Film Analysis Of Chinatown Film Noir

From the opening scene of Chinatown, we are immediately drawn into the movie. Confused, intrigued and maybe even aroused by the photos being looked at of two people having sex. Turns out J.J. Gittes, a private investigator, just brought back evidence to a client that his wife is having an affair. Gittes is slouched back in his chair with a cigarette throwing sarcastic comments left and right, and we soon realize he isn't your typical film noir detective. The aura that the set design gives off is like getting off a time machine we didn't know we were stepping foot on. From the pictures on the walls to the stores throughout the town, we are back in the 1930's without any hint of doubt. Not only is the characterization and set design a few of the aspects that makes this movie a classic, it is the directing that allows us to see this movie through the eyes of the main character Gittes. We see what he sees, we only know what he knows, and at some points we can even feel what he feels. These top tactics are a few of the film's strongest points that make it so entertaining and allow for its success in the genre of film noir. J.J. Gittes is hired, by the apparent Ms. Mulwray, in the beginning of the movie to figure out if her husband is having an

The directing has a lot to do with this and Roman Polanski, the director or Chinatown, is no amateur. He filmed this movie while he was experiencing rough patches in his personal life, and because of that, the outcome was to give this movie all that he had left. Due to the intense brilliance that came from it, James Berardinelli in his review of Chinatown maintains the position that, "Chinatown uses every strength in Polanski's arsenal...no previous or future effort equaled Chinatown." (par. 12). We see this movie through the eyes of our main character, Gittes, so perfectly thanks to Polanski's directing