Director Roman Polanski said "I saw Chinatown not as a 'retro' piece or conscious imitation of classic movies shot in black and white, but as a film about the thirties seen through the camera eye of the seventies." Do you think that he is successful in making a period piece that reflects 1970s culture?
Throughout the film there are repeated references to "Chinatown." Given that the only scene in the film that actually takes place in this location is the final one (see below) what you think "Chinatown" is meant to represent in the world of Chinatown? Make specific mention of its significance with regard to the closing scene (and last line) of the film.
47 comments:
Nicholas Naber
1.1.07
Polanski was successful in creating a 1930’s film with context from the 1970’s. The film had many other tones to it besides the surface story line. One of the biggest ones was that of John Huston he represented government and corruption. The 1970’s were full of secrets and corruption especially dealing with Watergate, and the war in Vietnam. Another thing for me was in Nicholson’s character he represented the little guy trying to find out what was going on. You could say he is representing the citizens of the US trying to figure out what was happening in Vietnam and what was happening in the Whitehouse with Nixon.
The last scene in Chinatown and the continued reference to it may have a few meanings. As they reference it in the movie it’s always talked about in the way that Nicholson’s character worked there for the district attorney solving crimes and gathering evidence. Are they discussing it to allude to his failures as a police officer or just alluding to his past? It might be a little of both he no longer works on the police force and has a somewhat dicey relationship with the lieutenant of the police force. Then in the closing scene after Faye Dunaway is shot to death he is let go by the lieutenant and its said by another officer “forget it Jake its Chinatown.” The idea that what happens there stays there, and even though they suspect Jake of extortion, and withholding of evidence it is forgotten in Chinatown.
I feel Polanski's film did a very good job reflecting the 1930s through the eyes of the 1970s and then, in turn, reflect the present. After reading Nick Naber's comments, I am completely without original ideas, other than to agree with the idea that John Huston did represent the government corruption that involved Nixon and the Watergate scandal. In regards to film-noir, "central to all of these films are protagonists who are lost in a world they no longer understand and are therefore powerless to master it," (Cook 191). This is very reminiscent of the Vietnam War, where soldiers return to an American public who generally thought badly of the war, and in turn them (the veterans). They expected to return as heroes and in a way did, but did not get the reception they expected.
The final line of dialogue in the the film, after Faye Dunaway is shot to death is “forget it Jake its Chinatown.” To me, this symbolizes the idea of desensitalization of corruption. If we are overexposed to something like violence, we adapt and eventually get used to seeing/experiencing it. Like in Vietnam, we expect a certain level of violence to be isolated in one particular area. We do not expect NOR do we want that violence to occur closer to us than where we expect it to occur. Gittes may have a secret past in Chinatown, one that he may not want to relive, but he does so when Evelyn is shot down by the cops. He is almost trapped in Chinatown, as if his whole life revolves around the place. It just goes to show that secrets are always going to come out; the more you hide, the more secretive you become, and the more suspicious others become. In the case of CHINATOWN, Gittes' "secret past" resulted in her death. Secret lives not only affect us, but those who are close to us as well.
Chinatown has elements that are both 30’s and 70’s, and for the most part I find it hard to separate which are which. However, in regard to the “film about the thirties seen through the camera eye of the seventies” idea, I’d say that Polanski was successful. The film had the scene establishment, character types, storyline, and good lighting of the 30’s, with the film and personality of the 70’s. What I mean by that is basically that the film has the vulgarity and character flaws that you couldn’t really see in movies before the 70’s, (the “Screwing China-man Joke” being a good example of this.) Altogether I’d say it was successful in achieving the 70’s/30’s fusion.
As for Chinatown itself? Perhaps I read it too literally, but I tend to think Chinatown represented the end. The solution, the conclusion, the resolution, whatever, of the film’s story. The line, “C’mon Jake, it’s Chinatown,” whatever it meant in the context of the story, (I don’t know, and I don’t care,) in the context of the film as a film, it served the same purpose as a big “THE END” rolling up the screen.
Polanski said he saw Chinatown “Not as a retro piece or conscious imitation of classic movies shot in black and white, but as a film about the thirties seen through the camera eye of the seventies.” What I think was really going on here was an acknowledgment of political scandal and how powerless everyone ultimately is when corruption rules overhead. With controversial issues like Watergate and Vietnam up in the air, these became huge target topics of all kinds of art, especially filmmaking. So it’s not surprising that this film should take on a concept of corruption that was commonly found in crime dramas or film noir anyway. To some, Jake represents the tiny percent that question the motives of the government and strive to find a way to protect the country/city against it. It makes sense that a vigilante or private eye, working outside the police department, would be this kind of fire starter. The rehashing of this old story and character design works perfectly to re-express 1970s events/issues.
Chinatown is a place where corruption is the status quo and where regular people are forced into silence. We can see how obedient all of the Chinese people are when a policeman announces everyone to “clear out, nothing to see here” after the shooting. Without questioning they back off and do as they’re told. The film ends in a defeatist way with the concept that it’s just no use and nothing can be done about it. The best Jake can do is leave as soon as possible. “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.”
Although Polanski saw Chinatown as "a film about the thirties seen through the camera eye of the seventies," he also made a 'retro' piece or imitation of
classic noir films. It is easy to usher in ideas about 70's culture into any film that came out during that period since there was so much going on in the world. We have the righteous detective, Gittes, trying to take down the big guys in charge, the ones with the money and he sympathizes with the working man
when Mulray's right hand man takes over his job. The film is filled with conspiracies, paper trails and phone calls from unkown persons, all of which is very similar to Watergate. At the same time you have great quips, wisecracks and bold dialogue that is remniscient of the film noir of the 30's and 40's. As for Polanski's stylistic choices, he does a good job keeping the camera on a leash and doesn't get carried away with new techniques that were available at the time. He shoots straight for the most part and it looks great, when we get to Chinatown at the end he loosens up as we get this hand held feel of the action going on. As for this being a period piece that reflects 70's culture, sure, but I don't know if that is a major accomplishment considering the massive story line and the plethora of events during that time.
I remember seeing this film years ago and not knowing what "Chinatown" meant to these people. When watching it in class I tried to take notice of its references throughout the film to assemble a better understanding of it. Although I don't think the last line of Chinatown is as empty as Easy Rider's "we blew it," it's an open statement that the characters in the film understand more than the viewer could. There is some mystery to Jakes past in Chinatown, we know when he worked there he did "as little as possible." There is a sense that no matter what you do in Chinatown, it is hopeless, you cannot win. For Jake to take on this major case and get so involved, so attatched and have it all go to hell in the end acted as a reminder that Chinatown is more than just a place where Jake worked, it is a syndrome or state of mind.
Sebastian Juarez
Chinatown
I think Roman Polanski made a neo noir film with a 1970’s sensibility. The whole film noir style lends itself to show the little man dealing with corruption and distrusting authority figures. These are both regular parts of the plot of film noir films. A man usually a detective gets involved in a case. The case ends up leading to a much bigger secret that he somehow gets involved in and he tries to figure it out. The secret ends up being something dealing with some sort of corruption by a government group or some other authority figures. This all lends itself to 1970’s sensibility a time period where the public lost its faith in the government. You had Watergate where the government is caught breaking into and spying on its competition. The citizens no longer trusted the government to tell them the truth.
What is the significance of “Chinatown” in this film? I think “Chinatown” has a couple of different significances and meanings in the movie. The first is Chinatown is where Jake worked as a police officer. He left the force because he could not stop someone he loved from getting hurt. He felt that it was his fault that this loved one got hurt. The person he loved got killed in Chinatown. This same set of events happens to him at the end of the film. The second meaning is that Jake talks about how Chinatown was a corrupt area. The whole film is about corruption. People who use their power and influence to use a government agency to make money for himself or herself at the expense of the general public. I think the third meaning is that Chinatown is an area that is exotic. Chinatown is within the city limits of Los Angeles but it has its own culture that is different from the rest of the city. It depends on traditions and rules the people brought over from China. A non-Chinese person would not be easily accepted into the community and culture. They would be considered an outsider. Jake is an outsider in the world he lives in. He is no longer a policeman. He is not a person of power or influence. He is outside of the world of the people he is trying to investigate. He does not belong in their world.
When Roman Polanski was quoted on Chinatown, I really think he was simply trying to say that he was using technology that was available at the time, instead of using the traditional approaches that might have been taken to shoot a 1930’s style film. I also think he achieved it. When watching this film I really felt an authenticity to it, like I saw it with my own eyes, much like The Godfather in the aspects that the lighting seem to fit that of what I imagine the 1930’s to look like. Also there were no tricky shots, and at times the camera seemed to bounce around as if you were walking with the crowd. The only time that I really noticed technology played its part what-so-ever was the scene where Jake Gittes is spying on Mr. Mulray from the top of the hotel and you can see the cut-paste reflection on the binoculars.
As for the Chinatown reference, you really have to listen throughout the entire length of the movie to piece the story together. There are references to how you never know who is guilty of any crime in Chinatown, because you can never understand anybody. Confusion always sets in, and the police never know who to arrest. The movie mentions how the police tried to intervene as little as possible, and how the police made some mistakes in the past; such as beating Chinamen for “spitting in the laundry.” That is why you hear Gitte say “as little as possible” underneath his breath when talking to the Luitenant near the end of the movie. Even at the end of the movie, nobody understands who is guilty of the crime. A girl is dead, but somehow its justified, because it is Chinatown, and mistakes have been made there before.
Nathan Pratt
I believe Polanski was successful in creating a film from the thirties with the technology of the seventies. The Film incorporated many hidden meanings of the seventies with the corrupted government officials and feelings toward the war. You could picture Nicholson as a soldier trying to figure out what is going on in the war while he is searching for his own answers.
The last line of the film "forget it Jake it's Chinatown" could symbolize that no matter how much you try to stop violence you inevitably become involved and become desensitized towards it. This again is making reference towards the Vietnam war using Chinatown in its place. Regards to the last scene when the officer says the line even though Jake was being held on extortion and with holding evidence they just let him go after Faye Dunaway is shot . This line in regards to the last scene exhibits the idea that when something happens it is left and forgotten.
Shiraz Bhathena
It’s actually quite amusing that Polanski described Chinatown as a 1930s film through the eyes of a 70s camera, because for me and my friends, that’s the way we’ve always thought of it. The film is shot with your ‘3 to 1’ light ratios with the steady camera movement that represented the early sound films (much of the fixed camera movement was due to the fact that actors couldn’t move around too much or they’d miss the microphone), and yet the quality of the film represents that of the ‘recession’ film stocks, with most of the colors neutralizing together into a musty brown after development (the dvd actually looks a lot better than previous prints of it I had seen). Is it successful in accomplishing this 30s film in a 70s style though? It’s hard to say. One moment that always sticks out to me is about halfway through the film. Up until that point, the screenplay fit perfectly as one from the 30s. There might have been jokes that would have been forbidden under the Hayes code (such as the Screwing like a Chinaman joke), but it still could have passed as a pre-code film. When Giddis is on the phone with the hooker hired to fool him earlier, however, you hear him bark ‘Shut the fuck up’ to his coworkers. To me, it just ruined the aura that the film had up to that point. All of a sudden, I wasn’t watching a 30s film, I was watching a 70s film- the same reaction I had to the lead using the F bomb in Far From Heaven.
The references to Chinatown probably relate to the history of the town itself. The idea that this town was able to raise itself up from crop owners into a Chinese community was unfathomable. The line ‘Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown’ refers to that exact idea. The results of the whole situation that Jake was involved in was probably impossible to imagine, and just like how the town was able to rise itself up into what it was, the situation probably would as well, as long as it was left alone, and by walking away from the situation, Jake is adopting this ‘Lassez Faire’ attitude as well.
Chinatown reflects the 1970's in the same way The Crucible reflects the 1950's. It depicts politics of the present by setting it in the past and slightly twisting. The Department of Water has slight resemblances to Watergate. Polankski definitely succeded in representing the 1970's in the 1930's.
I think the world of Chinatown is one thats is no holds barred. One in which criminal events are covered up quickly. It seems that Chinatown is a very dangerous place, one in which Jake can not win in.
Michael Kubaszak
Even though Roman Polanski did not believe himself that his film was "retro", it was obvious that the film industry did. On page 190 Cook displays a movie poster advertising CHINATOWN that definately has a 30's motif. The suits and hats that the men wore, the dresses and hats that the women wore, the cigarette cases they all carried around, how the acted, spoke, and lived had that 30's feel going on. But with the Vienam War gaoing on and the Watergate Scandal taking place the storyline reflected the government's take on these events. Just like in CHINATOWN the guys on top do their best to cover up what is going on so that they can have more power and make more money with leaving Gittes and the rest of the American population to be clueless and continue to be left on the outside of what was happening.
I think that the references made to Chinatown throughout the movie were just a build up for the end. The irony that Gittes does everything he can to lose all contact and association to Chinatown, yet still ends up there without being able to avoid it. It's basically saying that you can run, but you can't hide from your past and sooner or later you are going to have to face it.
Besides the camera lens and what not, I think there are a couple reasons Polanski said it had to do more with the 1970s. During the end Evelyn says, “He owns the police!” To me that is a direct parallel to a lot of crooked cops in the 70s . Also, I read that Towne, the other writer of the screenplay, originally had Evelyn kill Noah Cross and live. It would be a happy ending. But Polanski wanted her to die instead. I think he wanted it to be a lot more dark and sinister, which is what the 1970s films were known for. I also think there is a parallel between Polanski’s wife Sharon Tate and her murder and him choosing to have Evelyn die at the end. It’s almost as if Polanski placed himself in J.J. Gittes shoes and they both shared the loss of a woman.
Earlier in the film, Evelyn and J.J are in bed talking about J.J’s past in Chinatown. He mentioned that he was trying to keep a woman from being hurt, but she ended up being hurt. That is direct connection to the ending where Evelyn is killed. J.J has failed all over again, and for someone to say to him, “Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown”, it’s almost as if it’s the wrong thing to say or think, because it obviously affects Gittes greatly.
Brian Cooney
Chinatown was very successful in its attempts to create a 1930's style film with 1970's context. The biggest seventies idea that was represented was corruption in the government. It is perfectly fitting that a character who is not officially on the police force was the one who found out the truth. Police forces could be bought and sold to the highest bidder in the thirties (Al Capone). Police and the government were corrupt in the seventies (Watergate and Vietnam). Jack Nicholson's character was a representation of someone hunting down information that can't be obtained from people who should be telling it.
"Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown". The last line of the film means Chinatown is a place where there are no rules. A murder just occurred that no one really cares about. Jake knows nothing will be done, but he also benefits because his potential crimes no longer exists because it's Chinatown. Chinatown seems like a place where there is no justice and the best thing anyone can do is just go away and forget anything ever happened. Jake probably left Chinatown because he couldn't win, and it was a very sad ending because he had to deal with the same feelings he tried to end by moving to the private investigator business.
The movie "On Chinatown" was filmed in the 70's but was made to look like it was in the 30's. By doing this they took everything from the seventies and put it into the film. The cars, the way they dressed, they even made it black and white. I think Roman Polanski did a good job just for those reasons I just mentioned. Even though he filmed it in the Seventies, he still made it look like it was filmed in the past. That may not have been very easy to do at this time, but he pulled it off.
The word "Chinatown" was obviously a significant word in the movie or they wouldnt have kept repeating it. I believe there was a connection between Nicholson and the city. They dont directly state the connection but he is the one that says it most of the time. At the very end when he is getting taken away, the guy says, "Forget it Jake its Chinatown." I think he is just telling him to let the past go and move on. Its just a place in his life i think is what he is trying to tell him and he just needs to let it go.
Jordan Robbins
The film is not necessarily a period piece in that it is trying to emulate a certain genre to stylize it and comment on it; the film is just as much a part of the genre. Influences are abound in all walks of artistry, and Roman Polanski merely influenced by techniques found in film noir to weave a story together that greatly reflects the themes on the minds of people in the 1970's, much in the same way Bonnie and Clyde blended art cinema techniques with hollywood. The classic film noirs were always interested in the psychoanalysis of its characters and the vices they indulge in, and this film is no different. However, the emphasis on taboo and sexuality is more apparent, which reflects other films of the 1970's. For example, the incestual relationship between the father and daughter is a theme frowned upon up until this period where the term "porn chic" ran rampant. Also, political themes reflected the negative view of the government from the 1970's; all of the characters involved in the government were either corrupt or mean people.
"Chinatown" is meant to be a microcosm for Jake's nightmarish inner psyche pertaining to his past. There is an allusion to his days as a cop in the particular city, and that must have been the place that led to his corruption. The last scene of the film reflects the circular nature of his downward spiral because such a tragedy happens to him in the same place it had happened before. When Evelyn gets shot, Jake, despite having sex with her earlier, doesn't immediately feel remorse but instead says nothing, suggesting he was proceeding to throw those memories into the "Chinatown" pile he has come accustomed to.
Reid Goldberg
In reference to Polanski’s comment, I think he achieved what he set out to create. The mood of the ’70s was sometimes dark and mysterious, a clear reflection of people’s mistrust with large, government organizations. The look of the film is obviously supposed to represent ‘30s culture and style, as well as a throwback to film noir. However, it was directed and shot with the conventions of ‘70s cinema, with color instead of black and white, as well as Polanski’s directing approach. That is not to say that it did not stay true to film noir. J.J. Gittes is the confused protagonist, stumbling blindly into a conspiracy that he cannot control or necessarily comprehend. This perfectly reflects on the culture of the ‘70s. The film was released in 1974, with Watergate only two years before and the Vietnam War continuing to rage. Many people were being mislead and kept in the dark by large organizations, which can be considered as a parallel for Gittes’ story. Finally, in reference to the film’s final line, I think it relates to this idea. Chinatown is essentially like the water company, an organization that is controlled by others and if one is an outsider, he or she will be powerless against its authority and will lose in the end. This can be directly applied to the line, “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” Jake is in a place where is has no control over anything, and trying to do something about the woman’s death would be futile.
Polanski is successful in making Chinatown reflect both the era of the 1930s and the 1970s. He uses the 1930s environment and classical style to convey a modern, 1970s message. The film grapples with this issue of corruption within "the system." Chinatown (the place within the film, not the film itself) is a place of great corruption which Nicholson's character left. I can't remember the exact lines, but Nicholson references how the corrupt cop used to put Chinese laundrymen in jail for spitting in the laundry -clearly an unnecessary and illegitimate action. The final scene in Chinatown exemplifies the corruption - a cop kills Faye Dunaway while her father, the truly corrupt one, walks away free to our knowledge. Clearly political issues such as Watergate and Vietnam crept into Polanski's portrayal of the 1930s.
Christian Turckes
I think that Polanski did an amazing job reflecting the 70’s in a 30’s movie, because you can see the sense of humor from the 70’s. There was definitely a lot of sexual jokes, and it had the corruption factor, which added a lot to the film, considering the 70’s was a very corrupted time, with the government issues, war, and every ones different personal beliefs. I just think that he did a great job blending the two, because it doesn’t seem like two eras you would want to combine, and it could have turned out to be a bad movie.
I think that Chinatown, symbolizes a place were Nicholson had a lot of problems in the past. He avoids talking about it as much as possible, and it seems to me, like he either lost someone important to him there, he failed some important case, or he just had a rough time there, that he jut doesn’t need to remember. The reason I think that he lost someone important to him, was the way he acted when Dunaway died, and then the way the lieutenant blew off everything when he saw Nicholson’s reaction, because he was probably ther when this first tragedy happened, so to speak.
Dan Boville
During the seventies, America was exposed to things such as corruption, growing impatience with Vietnam and the government. This movie depicted many similar undertones that many related to, in the form of a 1930’s mystery/crime drama. The last line of the movie “forget about it Jake, its Chinatown” was put well by Kelly D. with “If we are overexposed to something like violence, we adapt and eventually get used to seeing/experiencing it.” I think many people felt that way towards Vietnam during this time. There was also a film noir feel to it, mixing both a murder mystery with a psychological drama. Also having John Huston as one of the main characters (and turning out to being the corruption himself) shows it roots in the early film noir genre.
Chinatown is depicted as this mysterious and unknown place throughout the movie. It was an “ugly past” it seems for Jake, and it proved to be that exact place in the end of the film. Nothing good came of Chinatown, extortion, murder, and all these things just seemed normal in good ol’ Chinatown. It seems that while Jake can avoid Chinatown and this ex partner, things seem to be doing well. At the end, Jake finds himself back to Chinatown and with no surprise, a not-so-happy ending.
With Chinatown's government corruption and conspiracy plot, and Nicholson's character of JJ Gittes potrayed as a do-it-yourself loner type just trying to get his due, Polanski has placed a distinctly 1970's film in the context of the 1930s. Not only is this film successful in portraying the 1970's contextually, but Polanski also succeeds in a filmic way as well. Although he captures the noir genre very well, many 1970's stylistic tropes are clear in the film, such as the underlying sense of dread and violence.
Despite the title, Chinatown is only actually revealed in the very end of the film. However, Chinatown (the place) plays a huge role in the film. It is referanced again and again as being the reason why Nicholson quit the force. It is portrayed as the ultimate vile location, things that happen are ignored and seem to fade out of memory quickly. In the end, even though Nicholson has solved the case, the result is bitter. People have died, and the only response is that, "its Chinatown." As if to say, bad things just happen here.
The whole creating a 1930's film within the context of the 70's worked. Like other students have said before me it fitted the essential neccesaties of what was needed. You need a detective or a character that acts as if he or she is a detective, one problem that leads into a much bigger problem or a conspiracy. It reflected all of the problems facing America at this time in the 70's, scandals, violence, sex and all the works.
I believe Chinatown does have many meanings but I also believe "chinatown" is a frame of mind. It's that place where we have all been to. A what happens there stays there type of mentallity. I believe it is a corruption link, whether it pretains to social life or mentally. Most people at one time can say they have sold out, they have sold out their friends, coworkers and even their morals. However the irony of this personal chinatown is to know and have the regret of doing such a thing. That is what I think is meant by the final phrase. Nothing will be solved, it is an unending series of dead-ends and the final destination is just that corruption of the system and of yourself.
Paul Hart
I'm not sure I buy the idea that Polanski wasn't directly quoting film noir from the forties; the protagonist is a sarcastic and sleazy private eye with a checkered past, and the woman who calls upon him for help is rich and beautiful, and her problem lies within the dynamics of her family. That is all classic. The difference lies in the political nature of the issue, and the way the film ends. Earlier noirs are about moral or ethic corruption--usually gambling, blackmail, murder, that type of thing. Chinatown did involve a murder, but the murder itself was only a small part of a gigantic political plot. Also, the fact that the detective doesn't 'win' and solve the case in time to do anything, and the fact that the woman is completely innocent, is a pretty big departure from early film noir. Both film noir eras reflect a dark mood in their respective cultures; both periods are typified by increased anxiety about authority, specifically Watergate and Vietnam in the seventies.
It seems that Chinatown is a place where anything goes, and where the police force is more lax and corrupt than in other parts of LA. Jack Nicholson's characters attempt at solving the murder is ultimately futile, and things end up much worse than they began. It seems that there is no check on the power of the rich, just as there is no check on the power of the police in Chinatown.
Polanski was successful in what he set out to do. Using technology, conventions and references from the 70’s, as well as some earlier film techniques such as masking (binoculars), he painted a clear picture of the 30’s in his period piece, Chinatown. Like someone mentioned before, the film had an authentic feel like that of the Godfather. I felt as if I was really there while watching it. The lawlessness and corruption in the film is reminiscent of that of the 70’s with the Watergate scandal. Polanski could definitely be commenting on this in his film.
As for what Chinatown may represent within “Chinatown”, it’s really anyone’s guess. Gittes had experienced tragedy once before in Chinatown, at the result of trying to protect someone, which is probably why he resigned from the force. At the end the film, he realizes that the same exact thing has happened to him again. His investigating throughout the film was clearly intended for good but in the end, no one is better off for his efforts in solving the case. Chinatown may represent the dangers in trying to do too much, more than we are capable of.
I think the movie “China Town” does a great job reflecting 70’s culture. Despite the story, costumes, and cars reflecting that of the 30’s, the film just has an aesthetic from time it was made. The characters aren’t focused on a 30’s mindset. There are no “you mugs” or other notable 30’s references we would expect from a period piece. The city of LA looks like it has a more modern feel. It looks normal, nothing suggesting that of the 1930’s. The film is shot like that of a movie of the 70’s using zooms and camera movement developed from that time.
Chinatown is used symbolically. I think it’s used to describe a sort of dead end. It could be a place where corruption and darkness lingers and is separated from other parts of the town. People know it’s a place where people are best left alone, or else that corruption and darkness will victimize whoever goes there if they are not careful.
-Matthew Metcalf
Kevin Stephan
11.6.07
I do feel Polanski was able to create the 30's black and white feeling of it even tho it takes place in the 70's i feel he was able to do this because both of the periods are very similar. Both were had government conspitacy and had a lot of new dangerous people enter the period. Also a lot of the movie from both periods represented had the hero lose who he was and went on the bad side. I think the reference of chinatown inside chinatown is that its a place and also a lifestyle, a place people have learned to sort of fear and avoid. I really think that chinatown is a place that no matter where you live, you have heard before. And as for the last line "come on Jake, It's Chinatown." I think tha refers to the fact that chinatown is always going to be there, and its something that you really cant destroy or get rid of.
Melissa Neumann
November 7, 2007
I believe that Polanski succeeded in creating a piece of film about another time in the time-of-the-day fashion. I’ve seen many movies from the 1930’s, being a fan of the era, and the movie did have the look of the 1930’s (i.e. fashion, cars, dialogue, credits in the beginning), with the feel of the 1970’s. The 1970’s had many infamous breaking news stories going on that were full of corruption. The Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War were hot topics of the time. In “Chinatown,” the story behind the case was one of corruption. Hidden secrets had gotten out, much like in Watergate. Things that were meant to be very hush-hush were on the lips of people. The authority figures turned out to be underhanded. They were behind everything, and trying to keep the secrets from getting out by any means necessary. In “Chinatown,” the people with the power were covering up their dirty little secrets by doing whatever that had to, and when the story broke out, it was almost hard to be believed.
In the film, Chinatown is a place with a very “what happens here stays here” feel. Anything is possible in this land, but what does occur does not go beyond the town’s boundaries. The place is full of secrets that will just turn into memories of the past. “Forget it Jake; it’s Chinatown” is just saying that anything is possible in this spot and none of it can be stopped or controlled. The movie is full of corruption, and Chinatown is just one of the places that is full of it.
Matt Ott
Polanski did very well in his recreation of the noir feel while still making a very 70’s movie. I think character-wise Chinatown stay very true to noir; it had your run of the mill detective character, the mysterious bad guy that eventually sets in motion the doomed fate of the dame in trouble. I think what was more “70’s” was the dialogue, it just seemed crisper, that hollywoodness that you can’t just hear. Not that I think its missing that “matter of fact”ness that noir is so great for, but it’s different.
I think the mentioning of Chinatown throughout the movie gives the place this aura that you cannot just show, it has to be described through the characters. It is basically described throughout as where things happen, where the interesting stuff goes down, and this manifests itself when the characters actually arrive there. Chinatown is noir, it’s where the dame will get killed, the detective will be seen in a new light to those after him, the bad guy will be revealed and dealt with, that’s just Chinatown.
Thomas Penglase
I think Polanski does a good job of portraying 1970s cultural phenomenon in this period piece. I think the most evident reflection is the fact that the people who control the leadership positions in the movie are all very corrupt much like the administrations of the 1970's mostly in regards to the false reasonings behind the Vietnam War. I think also the idea of the failed American dream was a contemporary idea of the 1970s and occurs symbolically in moments such as when the farmers lose their ability to make a living with the theft of the areas water resources. Also our main character Jake spends much of the movie with a bandage on his nose which questions our notion of the "superhero" who cannot be harmed by evil. The movie seems to tell us no matter how honest or righteous we are as common people authoritative corruption will always hold us back from our promised bright destiny's.
I believe China Town represents many of the characters secretive past's and also is meant to represent a cyclical machine of collaborative injustices acted out by authority figures. China the country is also a very distant place from the United states which could mean that it's supposed to represent the burial of dark memories in the distant subconscious mind. I think this movie really is trying to speak out against two of its most memorable quotes, "let sleeping dogs lie" and forget it Jake it's China town". The movie tells us not to bury these memories like the memory of the Vietnam war but to bring these issues out into the open so all can understand why these events occurred and how we can make sure they never happen again.
By setting the film in the 1930s, Polanski essentially takes contemporary ideals and shows that these same ideals can be placed in a past time period. The film Chinatown suggests that the political disillusion that was being felt by the American public in 1974 was not a new experience, but rather a common mentality that has been consistent in American culture. The film portrays how subjects of political corruption, scandal, and social injustice were just as relevant to a time period such as the 1930s as it was to the population in the 1970s. Simply the fact that the murderer in the film turned out not to be a common criminal but the representative of capitalist authority directly placed the disillusion over authority felt during the Vietnam era directly in the 1930s. The political involvement in the film could also be a direct representative of the government scandals that were appearing during this era, and reveals the mentality of those that felt that they were growing up under a corrupt establishment.
The film suggests that during this time period Chinatown was not considered a place of favorable outlook, but rather a place that was recognized with only feelings of shame and desolation. It is a place that is considered outside of the mainstream, yet represents the corruption that affects everyone in the film’s society. By the constant references to Chinatown, the movie shows how even an entire environment can become corrupt by the very actions of its authority figures. These references to the environment make not only individuals but the place where they reside a symbol of corruption, destitution, desolation, and loss of hope. The last scene of the movie shows that with an entire environment being corrupt, then there is no way for one man to entirely change a corrupt society, and not accepting this reality only brings about tragedy and destruction for the individuals involved. Therefore, there is no use attempting to change a system that is as absorbed in its own corruption in an environment such as Chinatown.
Reading Polanski's quote I would say he was successful in making a film about the 30's through the eyes of the 70's, but I can't fully agree unless I didn't know it was made in the 70's. I think it is pretty apparent though because he uses the basic themes and looks of 30's film noir, but the acting and camera movements are much more updated. Jack Nicholsan as Gittes is a good example of that because he had the 30's leading character traits such as having a mysterious past, pretending to be confident, but Nicholsan plays it with a little more sympathy than what we're used to. And like everyone else has written, John Huston's character representing corruption in government in a time where there were feminists movements, protests against the war and Watergate.
Since Chinatown is supposed to be where Jake's hidden past is and he doesn't want to relive it, and hearing the line 'forget it Jake, its Chinatown,' I believe that it is meant that problems can not be avoided, and in a sadder sense, cannot be fixed. Jake will always hate Chinatown, and now he has two bad memories there. The line could also mean that we can avoid our problems, like Nicholas said in the first comment, what happens in Chinatown stays in Chinatown. It may never get better, but you CAN avoid it.
In respect to the thirties movies, this does seem like it’s a thirties movie with color. Take for instance, the costumes as well as the detective story line is well in line with this era. No, I don’t think he was successful in making a film that reflects the seventies culture. This time era is more of a rebel’s period, where drugs, sex, war are the main influence although there is that little secreat involving the police and money. Chinatown I believe is meant to be a place where there be no law and order. Where things (murder, etc) happen but stay there. The closing scene shows people shooting each other and the police just stand and watch as well as telling Jake to go home and forget about it as if nothing matters or anything he/they can do about it.
Koua Xiong
I felt that Polanski affectively mimicked the film style of the 30's while giving slight reference to the 70's, particularly in it's representation of violence and particular character development. It was very much a throwback to film noir's style, being a very dark film, both in overall color and the film's mood. I felt that Jack could be a representative almost of the American army of the seventies in that while he was an extension of the poloce force ( like the army is a part of the American govt), he was not perfect, but indeed trying to do his job and find out the truth. The motives were good, despite the methods being slightly questionable. I think the ending line, "Forget it Jake, it's chinatown", could be a modern day equivalent of "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas"
--Jennifer Campbell
brennan o'lena
Polanksi was successful with his vision of Chinatown. The flm clearly would not have been a hit in the 30's but yet carries enough weight and thrill to make it legitament in the 70's cinema. The film clearly has its sociopolitical reference, the most blatent being those of government corruption (Watergate) and the Vietnam War. The police represent the corruption which is shown by one of Dunaway's final lines in which she says her father "owns them." Vietnam is present in the context of searching for the truth.
The final scene in Chinatown again adds to the Vietnam parallel. One of the final lines "Forget it jake its Chinatown," is very significant. Gittes is definetly shaken up, but these lines tell him to move on. This could be seen as US soldiers coming home from Vietnam and told to just forget about the terrors that just happened. Gittes is confused and shell shocked and left with nothing, like many vets.
brennan o'lena
Polanski's Chinatown was exactly what he aimed for; a 1930's film, shot in the 70's with a strong bond between the two eras. The darkness and film styles represent the 30's but the technology is clearly that of a time much more advanced than thirties, 1970's. But there is much more to the connections between the two than visual. John Huston represents government in its worst ways, corruption; when Chinatown was made corruption was evident everywhere, Vietnam, Nixon, the Watergate scandal; everywhere.
The last line of the film says a lot about the film and it's portrayal of Chinatown. "Forget it Jake its Chinatown," is talking about that corruption that is very evident in the story. The viewer knows and understands that Nicholson's character Jake worked in Chinatown before becoming a freelance investigator, and that something before his departure has made his relations with a lot of people tense. It is quite obvious throughout the film that Chinatown is a bad part of town, filled with violence and corruption. When the officer says, "forget it Jake its Chinatown," he means that this is Chinatown and no matter what you say here, none of it will mean anything, because its corrupt.
I think that Polanski was successful in making Chinatown representative of 1930s film. The film had harsh high and low tones in lighting. Although the film was not in black and white, the dramatic lighting helped to strengthen the old ideas. I think that it was interesting how Polanski used himself as a character and John Huston as a character. After the murders of his family, Polanski represented himself as the bad guy instead of the victim that he was in his own life. I think this role reversal was used to help Polanski assert strength in his own life. John Huston, the original filmmaker of this style during the 1930s was represented as the rich and powerful criminal.
Chinatown was not only a place, but also an idea. Chinatown was Jack Nicholson’s prior place of employment. It was a place that Jack wanted to forget about because he had moved on to bigger and better things. We know from references during the film that Nicholson lost a girl in Chinatown. The idea of Chinatown is similar to Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. That is the idea of Chinatown. The last line, “Forget it Jake its Chinatown” means everything’s forgotten. Forget about the girl and forget about the crime.
Tegan Olness
Polanksi's 'Chinatown' is considered as a classic of 1970s, because it is quite an engaging film even without many of the special effects that were available at that time. I felt that this film could be seen as good example of minimalism. The story and characters are the elements that drive the movie forward. Overall, I feel this film was a successful representation of a 1930's film.
The reference to Chinatown is rather vague through out the film. Until the end, viewers only get an idea of the significance of Chinatown. The last line of the film suggests that history will always have some kind of an affect on life, whether we've seemed to move on or not. Corruption and conspiracy is always present, and can sometimes never be terminated.
CHINATOWN was a very dark film indeed to say that there wasn’t much major dialogue but everything that happens really help with the outcome. It somewhat reminded me of Hitchcock’s noir film, VERTIGO because was very settle till the end when everything began to come into place. It was like VERTIGO in color. Polanski used a lot of the seventies film technology to renew the thirties in colors and style which I through was interesting. There was a lot of representation of the events that happened during the seventies in the film that took place during the thirties. The corruption of government and with the Watergate and the Vietnam War, were somewhat represented in this film with some of the various characters and their reaction.
I think that the characters referred several time to Chinatown during the entire town because it represents corruptions of government and control. Towards the end when the leading male, Jake, got arrested and the main the lead female character died, I thought that that scene was very dark in a sense that there were no justice. The officer refused to listen to Jake’s side of the story and the Father of the leading female character escaped easily. It shows the corruption of the government and who they are welling to listen to. Chinatown somewhat represents a place where the people are kept silenced and controlled without justice.
Polanski gave us a vision of the 1930s, but did so with the aesthetic and flare of the 70s. Corruption and violence controlled this era, distraught by war and ravaged by the most conflicted national public. Vietnam put a damper on the US; corruption being the staple product of most politicians. We as a whole were ignorant of what Vietnam truly was, where our interests as a nation lie, and so forth. CHINATOWN was a mystery, putting Jack Nicholson as our primary facilitator of information. Nicholson is the US public, the public who is interested in whats around them, who isn't going to just sit in ignorance and hope things sort themselves out. Polanski may have been using Nicholson to spark up some conviction in this nation's oh so lazy constituency. Of course, John Huston was a metaphor for the corrupt US involvement. Huston's actions directly violated what precedent and law has said to be wrong. Post World War II United States was worried of another world war, and thus drew a line, telling the world not to cross it. Then what happens? The US took one conscious step over into Vietnam.
The continuous mention of Chinatown makes me believe that this lawless zone is analogous to the front lines of Vietnam. This place is where bullets and bodies are nothing more than common place and therefore expected. The death of Faye Dunaway was just another body on the front line. Just another soldier who won't be returning home to his/her family and friend. "Forget it Jake, its Chinatown," it is the norm, it is expected. We expect our soldiers to die.
Roman Polanski certainly was successful in making a film about the thirties represent seventies culture. Nicholas Naber's post states my sentiments nearly exactly. John Huston's character so perfectly symbolized the 1970s government; rich, powerful, and willfully carrying out its private goals. Huston's character, like the government, controlled powerful institutions like the police and the club that was buying out all the land for his future reservoir. Huston's corrupt goals of getting his granddaughter/daughter's custody and purchasing all the land for his water project are as corrupt as the government's war in Vietnam and scandal with Watergate (notice the word connection between Watergate and Huston's goal of controlling water). Nicholson's character was a symbol for the typical American citizen. He was curious about what was happening around him, but the powerful Huston/government, wouldn't spill the beans for him. He just happened to be a little more inquisitive than than the typical American, since in Hearts and Minds most of the citizens questioned didn't know much, nor did they care to know much, about the Vietnam War their government was conducting.
Nicholson's inquisitiveness was of no utility though, as made clear with the words, "forget it Jake, it's Chinatown." Chinatown is where the pretenses of justice and fairness are done away with, and the powers that be make themselves known and exercise their power. Nicholson is willing to explain Huston's crimes and schemes to the police, but they're uninterested, as they're in Huston's pocket. They no longer serve the purpose of justice, but the bidding of their rich master Huston (synonymous with the American gov't controlling our military and sending them to fight in Vietnam for a less than just cause and also the carrying out of the unjust Watergate scandal). The last line basically makes it clear that justice won't be served, you may as well forget about it. Justice and fairness do not reign in Chinatown, only power and the will of those in power.
(Dylan Statz 301-004)
What made Chinatown a contemporary film and not just a retro throwback film was first off the use of color film. This choice automatically sets it apart from the film noir genre, but the use of lighting and slight references, whether they be set pieces, like the use of blinds, or the way the language of the film flowed through the use of old school dialog. The paranoia throughout the film also places it in the context of the 70's because you have lots of turmoil in the United States at this time, such as Vietnam, presidential corruption, and many civil movements and protests.
Chinatown in my eyes represents a place where "the law" isn't fully enforced or is enforced unlawfully. Which one could say is a metaphor for many things, for instance Vietnam or the White House. The references throughout suggest that Nicholson's character used to be a cop in Chinatown and witnessed a lot of corruption come his way, a lot of cover up, murders, and crooked cops. It also suggest the reason he leaves the force climaxed with a murder of woman he cared about, which mirrors the last scene when Dunaway's character is killed. And the last line of the film "forget it, it's Chinatown" completely reinforces the idea that the law doesn't exist in Chinatown.
Cory Gorman
I think Polanski meant that he was creating modern day noir in the 70s. Film noir revolved around curroption and usually some sort of personal discovery. Nicholson's character ends up attempting to stop the corruption and he has to do so on his own. All his battles and trials he has to face alone. His own personal discovery comes from realizing that there will always be corruption and the little man can not win. And appearantly in Nicholoson's case, there is no such thing as a happy ending.
Because of that belief in corruption, the last line in the movie is just more proof for Nicholson to realize that he lost. Chinatown represents a place where anyone can get away with anything. It's a place where appearantly Nicholson's character had other struggles where the wrong person was incriminated and the real criminal ending up getting away. Chinatown is a place that no law figure truly cares about. They are more concerned with covering their tracks and going about their succesful lives.
Alex Brucker
Aliya Shah
Chinatown (1974) is a brilliant blend of mystery, romance, suspense, and extremely obvious detective film noir genre elements. It is a mix of a superb private eye mystery and modern day film noir thriller. It was originally an award winning screenplay by Robert Towne that initially was representing the 30’s and 40’s. It had many features imitating the 30’s and 40’s film period such as the art deco, the detective with his back facing the viewers, smoking a cigarette, signifying the mood, and the symbolism without uttering a single phrase. The film’s claustrophobic, bleak mood surrounding the heroic quest struck a significant response from viewers since it represented the scandalous Watergate ear of the early 1970’s. The film’s two puzzling mysteries and tragedies, which are family related and second water related, are interwoven together in a brilliant manner. The scandals represent the selfish manipulations of the rich and powerful businessmen that are scraping the country from their schemes.
Chinatown focuses on political corruption and greed. The play was originally written by Robert Towne representing the original Owen Valley Rape. However, it had a more positive ending, until Roman Polanski had returned to Hollywood after the gruesome 1969 Manson murders that took the life of his own wife, and the bleak ending to the original play to show his own life tragedies. Ironically, he was also indicted a few years later for the drugging and rape of a minor, after which he fled the country. A lot of this film represents the auteur’s theory as he represents the common filmmaker’s way of thinking incorporated into the film. This film was definitely a film from the 30’s seen through the eyes of the 70’s.
Within the film, there is a repeated mention of “Chinatown”. As the movie progressed, it led audience to imagine what must have happened in this place that made Gittes feel such an intense fear of this place, as he had mentioned losing a loved one previously in Chinatown. It is a place of corruption and loss of hope. It represents a place where good is buried and evil prevails. It is a dark and gloomy place that takes over all sense of life. Gittes is haunted by this place because he had once before tried to save a woman he deeply cared for and lost the power and ability to do so. As he returns to the same place once again he is reminded of his past and regrets coming back there hoping there would be something he could change this time around. At the explosive end, the characters all reach a desolate place where only the brutal survive and all else die. This is a film that illustrates the dark side of human nature, where innocence cannot prevail. If there are good intentions in the hearts of any of the characters in this film they are destroyed by the corrupt and malicious people that surround them.
Polanski's film is exactly how he says it is. The movie itself is about the 30's , but it's shot with the idea of the 70's in it's style. There are artistic choices that just aren't seen in that of classical Hollywood. Things like fancy camera angles and different lighting to portray the feeling that he's trying to get across. In the end this does reflect the dark times and culture that everyone was experiencing during the 1970s with all the scandal going on.
I think that Chinatown is a symbol of what nobody cares for. Everyone in the movie is making an attempt at getting away from Chinatown. It's the feeling that no one cares for what goes on in Chinatown. They all try to forget it. The last line states “forget it Jake its Chinatown." This says not to worry about because no one cares anyway.
I believe that Polanski was successful in his depiction of this film. The changing of the old guard is clearly evident in the first shot of the film. The transition from black and white photos to the color filled world that this redefined film noir is set in. The corruption in china town is what is constantly reffered to by Jake and his associates. I think that may be the reason Jake left. But there is no escaping corruption as is shown in the last scene.
-Brian Shea
Polanski Really used the 1930 Film noir as a guideline more than an exact replica. The film is 1970s film don't mistake that and as a 1970s film it uses many things to try and make you beleive this is a period piece but in reality the constant stabs at the detective, the bed scene for one is an instant laughter inducing moment at the end of the movie. But all in all i really do think it was an honest attempt to justify the film noir to produce realistic characters and a realistic "hero". The 1970s were full of secrets, scandals, and wars, one of which watergate, and this film portrays the honest man, the american dream, and the government that sometimes gets in the way of these two things and brings about a social change.
The Chinatown tie of the movie is that its jacks personal demon and a place where bad things happen. he spent most of his life trying to avoid chinatown to a point where he tries to get rid of it by revisiting his past. if it happens here its excepted to be bad.
Many viewers of Chinatown draw parallels with U.S. shenanigans enabled by the Vietnam War. But Polanski could as well be telling the actual story of how L.A. got water when the L.A. River could no longer provide it. That was to bring water 200 miles through aqueducts from the Owens Valley on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. Politicians were paid off as necessary to take the water away from farmers in the Owens Valley, even as those farmers were negotiating for it. This web site has more of the story: http://tinyurl.com/y6uewn7r
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