Roman Polanski
Chinatown

Convicted on September 26, 2009, for sexual assault on a minor that occurred in 1978, the Polish director has always been a topic of discussion, both positively and negatively. Many things have been said about him: some have labeled him as an overrated director, others see him as an institution of world cinema, some snub him outright, while others praise him for any of his works. Undoubtedly, his greatest achievements come from the early part of his career, which includes films like "Rosemary's Baby", "The Tenant", and the wonderful adaptation "Tess", taken from the stunning novel "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" by the English author Thomas Hardy. During this prolific and decidedly profitable period for Polanski, another extraordinary example of cinema was conceived, directed, and produced. "Chinatown" has become one of the most idolized films by American critics, so much so that it is considered the nineteenth greatest American film of all time.

Polanski's intention was to pay homage to the great film noirs of the 40s and 50s with their placid atmosphere and slow plot development. Chinatown echoes these patterns, and the extraordinary cinematography of John Alonzo takes us back to those years, among the wooden furniture of detective offices, the acrid smell of tobacco, and the yellowed colors of the clothing. This is the setting in which Jake Gittes (Jake Nicholson) lives and works, who, hired for a case of infidelity, unwittingly becomes embroiled in a series of murders and events directly linked to politics and corruption.

The narrative structure of "Chinatown" is typical of previous film noirs: the presence of two protagonists, one male and one female. One investigates, and the other, being the beauty of the film, comes to have some sort of relationship with the male counterpart. Moreover, the complicated plot combined with Polanski's direction, the music of Jerry Goldsmith, and the extraordinary performances of Nicholson and the stunning Faye Dunaway, help make Chinatown a great example of 1940s cinema in the 1970s.

A meticulously crafted film that delights with irony and fascinates with mystery. It's impossible to remain indifferent to the atmosphere recreated in this film, impossible not to be charmed by the usual smirk on Nicholson's face, this time with his large bandage on his nose. Everything contributes to making it an absolute masterpiece, including the poignant sensuality of Dunaway, who, like Jack Nicholson, gives a performance that has gone down in cinema history.

A film in which Polanski pours the dualistic human condition: many aristocrats and politicians in their modernized grand houses, many characters from Chinatown itself, a base reality compared to the mansions of the "greats". It is precisely Chinatown that is the place of Evil, understood in its entire essence. The place where everything comes together, where the story concludes. It is the perfect place for the end of the tale and it could not have been otherwise.

Chinatown, besides being purely a mystery film, is also a common drama for all people: it's always the "bad guys" who have the upper hand, with their meanness and stupidity. The drama affects everyone, contrasted by the ironic and at times insecure figure of the investigator Gittes. Also interesting is the role Polanski attributed to water, which in Chinatown becomes archè, the primary principle of all subsequent events, in some way connected to them.

A cinematic masterpiece. A narrative skein that unwinds slowly through noir, mystery, police procedural, drama, and comedy and evolves in a tragically sublime manner in the final memorable sequence.

Oscar winner in 1975 for Best Original Screenplay.