DVD Review: Chinatown

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

Director: Roman Polanski
Writers: Robert Towne
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Diane Ladd
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: November 6, 2007

If you took a poll and asked people what the top detective movies of all time were, the majority of people would have Chinatown somewhere on their list. Roman Polanski’s 1974 classic, Chinatown is considered film noir. As a classic, the acting, directing, and storyline stand out with the exceptional quality that you should expect from a movie of this kind. Some consider it a romantic thriller, while others are just floored by the metaphoric ideals that parallel the Garden of Eden. However you see it, Chinatown is a film that defined a higher standard of film making and for that reason it deserves to be celebrated.

Release Information:
The special edition of Chinatown was released by Paramount Studios on November 6, 2007. One of the chief reasons for this release could be that viewers were not satisfied with the quality of the former version of Chinatown. Many people complained that the quality was lacking and it affected the movie as a whole. This version of the film certainly makes up for any past attempts that were lacking. The picture quality has been improved, the sound has been enhanced, and special features were added to complete the package. Ultimately, Paramount made it well worth a purchase whether you have the previous version or not.

The Chinatown Plot:
During the film, it is said that nothing in Chinatown is as it seems. This idea is one that sums up the film perfectly. Nothing is ever as it appears to be. Jack Nicholson stars as the motivated detective, Jake Gittes. Early in the film, Gittes is humiliated due to a trick that gets him to publicize some indiscretions by Hollis Mulwray (Darrell Zwerling). Mulwray is the head honcho for the Los Angeles water supply. Things get interesting when Mulwray’s wife (Faye Dunaway) decides to sue Jake, but then drops the suit and decides to hire him to find out who was behind the plans to make her husband look bad.

Before long, Jake is uncovering a plot to make millions due to a drought, while someone gains private ownership of the water supply that is necessary to the population of Los Angeles. As the movie goes on, Jake narrows down the suspects to one main character who is made for this sort of plot, as he is obsessed with power and craves the control that would be necessary for this type of scheme.

Jake Gittes is a man with a tortured sense of idealism. Claiming the existence of an ethical businessman, he would knock you out if you attempted to claim otherwise. However, it’s obvious that being ethical does not stop him from attempting to hide parts of himself from some people. It becomes obvious that tragedy struck Gittes in Chinatown and that is what prompted him to leave the force for good. We find out that Gittes could not protect a woman that he desperately had hoped to save.

He attempts to redeem the first young lady by replacing her and doing right by her through the protection of Evelyn Mulwray. However, Gittes has his share of faults that can cause him some serious problems. While he can deduce who the bad guy is without trouble, he flubs the process by telling lies and mixing up critical information. The worst mistake comes in underestimating the grasp that his enemy can have over him should he want that form of control.

Nicholson was already a household name by the time this movie was made, but for anyone with doubts of his ability, Chinatown squelched the doubts with a strong and versatile performance. The cocky and experienced Gittes isn’t as experienced or smart as he likes to believe. While Nicholson is the standout performer in this bunch, all of the actors are excellent in their own specific roles. Perfect casting is rare these days, but these actors were well suited for the parts that they were given.

Audio/Visual:
Chinatown may be an older film, but Paramount spared no expense when it came to the restoration effort. Chinatown is compressed at a ratio of 2.35:1. Scenes are sharp, clean, and free of unnecessary grime. You will not find any fuzz or choppy scenes in this release. The audio is offered in the form of Dolby Digital 5.1 stereo. This means the audio is on par with the video to make one spectacular movie all around.

Special Features:
The main bonus feature on Chinatown is a thirteen minute documentary that includes the director, the producer (Robert Evans), and the author of Chinatown, Robert Towne. It’s important to note that this feature is noticeably louder than the film so you may want to turn the volume down before playing this extra. If you decide to watch the documentary you will find out more about Chinatown and why Evans thinks that Chinatown was Nicholson’s best work.

Bottom Line:
Chinatown is part of cinematic history. Whether this is your first time watching or you are an old fan, this is one of those movies that deserves to be part of any DVD collector’s collection. While film noir and detective flicks can be an acquired taste, Chinatown is definitely something that can appeal to a much larger audience than the two film categories normally allow. If you haven’t seen Chinatown check it out and if you have you should go buy the DVD to add to your collection.