When Los Angeles private eye J.J. “Jake” Gittes (Nicholson) is hired by Evelyn Mulwray to investigate her husband’s activities, he believes it’s a routine infidelity case. Jake’s investigation soon becomes anything but routine when he meets the real Mrs. Mulwray (Dunaway) and realizes he was hired by an imposter. Mr. Mulwray’s sudden death sets Gittes on a tangled trail of corruption, deceit and sinister family secrets as Evelyn’s father (Huston) becomes a suspect in the case.
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When looking through classic older movies to review, I found out it’s pretty slim pickings on the streaming services. While I was trying to find something like The Good the Bad and the Ugly or One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (for example), I did stumble across another one I’d never seen: Chinatown. While it wasn’t my first choice, I decided to check it out anyway. Would it be worth my while, or another film that has been ruined by the passage of time?
Jack Nicholson does a good job in the lead role. While he’s not the zany guy viewers might recognize from Batman or The Shining, he does a good job when he’s playing a subdued private eye as well. Faye Dunaway also turns in a solid performance, and the two work well together. The rest of the cast is mostly forgettable, with the butler from Magnum, P.I. (TV) popping up, among others.
The story unfolds throughout the runtime of Chinatown like a classic murder mystery. The viewer is slowly given clues throughout the film, keeping them tuned in to find out whodunit. Viewer beware however: it’s not neat and tidy like the films of today. The ending leaves a lot to be desired, and the whole behind the title of the film is only partially explained.
It’s odd, too, as some of the twists that occur at the last moment are never foreshadowed, leaving the viewer rather shocked at the abrupt turn of events at the end of Chinatown. There’s no follow through, which usually take place in the epilogue. Instead, the film ends almost immediately after the final sequence, leaving viewers with a lot of unanswered questions. Add in what is now known about the director’s proclivities, and some parts of the ending take on an even more disturbing tone, as if the film is, at least in part, a wish fulfillment fantasy of his.
It’s unfortunate the ending is so bad, actually. With Nicholson and Dunaway turning in solid performances, and the whodunit aspect keeping the viewer turned in, Chinatown seems like it has everything needed to create a great film. But that sloppy ending really detracts from the viewer’s overall impression.
