One of the most masterfully executed films of all time, Roman Polanski's Chinatown is the epitome of film noir, harkening back to the styles made famous in the 40s and 50s. Easily Polanski's finest work, the shadowy locales, wise-cracking dialogue and gritty events perfectly complement the corrupt officials and hired guns that surround Jake Gittes on his quest for the unpredictable truth. Jack Nicholson portrays an unforgettable character in a film that demands repeat viewings, earning a remarkable 11 Academy Award nominations in 1974.

Lead investigator Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired by Mrs. Mulwray to spy on her husband to determine his marital loyalty. As soon as Gittes’ investigation goes under way, the husband Hollis Mulwray, the man behind Los Angeles's Water and Power Company, turns up dead. To make matters worse, the real Mrs. Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) stops by with her lawyer to discuss the damaging gossip running through local newspaper headlines. Uncovering a knavish plot to deprive neighboring farmlands of water to force the sale of land at immoderately cheap prices, Gittes becomes determined to root out those responsible, especially after an unfavorable encounter with a switchblade. Digging through the corruption and deceit behind Mulwray's murder and the extreme secrecy behind Mrs. Mulwray and her father Noah Cross (John Houston), Gittes is cast headlong into a world of greed, extortion and violence.

Jack Nicholson breathes life into Jake Gittes in an Oscar-worthy tour de force, with amazingly sarcastic quips and commendable perseverance concerning the colossal gravity of the water and power business. Gittes is cool and collected, even when being held at knifepoint or gunpoint, and always a step ahead of his adversaries, both mentally and verbally. When things don't add up, he isn't afraid to dig deeper – he is employed by just about every rivaling party during the course of the film - but we get the idea he’d still sacrifice his wellbeing for answers, if only for personal satisfaction. He's not afraid of bending the rules – “to tell you the truth, I lied a little” - and his cooperation with the law is oftentimes considerably fragile. Unique and unpredictable, Gittes is an antihero with such enthralling idiosyncrasies and clever character traits that the audience is unable to tear their attention away from his every move, from the very opening line of dialogue to the unforgettable last.

John Alonzo’s cinematography is enchanting, and Polanski’s direction is mesmerizing. Immersing the viewer in the heart of the film, over-the-shoulder shots and silhouetted faces keep you in the very middle of the action and almost following behind Gittes as he moves from bloodied crime scene to lavish homes. Staying true to some of the ground rules for classic noir, he is involved in every scene, and his actions narrate the film even without a voiceover – we know only as much as he does. The characters are either antiheroes or villains and as the plot thickens, those lines are usually continually blurred as the intricate mysteries become less and less clear, giving way to a more astonishingly unexpected conclusion.

Instantly recognized for its perfect recreation of classic noir and its infamous nose-slicing scene, performed by Polanski himself, Chinatown demonstrates the chaos and avarice of deceitful men wielding too much power, as it serves up an allegory for water and dishonesty. Every side-story and reference to Chinatown in the film musters up memories of events gone awry, and so its culmination there flawlessly sums up the incalculable and tragic arcs of characters that are doomed by their involvement with the seedy side of politics. No one escapes unscathed from the thick layer of corruption in this last of the great illustrations of film noir.

Chinatown keeps its lasting power through its dazzlingly sardonic dialogue, the development of monumentally unforgettable characters, volatile situations and the inimitable Jack Nicholson. Everything works smoothly - the ideal film noir design, the beautifully crafted, original screenplay by Robert Towne, the haunting, deep piano riffs by Jerry Goldsmith, and the unequaled acting talents of Faye Dunaway, John Huston and of course Jack Nicholson. Voted onto AFI's Top 100 Greatest American Films list in both 1998 and 2007, Chinatown is the epitome of contemporary film noir, and an overall outstanding piece of entertainment.

- Mike Massie

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