Set in 1937 and starring Jack Nicholson, Roman Polanski's neo-noir film Chinatown (1974) is about a private investigator who uncovers a conspiracy involving corrupt management of the Los Angeles water supply. The film was inspired by a series of real-life political conflicts known as the California Water Wars.
The film begins with Jake Gittes being hired by a woman posing as Evelyn Mulwray to investigate the infidelity of her husband, Hollis, who heads up the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. After Jake learns he was set up and Hollis is found murdered, Jake begins to untangle a web of corruption centered on the city's water supply. Jake becomes romantically involved with Evelyn, but their relationship is complicated by her dark past and their conflicting interests in the case. As the mystery deepens, Gittes discovers a conspiracy involving the city's wealthy and powerful figures, lead by Evelyn's father, Noah Cross. Gittes also learns that Noah impregnated Evelyn when she was a teenager, and Evelyn now hopes to live with her daughter in Mexico, keeping her safe from Noah. Hoping to both protect Evelyn and Katherine while exposing Noah's murder of Hollis, Jake unwittingly sets off a chain of events that ends with the police killing Evelyn and Noah claiming guardianship over Katherine. In the end, Gittes must walk away from the case knowing his efforts were wasted and Noah is too powerful to face prosecution.
Exploring themes of conspiracy, water rights, deceit, and trauma, Chinatown depicts the difficulty of maintaining integrity in the face of overwhelming corruption. From its many nominations, the film won an Academy Award for best original screenplay (written by Robert Towne) and two BAFTAS for its screenplay and direction.
Chinatown is representative of the neo-noir genre, a cinematic style that draws inspiration from classic film-noir movies of the 1940s and 1950s. Film noir and neo-noir films are characterized by elements such as crime- or corruption-based plots, morally ambiguous protagonists, femme fatales, moody visual styles, and a bleak, cynical view of the world.
