---
title: "Chinatown"
year: 1974
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/chinatown"
fi1m_id: "chinatown"
imdb_id: "tt0071315"
tmdb_id: 829
wikidata_id: "Q644987"
fi1m_score: 93
critics_score: 90
critics_reviews: 7
published: "2026-09-12"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:10.578982+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Chinatown (1974)

Directed by Roman Polanski · 2h 10m · MPA R · Crime, Mystery, Thriller

## Identity

Chinatown

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/chinatown
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** chinatown
- **IMDb ID:** tt0071315
- **TMDB ID:** 829
- **Wikidata ID:** Q644987
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071315/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/829, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q644987

**Fi1m score: 93** · Critics 90 from 7 reviews

*In a sentence:* A private detective so persuasive we nearly forget he might be wrong

> Roman Polanski’s detective story is funny, unsettling and finely acted, with Jack Nicholson making confidence dangerously persuasive. The crowded plotting occasionally demands patience, but we would recommend it even to people who usually avoid detective films.

## Synopsis

Private investigator J.J. ‘Jake’ Gittes (Jack Nicholson) works in 1930s Los Angeles, where an enquiry draws him towards an irrigation scandal. Following the case brings him into contact with Evelyn Cross Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) and Noah Cross (John Huston), as questions about the city’s resources become entangled with family secrets. Gittes tries to establish who is telling him the truth and what the people involved stand to gain. The story stays close to his perspective as he works through a case involving private lives and public corruption.

## Review

Roman Polanski’s *Chinatown* is a patient, disturbing detective film that deserves the full attention it asks for. Set in 1930s Los Angeles, it follows private investigator Jake Gittes into an irrigation scandal, keeping the investigation close to what he can understand. The case matters because the people involved remain interesting even when they are withholding information. We would recommend it even to people who usually find private-eye stories a little pleased with themselves.

Robert Towne and Polanski’s screenplay makes corruption interesting before asking us to find it appalling. The irrigation business could have become an interruption while we waited for the next suspicious person to arrive, but questions of ownership and control belong to the mystery. Some of the plotting is crowded, and there are stretches when keeping track of the enquiry becomes work. Sam O’Steen’s editing generally gives each new piece of information enough space to register, though it cannot entirely remove that congestion.

Jack Nicholson plays J.J. ‘Jake’ Gittes with intelligence and vanity in proportions that keep shifting. His charm makes the film funny without turning the investigation into an excuse for jokes. We laughed at his self-assurance, then became uneasy about how readily we had accepted it as evidence that he knew what he was doing. Nicholson makes that response possible by keeping Gittes recognisably fallible, even when he is enjoyable company.

Faye Dunaway’s Evelyn Cross Mulwray is harder company, and her guarded performance gives Gittes something his manner cannot easily settle. She makes us pay attention to the effort Evelyn puts into remaining composed, without announcing how we should read her. The writing sometimes keeps her at such a distance that she risks becoming another question for Gittes to answer, and Dunaway has to supply the person herself. John Huston’s Noah Cross is disquieting without much apparent effort; Huston understands how little he needs to do to hold our attention.

John A. Alonzo’s cinematography gives the crime story daylight, and the exposure makes it more troubling. Detective films often use shadows to warn us that something is being concealed. Here the city looks available for inspection, yet Gittes still has to struggle to understand it. Richard Sylbert’s production design establishes the period with enough assurance that we can stop checking it and follow the people. Anthea Sylbert’s costumes work similarly, helping the actors inhabit the period without making every appearance feel like a display.

Jerry Goldsmith’s score works because it does not keep telling us how much trouble everyone is in. Its restraint lets the unease persist without wearing out our nerves. Within the private-eye tradition, Polanski preserves the satisfaction of following clues while making the detective’s authority less reassuring than we expect. That choice keeps a complicated story involving corruption and family secrets from becoming merely a puzzle to be solved.

There is humour here, but we would not choose *Chinatown* for a soothing evening. Its 130 minutes ask for concentration and leave enough discomfort to make conversation afterwards preferable to immediately putting something else on. Give it an uninterrupted sitting, and allow a little time before deciding what to say.

*Fi1m score 93, published 12 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics are strongly enthusiastic about Chinatown, praising its detective story as a disturbing account of corruption and power. Robert Towne’s screenplay draws repeated praise for its organisation and political implications, while Jack Nicholson’s performance is a particular point of agreement, with Faye Dunaway and John Huston also receiving strong notices. The reviews admire Roman Polanski’s controlled direction, especially the way he makes the Los Angeles setting inviting without softening the cruelty beneath it.

There is little shared complaint; the differences mostly concern how highly to rank the film’s achievements. The New York Times offers a clear dissent, finding it stylish and well acted but short of the wit and entertainment of earlier detective films such as The Maltese Falcon. Elsewhere, critics treat the intricate plotting and pervasive disillusionment as strengths, stressing how the film unsettles the familiar pleasures of a private-eye mystery.

## Straight answers

**Is Chinatown worth watching?**

*Chinatown* is worth watching for almost anyone prepared to concentrate for 130 minutes, and we scored it 93. Roman Polanski's detective story is funny, unsettling and finely acted, with Jack Nicholson making Jake Gittes's confidence dangerously easy to trust. The crowded plotting sometimes asks for patience, but we would recommend it even to people who usually avoid private-eye films.

**How long is Chinatown, and what is it rated?**

*Chinatown* runs 2h 10m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a crime and mystery film.

**Where can I watch Chinatown in the US?**

*Chinatown* is streaming on The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. It leaves The Roku Channel on 1 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Chinatown, and is it suitable for children?**

*Chinatown* carries a UK 15 certificate and a US R, and it is not suitable for children. It is a disturbing rather than a frightening film: the unease comes from corruption and family secrets more than from shocks, and it leaves a discomfort that lingers after the credits. Older teenagers who can follow a dense plot should manage it; younger viewers will find little for them.

**How does Chinatown compare to The Maltese Falcon?**

*Chinatown* is the richer and more troubling of the two, while [*The Maltese Falcon*](https://film.one/film/the-maltese-falcon) is the brisker and colder. Both give us a persuasive detective in a case crowded with competing interests, but John Huston's film runs on sharp talk and Bogart's risky exchanges, and Polanski's works in daylight, slowly undermining our faith in Gittes. Start with the Falcon if you want speed and wit, with Chinatown if you want to be unsettled.

**What should I watch after Chinatown?**

After *Chinatown*, try [*The Maltese Falcon*](https://film.one/film/the-maltese-falcon) (1941, Fi1m 87): For another persuasive detective and a case crowded with competing interests. Then [*The Third Man*](https://film.one/film/the-third-man) (1949, Fi1m 92): Another investigation in a city where corruption feels comfortably at home; and [*The Long Goodbye*](https://film.one/film/the-long-goodbye) (1973, Fi1m 86): A shambling detective finds Los Angeles less amenable than he expects.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **The Telegraph**, Tim Robey (★★★★★): The review calls Chinatown a five-star film whose aura is intentionally fatigued and deflated, importing 1970s paranoia into its 1930s Los Angeles setting. It praises how Polanski makes disillusionment seductive as Nicholson's private eye uncovers rot in an irrigation scandal. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/9778296/Films-in-brief-Hors-Satan-McCullin-Chinatown-Repulsion.html)
- **Empire**, Rob Fraser (90/100, inferred): The best private eye movie ever made, with all the gumshoe staples elevated by Towne's sophisticated script that updates Greek tragedy and offers a subtle political allegory from the Watergate/Vietnam era. A timeless classic and never-bettered noir masterpiece boasting top 1970s Hollywood talent. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/chinatown-review/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Jeremiah Kipp (90/100, inferred): The reviewer calls Chinatown a classic American film from the 1970s that works on multiple levels as both a detective story and a disturbing parable about human pressure and moral emptiness. Polanski handles the heavy material with a light cinematic touch, bringing the crime elements into sunlight without stylistic affectations while grounding the labyrinthine narrative in Jake's perspective. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/chinatown/)
- **Total Film**, Neil Smith (90/100, inferred): A peerless gumshoe mystery with Robert Towne's magnificent script dissecting corruption and career-best performances from Nicholson, Dunaway and Huston. A 1974 masterpiece that is unforgettable. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/chinatown-2-review/)
- **Time Out**, JWin (85/100, inferred): The film subverts the hard-boiled detective genre by having its protagonist get everything wrong before a tragic, Greek-tragedy-style climax. It singles out Jack Nicholson's charismatic, pre-Schtickolson performance and the film's bleak ending for particular note. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/chinatown)
- **Radio Times**, Adrian Turner (8.1/10): It is a masterpiece whose brilliantly organised script (the best original work since Citizen Kane) and strong performances, especially Nicholson's, repay repeated viewings. The ending was altered by Polanski from Towne's original plan, resulting in acrimony but genius on screen. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-q5qwc5/chinatown/)
- **Evening Standard** (****): Polanski has not made a more watchable film than this 1974 thriller, thanks to catching Nicholson at his peak, a fine producer and Towne's screenplay. His telling of LA corruption is masterly—thrilling, humorous and disturbing—and brilliantly played by Nicholson, Huston and Dunaway. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/also-showing-chinatown-repulsion-and-playing-for-keeps-8438115.html)
- **The Guardian**: The critic praises Roman Polanski's Chinatown as a palpable hit and more than a skilful update of classic detective stories like The Maltese Falcon. It is highlighted as a clever, confident examination of corruption and power in 1930s Los Angeles, with strong performances from Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, handsome production, and a macabre climax. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/17/chinatown-review-crime)
- **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby: The critic finds the film a competently stylish private-eye melodrama set in 1930s Los Angeles that falls short of the wit and entertainment of classics like The Maltese Falcon. Strong performances by Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston are highlighted amid a labyrinthine plot of corruption and family secrets. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1974/06/21/archives/screen-polanskis-chinatown-views-crime-of-30s.html)
- **The Skinny**, Jack McFarlane (★★★★★): The critic calls it one of the greatest films ever made. Performance, direction, and scoring are singled out as masterclass examples of subtlety used to devastating effect, making it the last word in '70s noir. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/chinatown)

## Details

- **Director:** Roman Polanski
- **Director:** Roman Polanski
- **Writer:** Robert Towne, Roman Polanski
- **Cinematography:** John A. Alonzo
- **Editor:** Sam O'Steen
- **Music:** Jerry Goldsmith
- **Production design:** Richard Sylbert
- **Costume design:** Anthea Sylbert
- **Producer:** Robert Evans
- **Cast:** Jack Nicholson as J.J. 'Jake' Gittes; Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Cross Mulwray; John Huston as Noah Cross; Perry Lopez as Lieutenant Lou Escobar; Burt Young as Curly; John Hillerman as Russ Yelburton; Darrell Zwerling as Hollis I. Mulwray; Roman Polanski as Man with Knife
- **Runtime:** 2h 10m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 20 June 1974
- **Genres:** Crime, Mystery, Thriller
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 1974); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 1974); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Winner, 1974)
- **Budget:** $6 million
- **Box office:** $30 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T37QkBc4IGY

## Where to watch in the US

- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd, leaving 2026-10-01
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-12.*

Also available in: AT, BE, BG, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, HU, IE, IT, LT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1975: Best Actor (nominated); Best Actress (nominated); Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Costume Design (nominated); Best Director (nominated); Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Original Dramatic Score (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Production Design (nominated); Best Sound (nominated); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won)
- BAFTA Film Awards 1975: Best Costume Design (nominated); Best Production Design (nominated); Best Actor in a Leading Role (won); Best Direction (won); Best Screenplay (won)
- Golden Globes 1975: Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (won); Best Director (won); Best Motion Picture – Drama (won); Best Screenplay (won)

## If you liked this

- *The Maltese Falcon* (1941), Fi1m 87: For another persuasive detective and a case crowded with competing interests. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-maltese-falcon.md)
- *The Third Man* (1949), Fi1m 92: Another investigation in a city where corruption feels comfortably at home. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-third-man.md)
- *The Long Goodbye* (1973), Fi1m 86: A shambling detective finds Los Angeles less amenable than he expects. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-long-goodbye.md)
- *Memories of Murder* (2003), Fi1m 91: Police confidence proves unreliable in a Korean mystery with an unsettling comic streak. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/memories-of-murder.md)
- *The Secret in Their Eyes* (2009), Fi1m 78: An Argentine investigation gives private longing and public corruption equal weight. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-secret-in-their-eyes.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/chinatown