chinatown

This may seem a bit obvious, but the more movies I see, the more convinced I am that Chinatown is the greatest movie of all time. Here are a few reasons why...

Everything You Could Want
Some movies have a lot of one thing. Romance. Suspense. Action. Violence. Drama. Some movies dabble in several genres, or nod to the minority in the audience (action movies with a token hot girl, chick flicks with a car chase, Transformers). Chinatown has and masters them all.

Killer Acting
Needless to say, Nicholson dominates this movie. The real genius in his performance is that he is a character with a story which is never really told. Too many films climax with a passionate tell-all between the main character and his love interest/adventurous sidekick. When Gittes haltingly relays his past to Evelyn, two crucial elements make this scene particularly touching. First, he really tells her very little. Secondly, and most importantly, Evelyn is a character who he does not trust. This is revealed when he readily believes she is guilty of her husband's murder. Gittes' character is deeply complex, and less than eager to share details about it.

Down-Ending
Call me a cynic all you want, but I contend that no truly great movie has a real positive ending. No matter how realistic or well written, it rings a little false when everything works out as it should. Chinatown's ending is truly redemptive for Gittes, but also tragic. Deep down, I think everyone has a sense that no matter how noble a protagonist, or compelling his sacrifice, "the man" will always win.

Emotional Roller-Coaster
I hate movies where the audience knows more than the protagonist. I know, I know; sometimes this is a useful plot device blah blah blah. But it drives me nuts. What I love about Chinatown is that it's a lot like life. Most of the time, you don't know who to trust, or who is guilty, or who to love, or what they know. Every man is Gittes, distrustful and imperfect, but trying to make the best of it.

There are so many brilliant facets to Chinatown. The writing, the acting, the effortless cinematography. I doubt any movie will ever rival this piece of genius in any of the genres it masters, much less all of them. Agree, disagree?