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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Chinatown

EMAIL PRINTParamount Pictures

9.4 User Score:

Universal acclaim

Based on 10 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 25 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller

Written by: Robert Towne

Directed by: Roman Polanski

Release Date:
Theatrical: June 20, 1974
DVD: March 12, 2002

Running Time: 131 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: R

Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Darrell Zwerling, Diane Ladd, and Roy Jenson

Jack Nicholson is private-eye Jake Gittes, living off the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-war Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband's extramarital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one, unforgettable night in Chinatown. (Paramount)

Also On Metacritic

FILM: Death and the Maiden Oliver Twist Repulsion The Ninth Gate The Pianist The Tenant

Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site Film Forum Profile

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

ReelViews James Berardinelli

A nearly flawless example of movie composition, with close examination revealing how carefully it was put together. For those who take a less studious and more visceral approach to movie viewing, it's also worth noting that Chinatown is a superior thriller - one that will keep viewers involved and "in the moment" until the final, mournful scene has come to a conclusion.

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100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

[Nicholson's] performance is key in keeping Chinatown from becoming just a genre crime picture--that, and a Robert Towne screenplay that evokes an older Los Angeles, a small city in a large desert.

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100

TV Guide Staff (Not Credited)

A wonderfully brooding, suspenseful revisitation of the land of film noir, Chinatown is not only one of the greatest detective films, but one of the most perfectly constructed of all films.

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100

Entertainment Weekly Ty Burr

But it's Polanski who pries the genre open until it goes metaphysical.

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100

Variety Staff (Not Credited)

An outstanding picture.

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100

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

But the greatness of Chinatown, unappreciated by my adolescent self, lies not in its cynical view of the California dream (that's too easy) but in its fatalistic, even tragic conception of America and indeed of human nature.

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Chicago Reader Don Druker

A bit abstract, though gorgeously shot (by John Alonzo) and cleverly plotted (by Robert Towne), Polanski's film suggests that the rules of the game are written in some strange, untranslatable language, and that everyone's an alien and, ultimately, a victim.

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Village Voice Jessica Winter

In 1974 a director, a screenwriter, and a producer (Robert Evans, who for once deserves a few of the plaudits he's apportioned himself) could decide to beat a genre senseless and then dump it in the wilds of Greek tragedy. [Review of August 8, 2003 re-release]

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The New York Times Vincent Canby

Mr. Polanski and Mr. Towne attempted nothing so witty and entertaining, being content instead to make a competently stylish, more or less thirites-ish movie that continually made me wish I were back seeing "The Maltese Falcon" or "The Big Sleep." Others may not be as finicky. [21 June 1974]

Chicago Tribune Gene Siskel

As much as I admire the work of both (Roman) Polanski and (Jack) Nicholson, I found Chinatown tedious from beginning to just before the end. [15 July 1974]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 9.4 (out of 10) based on 25 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Alex P. gave it a10:
A great movie even by todays standards with a great storyline, great acting and great camerawork.

Dave C. gave it a10:
How Polanksi went from this to mediocrity like the Pianist I'll never know I can't pick fault with this film, a genius script and skillful direction blend seamlessly into one of the greatest films of the 70s. There has seldom been a film of such incredible depth.

camden l gave it a10:
The last stand of film noir.... in color.

glenn s. gave it a10:
Perhaps the best written screenplay of all time.

Paul d. gave it a10:
I saw this when I was young in 1974, and recently saw it again, and it was just as great the second time. Superb acting, script, and direction.

J. Ryan G. gave it a9:
My favorite era of filmmaking began around 1974. Until the mid-eighties, films moved slow, developed their characters, and cared about their story. This is one of the finest examples of such filmmaking. Compared with the likes of the overrated "L.A. Confidential," this film seems even greater than it is. But, thanks in large part to Jack Nicholson's finest performance and a surprisingly sinister John Huston cameo, "Chinatown" is fairly great.

Tony S. gave it a 10:
Classic.