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Chinatown
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03:24
Chinatown
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- 1974
- Roman Polanski
- 125 mins
- X
Summary
Classic period thriller starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston. When private eye JJ Gittes is hired to investigate the husband of a rich Los Angeles socialite, he stumbles into a web of deceit and murder and uncovers a terrible secret from the past.
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Review
A star rating of 5 out of 5.
Adrian Turner
Jack Nicholson here gives one of his best performances, playing a private eye called Jake Gittes, who pokes his nose rather too deeply into the lives of Faye Dunaway and her father, John Huston, a corrupt Los Angeles tycoon. Writer Robert Towne planned a trilogy about LA, and this first part, set in the 1930s, deals with the city's water supply and how that source of life leads to death and profit. The script - the best original work since Citizen Kane - is brilliantly organised, though the ending was changed when Roman Polanski arrived as director: Towne's story never got to Chinatown; Polanski insisted the climax was set there. The result was acrimony behind the scenes and genius on the screen in a masterpiece that repays any number of viewings.
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8.1/10
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Credits
Cast
rolenameJJ GittesJack NicholsonEvelyn MulwrayFaye DunawayNoah CrossJohn HustonEscobarPerry LopezYelburtonJohn HillermanHollis MulwrayDarrell ZwerlingIda SessionsDiane LaddMulvihillRoy JensonMan with knifeRoman PolanskiLoachRichard BakalyanWalshJoe MantellDuffyBruce GloverKahnJames HongCurlyBurt Young
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Crew
rolenameDirectorRoman Polanski
Details
Theatrical distributor
BFI
Released on
2012-12-21
Languages
English | Spanish
Guidance
Violence, swearing and brief nudity.
Available on
video, DVD and Blu-ray
Formats
Colour
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