Chinatown (1974)

Regista:

Roman Polanski

Sceneggiatore:

Robert Towne (written by)
(ancora)

Data di uscita:

20 giugno 1974 (USA)

Genere:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

A private detective investigating an adultery case stumbles on to a scheme of murder that has something to do with water.

Plot Keywords:

Great Depression | One Word Title | Dark Past | Rape Victim | Beautiful Woman

Premi:

Won Oscar. Another 17 wins & 22 nominations

Recensioni degli utenti:

Marvelous

Cast

Jack Nicholson	...	J.J. 'Jake' Gittes
Faye Dunaway	...	Evelyn Cross Mulwray
John Huston	...	Noah Cross
Perry Lopez	...	Lieutenant Lou Escobar
John Hillerman	...	Russ Yelburton
Darrell Zwerling	...	Hollis I. Mulwray
Diane Ladd	...	Ida Sessions
Roy Jenson	...	Claude Mulvihill
Roman Polanski	...	Man with Knife
Richard Bakalyan	...	Detective Loach (as Dick Bakalyan)
Joe Mantell	...	Lawrence Walsh
Bruce Glover	...	Duffy
Nandu Hinds	...	Sophie
James O'Rear	...	Lawyer
James Hong	...	Kahn
Beulah Quo	...	Mulwray's Maid
Jerry Fujikawa	...	Mulwray's Gardener
Belinda Palmer	...	Katherine Cross
Roy Roberts	...	Mayor Bagby
Noble Willingham	...	Councilman
Elliott Montgomery	...	Councilman
Rance Howard	...	Irate Farmer at Council Meeting
George Justin	...	Barney, the Barber
C.O. Erickson	...	Banker at Barbershop (as Doc Erickson)
Fritzi Burr	...	Mulwray's Secretary
Charles Knapp	...	Morty
Claudio Martínez	...	Boy on Horseback
Federico Roberto	...	Cross' Butler
Allan Warnick	...	Clerk at Hall of Records
John Holland	...	Farmer in the Valley
Jesse Vint	...	Farmer in the Valley
Jim Burk	...	Farmer in the Valley (as Jim Burke)
Denny Arnold	...	Farmer in the Valley
Burt Young	...	Curly
Elizabeth Harding	...	Curly's Wife
John Rogers	...	Mr. Palmer
Cecil Elliott	...	Emma Dill
Paul Jenkins	...	Policeman
Lee de Broux	...	Policeman
Bob Golden	...	Policeman
resto del cast in ordine alfabetico:
Richard Warren	...	Driver (uncredited)

Regia di
Roman Polanski

Scritto da
Robert Towne		(written by)
Roman Polanski		uncredited

Prodotto da
C.O. Erickson	....	associate producer
Robert Evans	....	producer

Musiche originali di
Jerry Goldsmith

Fotografia di
John A. Alonzo

Montaggio di
Sam O'Steen

Responsabile casting
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Scenografie di
Richard Sylbert

Architetto-scenografo
W. Stewart Campbell

Arredatore
Ruby R. Levitt		(as Ruby Levitt)

Costumi di
Anthea Sylbert

Trucco
Hank Edds	....	makeup artist
Susan Germaine	....	hair stylist
Lee Harman	....	makeup artist
Vivienne Walker	....	hair stylist

Direttore di produzione
C.O. Erickson	....	unit production manager

Aiuto regista
Michael Ader	....	second assistant director
Hawk Koch	....	assistant director (as Howard W. Koch Jr.)
Lee Rafner	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Bill MacSems	....	property master
Gabe Resh	....	set designer
Robert Resh	....	set designer
L. David Gordon	....	draper (uncredited)
Mike Reedy	....	property maker (uncredited)

Sonoro
Clint Althouse	....	boom operator (as Clint Althaus)
Bob Cornett	....	sound editor
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound re-recordist
Larry Jost	....	sound mixer
Howard Beals	....	sound editor (uncredited)
David Dockendorf	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Roger Sword	....	sound editor (uncredited)
John Wilkinson	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Effetti speciali
Logan Frazee	....	special effects

Controfigure
Jim Burk	....	stunts
Steven Burnett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alan Gibbs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hal Needham	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Hugh K. Gagnier	....	camera operator
Earl Gilbert	....	gaffer
Bernie Schwartz	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Richard Bruno	....	wardrobe
Jean Merrick	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Florence Williamson	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John C. Hammell	....	music editor
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Uan Rasey	....	musician: trumpet solo (uncredited)

Altro personale
May Wale Brown	....	script supervisor
Gary Chazan	....	assistant to producer
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Lee Sollenberger	....	animal trainer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Long Road
• Paramount Pictures
• Penthouse

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2002) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Argentina Video Home (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• C.I.C. (Consorcio Ibérico Cinematográfico) (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1976) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• CIC Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• CIC (1974) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (????) (Australia) (video) (laserdisc)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1975) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Award Winning Collection)
• Paramount Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Paramount Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Phillips (1992) (Germany) (video) (laserdisc)
• Prem'er Video Fil'm (????) (Russia) (VHS)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)

Other Companies

• Freedom Service Company  production services
• The Family Jewels  jewellery

Durata:

131 min

Nazionalità:

USA

Lingua:

Inglese

Colore:

Colore (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sonoro:

Stereo

Divieti:

Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Brazil:12 | UK:15 (video rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:16 | Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | UK:X (original rating)

Luoghi delle riprese:

1972 Canyon Drive, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Long Road

Curiosità:

The original script was over 300 pages.

Errori:

Personale o equipaggiamento visibile: Reflected in the glass behind Gittes while he signs the contract with Mrs. Mulwray.

Citazioni:

[first lines]
Jake Gittes: All right, Curly. Enough's enough. You can't eat the Venetian blinds. I just had them installed on Wednesday.

Movie Connections:

Parodiato in "Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man: Noir Gang (#3.1)" (1996)

Colonna sonora:

Easy Living

Marvelous

There is a word, impossible to spell, that describes the alignment of solar bodies like the planets when they all fall into place together. A similar word would describe this film. Everything about it is right. Polanski never directed a better movie. The performers, down to the lowest atmosphere person, are superb. The editing, the score, the sound, the decor, the dialogue, all are just about flawless. Polanski deserves much of the credit. When Gittes surprises Evelyn Mulwray in her car, after he follows her to her daughter's house, her face slumps forward and beeps the horn briefly. Then, so faintly, we hear a few dogs bark in the background. Not only is the scene itself exquisitely done but it prefigures the ending, as does Gittes' remark earlier to Evelyn that she has a flaw in her iris. The movie is too good to deserve much dissecting. It stands repeated watching. If there is anything wrong with it, it is the serious and tragic ending that Polanski always insists on tacking on. Robert Towne was right and Polanski wrong in this case. Everything came together on this film. It's not only the best detective movie ever made; it's one of the best movies ever made -- period. A marvelous job by everyone concerned.

I have to add (6/27/05) that the word I mentioned in the first sentence is spelled "syzygy." Man, did I get enlightening email on that. I might as well add two other impressive features of this movie. (1) Polanksi takes his time. Example: Gittes sneaks into Hollis Mulwray's office and begins to go through the drawers of his old-fashioned wooden desk. As he slides each drawer out, Polanksi gives us a shot of their humdrum contents (checkbooks, magnifying glass, and so forth) and we can almost smell the heat and the odor of shellac and sawdust emanating from the wooden containers. The contents reveal nothing of importance in this case. But (2) sometimes irrelevant information crops up that resonates later in the film with its own echo. The detail might be just a word ("applecore") or an ordinary object (a pair of spectacles found in a pond, immediately after Gittes imitates the Japanese gardener's remark that the water is bad for the "glass.") Some of the references may be so consistent as to constitute a theme (water). None of this hits you over the head with its significance. It's all very neatly stitched together.