston).  All the while, the cops and investigators, Jake included, make mention of Jake's past in Chinatown - a place that is more a state of mind than a location of note, at least until the end, where people go to forget and be forgotten, because apparently anything can happen there.

Roman Polanski directed this film, and what's instantly likable about it is how tight of a film, in terms of its craft, it truly is.  The pacing is flawless, percolating slowly, like a coffee pot, until the water reaches a boil.  What starts as a somewhat tedious and cerebral mystery involving the diversion of water from city resevoirs becomes a fully engaging tale of intrigue and deceit complete with twists and turns.  The technical elements of the film are remarkable and priceless, from the muted lighting, to the perfect art direction recreating the look of the 40s with astounding and eye-pleasing detail for this homage to and revision of film noir, to the astounding cinematography.  Instant coolness points, 1974 though the year in which this film was made, for using reflective surfaces like rearview mirrors, camera lenses, and bifocal lenses to offer clues and bring the viewer into Jake's perspective and his PI-type investigatory world.

And that score!  Jerry Goldsmith's theme is equal parts touching and suspenseful, creating the perfect atmosphere for this unusual drama and underscoring Jake's confusion and triumphs and heartbreaks with skilled nuance.  Mr. Goldsmith created several recognizable thematic film scores in his lifetime (including the original theme for Star Trek: The Next Generation), and I think is generally underrated.  This score creates the feeling that maybe you've heard it before and maybe you haven't, which gives it a truly timeless quality.

The performances are also unparalleled, between the one and only Jack, with his wisecracking nods to Humphrey Bogart's Sam Spade and others of his ilk to the seemingly pristine iciness of Faye Dunaway's femme fatale Evelyn.  Also, John Huston plays an unusual villain - giving him more than the usual shades of gray.  When you first meet Noah Cross, you suspect him of something, but you don't want to believe it.  He's no-nonsense and seemingly forthright, donning a chilling sort of sanity, qualities that don't come often in a villain.  His deeds, the viewer learns, are so heinous and his attitude so cavalier that, in the end, it's quite a shock to the system.  It was a bold and balanced performance by Mr. Huston (and what a prolific guy he was in life).

With all of this praise, then, why didn't I love the movie more?  It comes down to story and character development, though, ironically, this film won its only Oscar for original screenplay.  Much has been discussed about the film's healthy dose of cynicism, informed by the malaise of failure in Vietnam, the rise and fall of the counterculture, and the then-contemporary Watergate scandal.  The film is dark and cynical to be sure, leaving the viewer with the sense that certain forces in life mean bad guys might just always win - and giving me an unusual and probably not much thought-of parallel to discuss when I review The Dark Knight shortly.  My problem, ironically, was only the vague mentions of Jake's past in Chinatown, little information into why Chinatown was significant, lack of information on what happened to Evelyn's mother, little information into why Evelyn married Hollis (even if it was confirmation that it was rebellion against her father and because Hollis took care of her and her circumstances when she returned from running away).  I guess I have little patience for mentions of background that go nowhere.  I'd rather have no hints than unsatisfying ones.  They create too many questions and detract from an otherwise perfect film that seemed to have no intention of answering them.  Mysteries that create other mysteries are one thing, and I know there's a sequel to this film ("The Two Jakes"), but I don't need pepper for a pot that would've done well without the vague allusions.  I think I'm most frustrated by the fact that the fact of Chinatown is the biggest mystery of all.  Maybe I'm supposed to be.  Maybe the sequel delves into that mystery.  Who can say?

Plus, this movie is rather dark and cynical.  It's hard to love it, really, because of it's hard attitude toward certain social circumstances.  I don't fancy myself a Pollyanna, but I prefer to be a little less gloomy about certain things.

That's not to say, however, that Chinatown is not an excellent movie, deserving of its many places on AFI's various lists.  It's just not one I'd pull out for kicks and giggles.  Thusly, no test passing.  As for ratings, I see this one as being an 8.5, between minor flaws and perfect entertainment.  The flaws I see are more minor than the minorest (ahem), but I was not perfectly entertained, so there you are.  Chinatown is a recommendable flick, though, worth its weight in filmmaking gold.  And it's got some great quotes.  My favorite: "You're dumber than you think I think you are."  Oh, and, "...my nose.  I like it.  I like breathing through it."  I think it's fair to say that few can deliver a line like good ole Jack.