A classic line from a film noir classic, Chinatown, which has come out on DVD. Originally released in 1974, starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston, Chinatown takes a real-life person and splits him into two people in order to tell one compelling story.
In the 1930s, William Mulholland constructed the aquaduct that provided Los Angeles with a steady supply of drinking water, but it was not without controversy. In Chinatown, Mulholland is represented by two characters-water department chief Hollis Mulray (Darrell Zwerling), and water tycoon Noah Cross (Huston). Mulray thinks water belongs to everyone and refuses to approve the construction of a dam, Cross will do anything to add to his personal fortune.
Into all of this controversy comes Nicholson’s character Jake Gittes (pronounced like “kitties”), a private eye who is approached by a woman (Dunaway) asking him to investigate her husband’s supposed infidelity. Nicholson is soon caught up in a dangerous, treacherous situation, but finds that he can’t let go until he gets to the bottom of the scheme.
Since this is one of my husband’s favorite movies, which he has seen on both video and on an earlier DVD version, I asked him for his opinion on this new Special Edition DVD. He pronounced it an “excellent transfer” with good quality sound. The DVD includes a three-part documentary about the preproduction, filming, and then the impact the movie had afterwards, with Nicholson, director Roman Polanski, and writer Robert Towne. For fans of film noir, Polanski, Nicholson, or Dunaway, this movie should be in your collection. Here’s a link to the Amazon.com page-And the good news? The Chinatown (Special Collector’s Edition)
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I am so buying this DVD as a gift for my college-age niece and nephew, who have never seen it!
The 70′s were kind of a golden age for American cinema (although we didn’t know it at the time), and Chinatown was one of the best films of the era. I remember the first time I saw it, as an 18-year-old college student. I walked into an early matinee and was so blown away, I stayed for a second showing!
Because it’s a period piece, the movie holds up today (no faddish costumes or weird catchphrases). Robert Towne did a wonderful job of adapting real Los Angeles history into his film noir story. The real Mulholland did retire after a dam he built collapsed, causing a massive flood that killed hundreds of people.
Weirdly enough, I live about a mile away from the point where the aqueduct hits the San Fernando Valley.
Twitter: Table4Five
says:
Donna-If you click the Amazon link in my post, it’s my affiliate link, so I think I make a penny
Isn’t $10.99 an amazingly good deal?
Is the William Mulholland of the story the man that Mulholland Drive was named for? And is the aqueduct the one that you see in TV shows and movies all the time, like in Grease when they have the car race? Or is that a different one?
I also find it interesting that until the 30s, Los Angeles didn’t have a source of drinking water, I guess everyone just had their own wells or something. That’s one of those things we take for granted now.
The movie is absolutely a classic, and it totally got robbed at the Oscars that year-11 nominations including Best Movie, Best Actor, Actress, and Director, and the only Oscar it won was Best Screenply. Godfather 2 won everything else.
I’m sure your niece and nephew will both enjoy the movie!
It sounds like a good deal.
I’ve never seen the movie Chinatown, but it sounds good if Nicholson and Dunaway are in it. I like Jack’s movies. Well, except The Shining. That one scares the shit out of me.
Twitter: Table4Five
says:
Graham-Have you seen Chinatown? I’m sure it must be a classic overseas as while, yes?
Twitter: Table4Five
says:
Dana-It’s not a pleasant movie, that’s for sure, but it’s one of those examples of movies where the writing, directing, and acting all come together to make something that stands the test of time. It’s a classic.
Confession-I don’t care for the original of The Shining. I much prefer the remake, which was a made-for-TV movie with a screenplay written by Stephen King, starring Steven Weber and Rebecca DeMornay. It’s really good.