Chinatown (1974)

Cast

Jack Nicholson
as J.J. Gittes
Roman Polanski
as Man with Knife
Burt Young
as Curly
Faye Dunaway
as Evelyn Mulwray

Get more information about Chinatown (1974) on IMDb

Genres & Description

Action Crime Drama Mystery Thriller

8.2 / 10

In 1937 Los Angeles, private investigator Jake 'J.J.' Gittes specializes in cheating-spouse cases. His current target is Hollis Mulwray, high-profile chief engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, whose wife suspects him of infidelity. In following Mulwray, Gittes witnesses some usual business dealings, such as a public meeting for construction of a new dam to create additional water supply for Los Angeles, as fresh water is vital to the growing community during the chronic drought; Mulwray opposes the dam. Eventually Gittes sees Mulwray meeting with an unknown young woman who isn't his wife. Once news of the supposed tryst between Mulwray and this woman hits the media, additional information comes to light that makes Gittes believe that Mulwray is being framed for something and that he himself is being set up. In his investigation of the issue behind Mulwray's framing and his own setup, Gittes is assisted by Mulwray's wife Evelyn, but he thinks she isn't being ...

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Comments on this trailer
Comments may include spoiler!

Andrew Dempsey

Personal all time favorite movie. It's perfect. - @Thursday, December 20, 2018 9:31 PM

rivertn153

So in this entire review he praises everything and everyone involved with the exception of the great Faye Dunaway, - @Saturday, December 1, 2018 2:33 PM

jimmyl324

Masterpiece - @Sunday, September 16, 2018 4:23 AM

Tulop

the ending is messed up xD really good ending, but messed up - @Monday, September 3, 2018 9:19 PM

milart12

1: 27 Crispin Glover's dad on the far left - @Friday, August 3, 2018 2:41 AM

Luke M

Well, I'm glad the comments aren't reduced to a witch hunt of Polanski and Nicholson. The artist can be ridiculed and even destroyed. But their art - if it honestly stands on its own merits should be respected. - @Sunday, May 20, 2018 9:04 AM

birdy1numnum

Top to bottom - *a perfect film!* - @Saturday, May 5, 2018 12:24 AM

Sherzan

One of the most underrated films.. - @Wednesday, April 18, 2018 9:27 AM

Fadhil Ramadhani

Brilliant story. It is so rare for us nowadays to get such an intelligent screenplay. Instead we get giant stupid robots and mind numbing ghosts. - @Thursday, January 25, 2018 8:03 AM

Inge Fossen

To be honest, I think Penn's "Night Moves" is just as good. - @Saturday, June 10, 2017 9:19 AM

Xavier Peypoch

Amazing series of videos, truly. - @Wednesday, April 5, 2017 4:54 PM

antiflx

direction of a film is more important than its production - @Wednesday, August 10, 2016 2:02 AM

mathew idicula

I don't know why but Donald Trump comes to mind. - @Wednesday, July 27, 2016 12:41 AM

Warren Fahy

Nice job. - @Sunday, March 20, 2016 4:20 PM

19PsychoBates60

Greatest movie of all time! - @Thursday, January 28, 2016 2:39 PM

purveyoroffinefoods laszlo

Film making does not get any better. Brilliantly crafted in every aspect. - @Thursday, October 15, 2015 6:42 PM

Zach Meeks

Favorite Polanski film and my favorite noire film - @Friday, October 24, 2014 4:20 AM

deathfromabove77

Nicholson's best performance (along with Cuckoos Nest, Last Detail).."Chinatown" is brilliantly written with a superb, intricate plot.Polanski typically manages to create a dark, ominous tone as only he can..Dunaway is superb John Huston is simultaneously charming and frightening..One of the great films of that magnificent 70's decade..I'm quite content to watch this , Mean Streets, The Conversation,Godfather, Annie Hall, All the Presidents Men etc on DVD and forever stay in the 70s - @Sunday, May 12, 2013 12:26 PM

Nikki Lewis

funny - @Friday, January 18, 2013 10:10 PM

WTAWWR08

I don't think the film is about evil. Evil is hidden in this movie, because it's weak. You can have all the "power" in the world, like the old man, and you can own your daughters, but they hate you. The true story is about Jack's character, who tried to do the right thing on every turn, but he was so fanatic that he left himself vulnerable to defeat. - @Thursday, October 27, 2011 2:17 AM

César Antonio Taboada

....and both ,Polanski and Capra were in a round table while making a program about cinema. They had a tendency to argue obviously. - @Sunday, September 18, 2011 9:45 PM

FetaCheese222

@malows1234 I agree that Nolan could be making more original movies, but I certainly don't agree that Batman should be directed by Bay. That's just insane. The recent Batman movies are fortunate to have a good director behind them, and The Dark Knight and Batman Begins are more than just action scenes. :| Compare TDK to Transformers 3. Don't worry, it's not like Batman is the only thing Nolan's been doing. Inception? - @Wednesday, August 10, 2011 10:40 AM

FetaCheese222

@malows1234 Wait, so you bash Nolan films and then call Memento a masterpeice? :| Oh, I agree about Batman. TDK is a great movie but it's not quite a masterpeice. - @Saturday, July 16, 2011 4:32 PM

FetaCheese222

@malows1234 If by Batman you mean The Dark Knight, then you must be mistaked. The Dark Knight is a mighty fine movie about what it means to be a hero. - @Friday, July 15, 2011 2:45 PM

William Sands

@malows1234 the purpose of a film is to entertain so no you are wrong , snobby psuedo intellectual losers like you dont matter to make yourself feel superior you pretend your taste in movies or music somehow makes you some sort of artistic intellectual it illuminates you as a sad moms basement dweller who cant succeed at anything important YOU MAKE A GREAT MOVIE AND THEN MAYBE YOU MIGHT IMPRESS ME liking china town doesnt make you anything - @Saturday, July 9, 2011 7:34 PM

William Sands

@malows1234 art is subjective if you had any maturity or intellect you would know that how f&cking old are you that you think you know art? why because you admire some grubby little eastern european troll who rapes american children thats art? my favorite movie is bladerunner and casablanca and lola rennt the germans make better movies than those snakes in holy wood, the whole place should be nuked - @Saturday, July 9, 2011 3:26 PM

William Sands

@malows1234 hes a great artist so was picasso or dali, jim morrison being a great artist does not excuse criminal behavior any more than o js football carreer excused his homicde of his wife, i wonder if you excuse mel gibsons anti semitism or women beating becuase hes a popular actor i bet your forgiven ness is slective isnt it theres more going on in your mind than art your part of an army of degenrates trying to pollute western culture..dont think you fool anyone - @Saturday, July 9, 2011 3:22 PM

William Sands

rodents in holly wood like him parasites bleeding america dry and filling its theaters with filth.. they drag down this nation as they dragged down other nations.. just to make money.. history teaches us what happens to such rodents - @Saturday, July 9, 2011 7:47 AM

William Sands

@malows1234 it is unlawful to buy off a witness so polanski is guilty of another crime he is still wanted he steps one step into the united states his ass is in jail where he will be so popular.. the judge was unlawfull i dont think so a judge has discresionary power if he had abused that it could have been taken to the supreme court polanski is just a dirty little jerk a manipulative little cretin with no morals who invaded the united states and started raping our children there are lots of - @Saturday, July 9, 2011 7:46 AM

William Sands

@malows1234 yu obviously dont know the law how old are you if the mother wanted her to be raped then she goes to jail too the law exists to protect the child, your not very bright or very immature.. and you can not say anything you like over the internet, you cant make threats and if you havent violated the law by expressing admiration for tha act of child rape you made yourself a target congratulations - @Saturday, July 9, 2011 5:05 AM

William Sands

@malows1234 your probably on some sex offenders list arnt you ? every one knows what you people are like scorcesee is italain hes a man who is decent and respects the family.. not some disgusting pervert who rapes 13 year old girls.. too bad polanski survived charlse manson and ww2 - @Friday, July 8, 2011 9:51 PM

William Sands

@malows1234 rapist - @Friday, July 8, 2011 6:02 AM

johannes914

I love the Jerry Goldsmith score on this movie ... - @Saturday, April 23, 2011 6:12 PM

Alan Beecroft

Probably the most anti-Capra movie ever made. - @Friday, October 22, 2010 7:01 PM

jayant asodekar

jrj4u.com - @Tuesday, October 19, 2010 4:04 PM

Shlomo von Glickstein

truly one of the greatest films ever made.... - @Tuesday, February 23, 2010 9:05 PM

Axel Savage

First comment?!?! :D - @Tuesday, February 23, 2010 8:49 PM