Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Chinatown (1974)
Chinatown
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Photos (see all 68 | slideshow) Videos

Overview

User Rating:
Director:
Roman Polanski
Writer:
Robert Towne (written by)
more
Release Date:
20 June 1974 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Mystery | Thriller more
Plot:
A private detective investigating an adultery case stumbles on to a scheme of murder that has something to do with water. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 17 wins & 22 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(21 articles)
News Bites: Interviewing Faye Dunaway, Sports Heroes, and 'The Shield' (From Cinematical. 7 October 2008, 7:03 PM, PDT)
AFI Picks Top Films By Genre (From Studio Briefing. 18 June 2008, 10:35 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
The apex of the 1970s American film renaissance. more

Cast

 (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

People Viewing This Page May Also Be Interested In These Sponsored Links (what's this?)


Additional Details

Runtime:
131 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Stereo
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Rance Howard, who plays the role of an angry farmer at the council meeting, is the father of famed actor and director Ron Howard. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: Among the items in Ida Session's pocketbook, which Gittes rummages through is a social security card which is 1970s style with blue and red ink, not the 1937 style which had only one color, and a different look. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Jake Gittes: All right, Curly. Enough's enough. You can't eat the Venetian blinds. I just had them installed on Wednesday.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Action: Love Sucks (#1.13)" (????) more
Soundtrack:
Easy Living more

FAQ

Is "Chinatown" based on a book?
What is the meaning of "Chinatown"?
Is there a sequel to "Chinatown"?
more
117 out of 165 people found the following comment useful:-
The apex of the 1970s American film renaissance., 17 June 2000
10/10
Author: Jason Berkley (jdberkley@hotmail.com) from Chicago, Illinois

Some might go with the operatic grandeur of The Godfather, or the gritty psychic trauma of Taxi Driver, as the finest achievement of the Seventies in American film. For my money, though, nothing tops Roman Polanski's masterpiece. A noir thriller that somehow transcends noir, Chinatown becomes a meditation on the bottomless well of human mystery. Robert Towne's legendary script can stand with the best work of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, and Polanski, in insisting on the darkest possible ending for his L.A. story(understandable, given the nightmare Polanski experienced in Los Angeles six years before this film was made), directs with supreme story-telling integrity. Flawlessly performed by its superb cast, with an especially terrifying piece of underplaying from the great John Huston as Noah Cross, a man who could never say what he really wants, even to himself. Easily one of the six or seven best films ever made.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for Chinatown (1974)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Do you think that Curly beat his wife? jdoyle521
what a piece of crap.. Unknown42
What was more important? SPOILERS! codyhoskins
Ending firebirdk6
Ask me anything about this movie. darknights01
Chinatown vs. The Godfather Part II billgour
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
American Beauty L.A. Confidential The Two Jakes Lethal Weapon 2 Strange Days
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb top 250 movies IMDb Crime section
IMDb USA section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.