Chinatown

By Harry McPhaul

                Chinatown was a classic detective movie.  It was the story about a private detective investigating an alleged cheating husband only to find out he has been murder.   The detective (Jack Nicholson) traces the evidence to discover that the man’s death may have been caused by a corrupt water department.   The story alone seemed like one of the first of its time which made the film more interesting.  It did not have many slow parts which can often happen in detective movies because they have go and gather evidence. 

                I liked how it kept me interested but without a lot of gun fights or knife fights (weapons in general).  Yes there were a few scenes with weapons but it was only occasional and only lasted for about a minute.  This is what made the film more realistic because no one really goes around shooting up a whole city to solve one murder.  Also another part that made the film more believable was the acting.

                Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of Detective Gittes was highly effective.  I liked how he was keeping almost all the evidence he was gathering to himself and then using it to persuade people to give him more information.  Another great part I liked was how he only mentioned he used to be a police officer a few times.  Many times in similar films we hear numerous stories about the protagonists’ past history as cop which can get repetitive and irritating.  Detective Gittes only shares about 2 stories and says he used to be a police officer maybe 3 times. 

                Overall, I can see why many people would enjoy this film.  The only part of the film I felt was disappointing was the ending.  It kind of ends abruptly and leaves you with the feeling that the bad guys got away with everything.  It is movie that I think should definitely be watched multiple times to help understand the ending better.  I would still recommend that  viewing this film.  I would give it a 9/10.