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

affair. Gittes takes on the case only to find out he's been set up when the real Ms. Mulwray appears to tell Gittes she's suing him for spreading lies about her husband. He won't let up and soon Mr. Mulwray is found dead, washed up in a reservoir. Gittes believes it is because Mr. Mulwray was aware of the fraud and corruption going on with the town's water supply. However, Ms. Mulwray doesn't seem too concerned about her husband's death, and this leads the stubborn and persistent Gittes to continue on with his investigation. He soon begins to uncover more than just the reason behind Mr. Mulwray's murder and he's taken on a wilder ride that he could ever imagine.
The way the audience experiences the movie is an important additional pillar to the structure of the perfect film.

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

strategies.
When Gittes is spying on Mr. Mulwray from above the cliff crouched down looking through binoculars, we are also looking through binoculars; the screen framed in black as if one was looking through a pair themselves. Even when he is looking in his rearview mirrors, were looking directly at it as well--the frame focused on what's going on in the mirror while the rest of the car and outside is but a blur. Even the colors used throughout the film are eccentric, and break down the barriers and stereotypes that a film noir needs to be shot in black and white to capture a true mysterious effect. However, nothing could allow for the eeriness of this movie more than the use of light browns and dark blues or the fact that this movie revolves around the early morning, late afternoon, or night. This emphasizes that "the white heat haze of Los Angeles is turned into an autumnal death-bed darkness." (Sperber par. 5). It is these tactics used that keep us interested in Chinatown. The non-traditional aspects of this film noir remind us that we really have no idea what's going on, or know just as much as Gittes knows, and it keeps our eyes glued to the screen, listening closely for the next big clue to be uncovered.
As essential as the directing is to how the audience connects with the film, the set design is what keeps the story believable and fun to interact with. A round of applause goes out to those responsible for making the 1930's aura so real for Chinatown. Murray Sperber compares Polanski's work to a great Baroque artisan. Suggesting, "He is content to carve a final, over-wrought product of [the Hollywood movie]...this is a highly baroque film...viewers who like to get inside Baroque puzzles will enjoy it most." (par. 19). He goes on to list a few set ups that bring this time period back to life. The old fashioned cars over heating outside the barber shop, the 1930's tools used inside the barber shop, the pictures of Roosevelt hanging in the courtroom. Even the frames around the pictures throughout the movie give off that older vibe. The coroner's office looks like it could be some sort of butcher ward. Giant wooden doors, seemingly unorganized bodies, the fact that the coroner is smoking inside it and the workers are eating their lunch around dead bodies is more than enough to incite the fearful reality a position in a job like this used to carry, but also relief of the fact that these places don't operate like this anymore. Nothing is out of place in the movie that would make us remember that this really wasn't filmed in the 30's. When we feel we are living through a movie, living through the time the movie portrays, we are more intrigued even if we think all we care about is the final scene. The audience can be placed so well in the time period because of the set design that it brings Chinatown all the more to life.
Equally important is the characterization aspect of any film, book, or even television show. Without connection to the characters, the story is uninteresting and the audience is left not caring about anything that goes on. However, Gittes, as sarcastic and cynical as he is right from the first few minutes of the movie, we are drawn into his character. We can see from the beginning that Gittes isn't the obvious film noir private investigator. He is successful, owning his own business with a secretary and two other men working for him. He's modest, but still cares about his appearance. From his slick suits to his classy hats, he truly is a man of his time. Roger Ebert in his review of Chinatown claims, "[Gittes] possess the two indispensable qualities for any traditional private eye. He is deeply cynical about human nature, and he has a personal code and sticks to it." (par. 2).
Gittes is introduced to us as a sarcastic arrogant man, but soon enough we see that he has the ability to be compassionate and moral. It is because of these underlying traits, the way we really get a feel for him as he develops an interest in Ms .Mulwray or proves how concerned he is with the case by risking so much for it, that allows us to connect with him on a deeper level. He is more than the typical drunk private investigator who only looks out for himself, and because of this, we see him so much more three dimensional than any preceding detectives, or even any of the other characters in the movie. Jack Nicholson, who plays Gittes, also has a lot to do with how we see him. He adapts to the character so well which allows us to see and feel just what he does. Ebert praises Nicholson's performance of Gittes, insisting, "Why he's this way...is communicated by Nicholson almost solely in the way he plays the character; dialogue isn't necessary to make the point." (par. 6). After careful consideration, the characterization and how it is applied to the movie truly draws us in more than we expected.
At a very quick glance, Chinatown may just seem like a typical detective film. However, after all things considered, it is much more than just trying to uncover the murder of an innocent man. Polanski's directing skills broke down the stereotypical idea that film noirs had to be shot in black and white to capture their true effect and allowed us to solve this case almost as if we were J.J. Gittes himself. The set design drew us in with its old fashioned architecture and unmistakable relevance to the 1930's. Tying it all together, what truly kept us interested throughout the story, was the characterization and identification with characters throughout the film. We became involved with the lies and secrets as much as Gittes did. On the whole, Chinatown couldn't have been made any other way, at any other time, and still captured its viewers, leaving them in a constant state of confusion begging for more, the way that it already has. The directing, characterization, and set design all play their own role to keep us so "in the moment", as Berardinelli puts it. (par.15). The independence this film had from the traditional ways of the noir genre while still keeping intact the traditional aspects of the private-eye movie has allowed for all of this films deserving success. (Ebert par. 1). Without these strong points, we would just be watching another egotistical, drunk detective running around town with no sort of connection other than the simple desire to know 'who dun it'.