November Blind Spot Review: Chinatown (1974)

“You’ve got a nasty reputation, Mr. Gittes. I like that.”
– Noah Cross

SYNOPSIS: A private detective hired to expose an adulterer finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption and murder. – via IMDB

Another one off the list! I thoroughly enjoy neo-noir films, and I am always pleased when I get to watch one. Chinatown is considered a classic and a work of art, and I am inclined to see why it is a classic. The script is solid, and accompanied by a great score that complements the film every step of the way. The movie is also carried by two great leads, and Nicholson and Dunaway give fantastic performances. I do think that the movie was exceptionally long. Sometimes you noticed this, other times not so much. It took me awhile to get into it, but when I was hooked, I was taken in all the way. The story is simple, but never plain and boring, but never so complex that is loses the viewer along the way. Chinatown is also shot really well. I was not a fan of one particular scene where Jake laid into Evelyn pretty solid. Everything was going fine and next thing he was smacking the heck out of her, and I felt it was jarring. I suppose it is still loyal to the times and all, but that type of stuff grates on me. And it was brutal, especially when you hear what she reveals after. Brutality for brutality man. I don’t really know what else to say about the movie – I enjoyed the concept and the execution, the atmosphere and vibe, and I liked the fact that the ending made me think, too.