Polanski’s Chinatown is lauded as a film noir classic. I watched it in freshman literature class, watched again some years later, came across in a screenwriting book, and finally read the screenplay and watched the film. In the following review I will address the most memorable facets of the film and how the screenplay is different from the actual film.
To begin with, the film is a memorable piece of cinematic art. Perhaps solidifying screen legend status for Jack Nicholson, Chinatown is studded with a memorable cast, a great screenplay, and, perhaps, the most memorable trumpet in film history.
Following typical film noir themes Chinatown is set amidst a crumbling society where there is no justice, no one trustworthy. Greed, money, power dominate society from the top down. By the end of the film these themes become obvious. Cross, a slimy character played memorably by John Huston, has, apparently, gotten away with rape, incest, and murder. He is the villain in the story. He has killed the good person that Hollis Mulray was and has raped the innocent Faye Dunaway. The police, buffoons or corrupt, do not arrest him at the end of the film. He takes possession of the daughter born out of incest and gets away scot free.
Gittes, played by Nicholson, is the flawed hero of Chinatown. He works to uncover the truth behind the water scandal only to be deeply disturbed by the end of the film He stares blankly in utter disbelieve at the sight of Dunaway’s bloodied face. How could this happen? How could injustice be so wretchedly perpetrated against the innocent, against the righteous? These are the lasting ideas which Chinatown impresses upon it’s viewers. In the last scene Dunnaway shouts out as she attempts to escape with her daughter from Huston, “he owns the police!”
The production qualities of Chinatown are superb. The scenes are period pieces right out of the 1930s. Clothes, hair styles, and cars are all dutifully reconstructed to evoke a past era. The scenes evoke a deep, mysterious aura. As the tension rises the scenes get shorter, more intense, and that memorable trumpet plays away as the action rises to the final confrontation between Nicholson, Dunnaway, and Huston in the streets of Chinatown.
I thought the best scene of Chinatown is when Gittes confronts Cross. Although, I wondered why didn’t Gittes come clean to the police in the first place? Perhaps he thought he could bribe Cross? Perhaps he doesn’t trust the police? Whatever the reason was, Gittes, for some reason, had to confront Cross. In the scene where he asks Cross how much he is worth and then asks those memorable lines, “how much better can you eat? What more can you buy that you don’t already have?” I think is one of the most memorable scenes of film history. It portrays a society dominated by money, unrestrained in greed, and rapaciousness.
After reading the screenplay and watching the movie there are a few minor differences. One scene is left out and the end is portrayed differently. These are only minor changes. I thought the screenplay was very well written. It followed the conventions of the Film-noir tradition. It was about 120 pages and transitioned smoothly between scenes. A truly memorable piece of Cinematic literature.
No comments:
Post a Comment