Gender Stereotypes In Chinatown Film

Chinatown (1974), a film written by Robert Towne and directed by Roman Polanski is centered around Los Angeles during the 1920s. Because of its setting and era, the film has cinematic style and and thematic elements that allude to “film noir”, a common genre for 1920s films. One aspect commonly brought up in this genre is gender role, specifically that of women, during the noir era . Polanski’s film references the common noir archetype of “femme fatale”, a lying, seducing female character who brings men to their destruction. He also nods to the common belief of the time, that men are strong and powerful heroes looking to find truth. However, because it falls into a more modern, “neo-noir” category, Chinatown brings the roles of women to a new light, and draws attention to the problems in society of the time when it comes to gender, both male and female.

During the 1920s, it was very common for women to be viewed only as housewives and mothers who stayed submissive to their husbands.

Those who broke this stereotype were often considered dangerous and not to be trusted. In the very first scene of Chinatown, we see a husband viewing photos of his wife cheating on him with another man. Later in the film, the morals of the 1920s society are shown when we see the wife in her home with bruises all over her face, presumably from the husband beating her. However, from the lack of reaction from main character Jake Gittes, it is evident that this type of male-dominant relationship is perfectly acceptable during the

era.
Evelyn Mulwray, the female protagonist in Chinatown deviates from the stereotype of the times by being bold and powerful. At the beginning of the film, she is portrayed as manipulative and secretive, aligning with the femme fatale archetype of films made during this era. However, Polanski creates a dramatic twist when the we learn the truth about Evelyn’s past. She goes from a lying, seducing monster, to a victim of incest, who the audience is lead to feel pity for. By contrasting to the common femme fatale troupe, the director brings up a darker past to Evelyn, who we now see as both complex and motherly. Instead of a caricature, she becomes more human. This comparison uses society’s attitude toward women to develop the intricate character of Evelyn. She does not fit into the gender roles of the society, however these gender roles eventually lead to her death.
Jake Gittes’ character also reflects the stereotypes of his era and common tropes of men in noir films. At the beginning we see him as a powerful investigator whose heroic quest for truth defines his career. He also has a demeaning and oppressive placement of women that his society has instilled in him. When addressing the woman posing as Mrs. Mulwray in the beginning of the film, he tells her to “let sleeping dogs lie” in her pursuit of the truth about her husband’s loyalty. Later, when questioning the real Mrs. Mulwray about the girl who turned out to be her daughter, we see Gittes slap her across the face multiple times. Gittes goes from the