Just missing out for C include, Cruising, Crash (1996), Cries and Whispers (Viskningar och rop), Cool Hand Luke, The Conversation, The Conformist (II Conformista), A Clockwork Orange, The Cat People (1944), Cat o' Nine Tails (II Gatto a nove code), Carrie (1976), Class of Nuke 'Em High, Citizen Kane, Cafe Lumiere (Coffee Jikou), Carnival of Souls, The Cabinet of Dr Callgari (Das cabinet des Dr Caligari), and A Canterbury Tale (1944). In the end there was just one choice.
C - Chinatown (1974)
Director Roman Polanski
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez, John Hillerman, Darrell Zwering, Diane Ladd.
Running Time: 126 Minutes
Review: A landmark in American Cinema during the 1970s. Not only is Chinatown one of the great film noirs, it is also Roman Polanski's greatest ever film (and yes that is saying something). The film also sees Jack Nicholson at the peak of his powers during a spell where he could claim quite confidently that he was up there with the very best in the business, and his nicely measured turn as private investogator Jake Gittes ranks among his top five performances IMO. Faye Dunaway is also at her best, matching up nicely in a difficult role oppisite Nicholson, however there is only one place to start and that is with Robert Towne's Oscar winner script.
The craft and pacing of Chinatown has a much to do with Towne's script which may well be one of the best ever produced in Hollywood. The dialogue is full of rich, and poetic lanague for the cast to sink their teeth into. Part of the power of the film and also its enjoyment is in the interaction between characters, but each of these scenes are structured so that the payoff (in this case a witty line) hits the viewer like a perfect punch line. The lead up will often be causal, with very mudane conversations, before it builds to the punchline, which has the double whammy of being very funny, but also adding to the characters and the viewer's preception of what is to follow later in the film. The skill of the story itself is to play with much of the convention of early film noirs, here Town gives us a lighter, breezier verison, which has fun with the view of both male and female respresentations in this genre, but also introduces newer themes to do with big businesses, corruption, and orientalism. Of course because of the screenplays lean pacing it allows for the hard hitting thriller elements to slowly grip as things delvelop. There is also a darker side to the film which climaxes with a very unconvential and bleak conculsion which carries true emotional weight. The characters are vivid too, with Nicholson's Gittes a smooth lad who learns a few life lessions over course of the film, and becomes stronger as a result, it is also fun watching him stumble along, and on to things, as Gittes slowly figures things out. This character is the perfect mix of charm, cheek, guts, cynicissim, and plain old fashioned values. Nicholson is wonderfully dry in the part, looking just the part no matter the scene, and convincing throughout. Dunaway stands up to him perfectly, and knows how to suffer for her work. She has the coolness of a woman who has seen it all before, while still being able to inject a scene with fire through a simple delivering of a line or a look. Her facial features are perfectly captured with a range of emotions represented, at certain times she is pale so as being a empty vassel, maybe showing her as being confined to a set role, other times the red make-up, and deep black eyes give the character a more powerful, sinister edge, or a air of mystery.
Polanski captures the atmosphere and shadowery world of film noir with a wide open lense, and full range of tones. The director keeps the pacing of each scene and its characters in check. There is a crispless, and discipline to how the scenes are pieced together. Once considered a genre director (and a pretty entertaining one at that), Polanski here assumes a more focused approach, some claimed because of the personal tragidy in his personal life. The dark ending to Chinatown along with the cynical world view of its characters could mirror the director himself. Whatever the case, the film remains distinctive, cinematic milestone.
Rating: 10/10
Favourite Scene: Many contenders, that nose scene, the ending, but I will go with when Evelyn is forced to reveal to Jake the nature of her relationship to the young girl, a fine mix of dark comedy, and the tragic payoff.
Quote/Unquote: (So many! So I cheated and went with a few!).
Loach: What happened to your nose, Gittes? Somebody slammed a bedroom window on it?
Jake Gittes: Nope. Your wife got excited. She crossed her legs a little too quick. You understand what I mean pal?
Noah Cross: Course I'm respectable. I'm old. Politicians, ugly buildings, whores all get respectable if they last long enough.
Lt. Escobar: You must really think I'm stupid Gittes.
Jake Gittes: I don't think about it that much but, gimme a day or two and I'll get back to you. Now I want to go home.
Lt. Escobar: I want the other pictures, Gittes.
Gittes: What pictures?
Escobar: This broad hired you, not Evelyn Mulwray. Somebody wanted to shake Mulwray down; she hired you. That's how come you found out about the murder.
Gittes: I heard it was an accident.
Escobar: C'mon Gittes, the hell d'you think you're dealing with? A bunch of assholes? Mulwray had salt water in his lungs. You were following him day and night; You saw who killed him. You even took pictures of it. It was Evelyn Mulwray. She's payin' you off like a slot machine.
Gittes: You accusin' me of extortion?
Escobar: Absolutely!
Gittes: I don't think I need a day or two; you're dumber than you think I think y'are.
D should be up soon. In the mean time get guessing!
