China Town

 

DIRECTED BY-:
Roman Polanski
STARRING-:
Jack Nicholson
Faye Dunaway
John Huston
YEAR OF RELEASE-:
1974
PREMISE-:
A private detective hired to expose an adulterer in 1930s Los Angeles finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

THE NEGATIVES-:

• Why did Evelyn want to sue Jake in the first place if A) she did NOT want more publicity and B) Even Hollis seemed to think that Jake is an innocent man?

• Jake is CONVENIENTLY interrupted by the arrival of Evelyn JUST BEFORE he can further investigate the eyeglasses in her pond. 

• It’s also highly convenient that Evelyn’s gardener SOMEHOW didn’t notice these very noticeable eyeglasses in her pond.

• Hollis is CONVENIENTLY not present in his office when Jake goes to visit him for the first time.

• Jake is CONVENIENTLY able to look at important clues in Hollis’ office JUST BEFORE Yelburton arrives. 

• The guard outside the Oak Pass Reservoir CONVENIENTLY doesn’t know what Yelburton (the deputy chief) looks like. Also, are we supposed to believe that Jake was just HOPING that this particular guard wouldn’t know Yelburton’s face?

• At the morgue while talking to Jake, Morty CONVENIENTLY takes out the body of a local drunk who drowned in the supposedly dry LA river. 

• Why didn’t Mulvihill kill Jake when he first trespassed into the reservoir? Why did he just slash his nostril?

• Why did Ida choose to call Jake’s office with her REAL name, especially when she’s trying not to get MORE involved in the case?

• WHY was Ida, who was presumably just an actor hired to pretend to be Mrs. Mulwray, told about the specific details (like the names in the obituaries) of Noah Cross’ plan?

• Jake and Evelyn are LUCKILY able to escape Mulvihill and his thugs outside the retirement home.

• Evelyn CONVENIENTLY receives a crucial call about Katherine at the EXACT time Jake is in her house.

• The discovery of Ida’s body COINCIDENTALLY happens on the SAME DAY Evelyn and Katherine are planning to leave the city.

• Why did Lou let Jake go to get Evelyn ALONE? Why didn’t he himself accompany him OR send an officer with him, especially since Jake is a suspect in withholding evidence and extortion?

• Near the end, Evelyn’s gardener CONVENIENTLY mentions how SALT water is “bad for the glass” instead of simply saying, “Water is bad for the glass” like he did in the beginning of the movie.

• Lou and the other officers CONVENIENTLY don’t notice Curly’s car coming out of the house where Jake went in. Jake's plan also stupidly RELIES on the police LUCKILY not noticing Curly's car.

• THE CLIMAX

• It made absolutely no sense for Jake to (A) call Cross to Evelyn’s house, (B) devise a plan in which he himself needs to go to Evelyn and Katherine, and (C) order his colleagues to meet him at 1712 Alameda for the following reasons-:

• Stupidity in choice (A) —: 

• If Jake was trying to elicit a confession out of Cross by provoking him with his glasses, what use would that confession be if the police aren’t around to hear it? Isn’t that confession just Jake’s word against Cross’ at that point?

• Jake's plan further doesn’t make sense because given everything he’s learned about Cross during the course of the film, he SURELY would’ve known that Cross wouldn’t come alone and would at least be accompanied by an armed guard.

• Stupidity in choice (B) and (C) —:

• Curly was the ONLY person required to escort Evelyn and Katherine to Mexico and hence, there was absolutely NO need for Jake and his colleagues to be present there.

• After escaping from their custody with the help of Curly, Jake SHOULD’VE known that the police would next go to his colleagues in order to trace him. Was Jake just HOPING that this wouldn’t happen? IF he was hoping that the police won’t go to his colleagues, then did he just think that they will give up and not go Evelyn’s mansion?

• Instead of taking Cross and his men right to Evelyn and Katherine in the end, Jake could’ve taken them to the wrong location in order to stall them OR he could've just lied to them and told them that they’ve already left the country.

• If the police had already arrested Jake’s colleagues at 1712 Alameda, why didn’t they also arrest Evelyn and Katherine who were in the same place? 

• Instead of immediately shooting her car tires as soon as Evelyn begins to drive away, Lou stupidly decides to shoot a couple of shots in the air.

• One of the shots fired ACCIDENTALLY kills Evelyn.

• AN ALTERNATE ENDING THAT WOULD'VE MADE MORE SENSE —: After instructing Curly to take Evelyn and Katherine to Mexico, Jake calls Lou and his officers to Evelyn’s house and requests Lou (by appealing to their history and friendship) to secretly wait in the house for Cross’ arrival. Jake then calls Cross to the house and by provoking him using his eyeglasses, forces a confession out of him, a confession which is heard and witnessed by Lou and several other officers, which finally incriminates Cross. 

THE POSITIVES-:

• The cinematography, music, dialogues, costumes, and set designs were all satisfyingly good.

• Barring the moments where he makes some stupid decisions in the climax, the character of J.J. Gittes was consistently well written. The motivations for the rest of characters’ actions also made sense for the most part. 

• While everyone in the cast gave a performance that ranged from okay to good, it was Jack Nicholson who stole every scene he was in. He undoubtedly carried the entire movie on his back by giving a very subdued yet sly performance. In the final shot of his character’s face, Nicholson does a fantastic job of conveying dejection, horror, and disgust, all from a single expression.

RATING-: 5/10