Chinatown

It's not exactly a film noir because it lacks the main character's accompanying monologue. Instead, it reminded me of L.A. Confidential (yes, I know it's considerably younger, but I saw it first). It also felt as if this movie inspired the creators of Rango. The story was very well constructed, the cast was fantastic, and Roman Polański's direction style usually suits me. Everything came together in perfect harmony; there was a great atmosphere and tension, and I was immensely pleased with how the conclusion was handled. It's evident that film themes come and go, but corruption is a solid rock that doesn't succumb to erosion in that vast ocean of change. / Lesson learned: If your daughter is also your sister, something is not quite right. (15/01/2023)

I recently saw this gem for about the fifth time, but finally for the first time in widescreen uncut format (shame on our distributors that this, one of the best films of the 70s, has never been released on DVD with Czech support). It's rare that a film draws me into the action as if I were there, but Chinatown has an extremely dense, almost oppressive atmosphere of the sun-baked streets of summer Los Angeles in the 1930s, where the slowly escalating plot begins as a fairly ordinary noirish detective story, only to grow into a drama of antique proportions at the end. I've seen Jack Nicholson in many, many films, but here he plays the role of his life in my eyes, and the same can be said about Faye Dunaway. Jerry Goldsmith's music touches on perfection in places, with the saxophone never sounding sweeter than during the melodically expressive “Love Theme”. There was strong competition at the Oscars that year (Godfather II, The Towering Inferno, etc.), but I still can't shake the feeling that the academics were asleep when they awarded Polanski's masterpiece only one statuette out of eleven nominations - for screenplay. One of my Top 10 films. (03/08/2007)

I've heard maybe a bit too much praise about the movie and maybe I am also slightly influenced by the current world, so the significant revelation didn't shock me that much. But still, it is a great film that Polanski directs with incredible certainty until the end, which does not offer any happy ending, which is in this case a good thing. (06/10/2015)

The peak of 1970s grim noir crime investigation with the grand Jack Nicholson, who – apart from delivering a standard high-quality performance – can also add another notch in his belt representing more actresses in his favorite bed. Apart from the amazing Jack and the gloomy atmosphere, it’s a standard film noir. (16/08/2016)

In the mid-70s, director Polanski decided to revive the long-dead noir genre, thus becoming the founder of the so-called neo-noir genre, which found numerous followers and supporters in the 70s and 80s. Chinatown is the flagship of its category, and one must admire the technical aspects of the film even years later, whether it is careful direction, music, or - above all - precise camera work. However, I have a problem with the film itself. The plot and screenplay failed to captivate me. Although Chinatown is considered one of Polanski's best films, I prefer other films in his body of work. Those who enjoy charismatic detectives, fateful women, and dramatic atmosphere will enjoy this film, but I prefer genre classics that are 2-3 decades older. Perhaps I also have a slight issue with the slow pace and the film's runtime. Overall impression: 70%. (26/05/2010)