Episode 30 – Chinatown (1974)

It's 1974. It's the height of New Hollywood, and Chinatown, directed by Roman Polanski, is a quintessential example of the darker subject matter and bleak outlook often associated with the movement. Considered one of the greatest movies of all time, this neo-noir crime drama follows private investigator J. J. Gittes, played by Jack Nicholson, as he digs into a world of government corruption, murder, and tangled family relationships amidst a Los Angeles drought. What Chinatown offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: a tightly written, highly regarded script; a compelling mystery based in Los Angeles's historical water wars; a complicated femme fatale who knows more than she is willing to share; and a bleak, though famous, ending. Show Notes