Chinatown (1974)

"Forget it, Jay. It's Chinatown."

I read 10 first pages of the script, knew the synopsis, the ending, major plot points but it just proves that you never know how a film can turn out.

Because this one is beautiful and totally unexpected in a lot of ways.

The main hero is not a typical hero but I think I should attribute it to Jack Nicholson's talent: he makes awful crude jokes, he's absolutely insolent but he's also endearing and you just root for him.

The thought that kept running through my head was He's been had! again and again. And when Evelyn tells him the truth he looks dejected and heartbroken as if his whole world has just been destroyed.

And in a way, it has. For some reason I think it's not the first time a case goes awry like this because it's Chinatown. There's a reason he left the police force, and it's not a woman. He isn't that callous and hardhearted and he doesn't want to become that. He still believes in people, he's still a decent guy who won't take someone's last dime. He maintains this last bit of decency by leaving Chinatown and working for the police. Because this Escobar guy does not have it. I don't want to excuse him by saying that it's his job, I just don't like him.

This movie is the first time I realize that in those times, times of films that are considered classic, women were rarely characters who meant as much as men. One of the last shots of Chinatown is four men talking to each other - similar hats, suits, literally all shades of grey. And they are all characters that we've learnt something about. There is also Evelyn (and Katherine's) father and a bunch of other males. But on the female side we only have Evelyn and I guess Katherine (I don't think I'll even forget her screams in the end). Faye Dunaway is brilliant but it just doesn't seem enough.

Also, I'm not sure if it's racism or what (or they just didn't care about that in the 1970s) but calling it all Chinatown and making it the worst place in the city? The wild place of injustice and chaos?
It could have been the worst place in the city, I wasn't even born in that time, but to me (someone who spends too much time around persuasive pro-equality Internet people) it does seem kind of racist.

But! I liked the film. (I'm gonna keep stating it everywhere unless I wasn't clear).