Few films have so masterfully captured the essence of disillusionment and existential despair as Roman Polanski’s "Chinatown".
Released on 20 June 1974, "Chinatown" is not merely a film; it is a cinematic tapestry where the tendrils of corruption, power, and moral ambiguity weave into a haunting portrait of a decaying world.
Polanski’s neo-noir transcends the genre, offering a harrowing glimpse into the dark heart of post-war America, where sunlight glistens off the polluted water and shadows obscure the truth.
Set in 1937 Los Angeles, the film revolves around private investigator JJ Gittes (Jack Nicholson), who is hired by Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) to follow her husband, Hollis Mulwray, the chief engineer of the city's water department.
What begins as a simple adultery case unfurls into a labyrinthine conspiracy involving water rights, murder, incest, and the malevolent undercurrent of human greed.
Gittes, the classic noir anti-hero, finds himself not only in over his head but caught in a web of deceit far larger and more sinister than he could have ever imagined.
Redefining noir for the new era
"Chinatown" belongs to the noir tradition, but Polanski subverts many of the genre’s established conventions to tell a more profound and disturbing tale.
Gone are the black-and-white palettes, replaced instead by the washed-out hues of 1930s Los Angeles, a city bathed in sepia-toned sunlight, where the physical brightness contrasts sharply with the moral darkness beneath.
The cinematography by John Alonzo is less about stark contrasts and more about pervasive decay.
His camera lingers, exposing a city teetering on the brink of collapse, both physically due to its water crisis, and morally, as the rich and powerful exploit the weak with impunity.
Polanski eschews the clean, cathartic conclusions typical of classic noir films.
"Chinatown" offers no simple resolutions, no justice served, and no redemption for its protagonist.
Instead, it pulls the viewer into a world where guilt is not just a personal affliction but a systemic plague. T
The final line of the film, “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown,” reverberates with a profound sense of resignation, suggesting that the corruption Gittes uncovers is endemic, too deeply rooted to be eradicated.
At the core of "Chinatown" lies a complex and insidious conspiracy surrounding the control of Los Angeles’ water supply—a metaphorical and literal source of life.
The film’s central conflict draws heavily from real-life events in the early 20th century, particularly the California Water Wars, where wealthy elites manipulated water access for profit, leaving the city’s residents at their mercy.
The character of Noah Cross (John Huston), Evelyn Mulwray’s father, emerges as the film’s embodiment of unchecked power and evil.
His manipulation of the water crisis is not just a means to an end but a manifestation of his desire for domination, wealth, and control.
Cross’s motivations go beyond mere profit; his actions signify a perverse, almost biblical hunger for possession, whether it is land, resources, or people.
The film’s water conspiracy mirrors the broader societal structure: The few who control the flow of water also control the destiny of the many, exemplifying how the pursuit of power operates beneath the surface, insidiously poisoning the well of society.
Ambiguity at front
Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of JJ Gittes represents a deeply flawed, yet somewhat noble, figure.
His sharp wit, cocky confidence, and cynical outlook mask a vulnerability that is slowly unveiled as the story progresses.
Gittes is not the archetypal hardboiled detective. Instead, he is a man haunted by his past—specifically, his failures in Chinatown years before, a mysterious reference that lingers ominously throughout the film.
He is driven by a desire for redemption, to do what is right in a world that is unforgivingly wrong.
Yet, he is constantly thwarted, manipulated, and ultimately powerless against the forces he seeks to challenge.
In "Chinatown", the lines between right and wrong are blurred, if not erased entirely.
The film challenges the traditional notions of good and evil, presenting a world where morality is not absolute but malleable, shaped by those who wield power.
The true horror of "Chinatown" is not just the villainy of Noah Cross or the brutal fate of Evelyn Mulwray, but the realisation that corruption is pervasive, eternal, and inescapable.
In classic noir, the femme fatale is often portrayed as seductive and treacherous, luring the male protagonist into a web of danger. In "Chinatown", Faye Dunaway’s Evelyn Mulwray breaks this mould, emerging as a far more complex and tragic figure.
She is not the manipulator but the manipulated, ensnared by her father’s monstrous influence.
Evelyn’s relationship with Gittes, marked by an initial distrust that later turns into a desperate partnership, is laden with psychological tension and emotional frailty.
The revelation of Evelyn’s incestuous relationship with her father is not merely shocking—it is emblematic of the film’s overarching theme of violation.
Evelyn’s trauma becomes a metaphor for the broader societal corruption depicted in the film.
Her eventual murder—shot through the eye, symbolizing the ultimate invasion of privacy and personhood—serves as the tragic climax of her doomed existence, solidifying her as both a victim and a survivor of her father’s grotesque legacy.
"Chinatown" endures not just because of its riveting plot, unforgettable performances, or haunting score by Jerry Goldsmith, but because it taps into a primal fear - that the world is not a place of justice, but of chaos, and that power resides not with the righteous but with the malevolent.
The film’s unrelenting nihilism offers no comfort, no hope of escape from the shadows of corruption.
Yet, it is precisely this bleakness that gives "Chinatown" its profound resonance.
In a world marred by deceit and cruelty, where the powerful remain untouchable, "Chinatown" remains as relevant and unsettling today as it was in 1974.
Polanski’s masterpiece is not merely a noir detective story; it is a meditation on the futility of justice in the face of overwhelming corruption, a reflection of a society where darkness reigns supreme.
