Author: thehorsesheadblog

#381) Hospital (1970)

OR “NET Work”

Directed by Frederick Wiseman

Class of 1994

The Plot: After examining a Massachusetts mental institution, a Philadelphia high school, and the Kansas City Police Department, Fredrick Wiseman turns his direct cinema eye towards New York City’s Metropolitan Hospital. The doctors and nurses of this East Harlem establishment face a never-ending array of alcoholics, heroin addicts, abandoned children, poor families who cannot afford treatment, and everything in between. All this brought to you by the National Educational Television network, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and contributions from viewers like you. Thank you.

Why It Matters: While the NFR description only gives a brief rundown, the accompanying essay by film professor Barry Keith Grant explores the film’s examination of the Metropolitan as “a symptom of larger social ills”.

But Does It Really?: Like Wiseman’s other documentaries, “Hospital” is a frank yet neutral observation of an important American institution. Wiseman’s pseudo-blank slate approach to filmmaking allows you to bring your own perspective and bias towards the subject and draw your own conclusions. “Hospital” is still an engrossing view 50 years later, and you’ll get no argument against its NFR inclusion from me.

Every Former Network Gets One: Funded by the Ford Foundation for Adult Education, the National Educational Television network (NET) packaged pre-existing educational films and sent them to affiliates across the country. Its run in the ‘50s was more academic than entertaining (some called it “The University of the Air”), but that changed in 1958 with a move from Ann Arbor to New York, and a goal to become the fourth nationally broadcast television network (suck it, DuMont!). Throughout the ‘60s, NET commissioned several original documentaries that tackled social issues of the day. Among the young filmmakers recruited by the NET: former law instructor and “The Cool World” producer Fredrick Wiseman. Wiseman’s first four documentaries were all commissioned by NET.

Wow, That’s Dated: For starters, we’ll pour one out for NET (see “Legacy”). As for the specifics of the film, there are the now-outmoded medical standards of 1970, and the tail end of the era where nurses wore white dresses and hats. Other than that, the only thing that’s really changed about our hospital system is the amount on the bill.

Seriously, Emmys?: “Hospital” aired on NET in 1970, and took home Emmys for News Documentary Program and an Individual Achievement award for Wiseman’s directing. 24 years later, “Hospital” was the first television program to be inducted into the NFR.

Other notes

• For those of you wondering why a television documentary is on a list of essential films, this is explained on the NFR submission page:

“Registry criteria does not specifically prohibit television programs, commercials, music videos or foreign productions, however, the original intent of the legislation that established the Registry was to safeguard U.S. films. Consequently the National Film Preservation Board and the Librarian of Congress give first consideration to American motion pictures.”

• If you think about, a documentary in a hospital is a brilliant idea. Documentaries are about exploring humanity on a deeper level, and you’re already incredibly vulnerable when you’re in a hospital, so a film would amplify the whole experience. Exhibit A: The heartbreaking uncut close-up of the woman describing her mother’s medical history following her stroke. You are right there with her as she experiences the pain and frustration of telling a stranger about a loved one’s condition in an intense situation.
• And now for your consideration: several human brains. Dr. Don Knotts’ Older Brother shows a group of med students parts of a real brain, no doubt on loan from Abby…someone…
• I respect the decision to film “Hospital” in black & white: It would have been too gory in color. That being said, eating dinner during this viewing was still a bad call on my part.
• It’s fun hearing medical jargon spoken with a Brooklyn accent. Added bonus: the police officers that keep popping up sound like they’re straight out of “The Odd Couple”.
• What I appreciate most about this movie is at no point does Wiseman try to make saints or sinners out of the doctors and nurses: these are regular people trying to do their job and help these patients to the best of their ability.
• Another sign of the times: the patient who today would be identified as homosexual, but back then is diagnosed as schizophrenic. Not as dated: The phone maze the hospital psychiatrist has to navigate trying to get this man back on welfare.
• The film spends an extended amount of time with the young Paul Dano lookalike who has ingested mescaline. A majority of that screen time is devoted to an uninterrupted shot of the man freaking out and vomiting everywhere. I never thought I’d say this, but I’d rather watch “Eraserhead” again.
• Well thank god that scene is ov- oh don’t pan down to the vomit! Why would you do that!?
• Another extended close-up: the shot of the woman holding her husband’s hand as he’s admitted on a gurney and drifting in and out of consciousness. I’m not crying you’re crying.
• The Emergency Room: the one place in the 1970s where you can’t smoke!
• Shoutout to the doctor towards the end whose unkempt hair/chin curtain combo makes him a dead ringer for me circa 2006.
• The final sequence is a sermon at the hospital chapel attended by patients. This should be uplifting in theory, but something about passing around the collection plate at a hospital doesn’t feel right.

Legacy

• “Hospital” was the kind of stark, controversial documentary that NET was known for broadcasting. While critics often praised these films, affiliates were less enthused about alienating their viewers. It was films like “Hospital” that led to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting shutting down the network. NET’s New York headquarters merged with WNDT to become WNET, and is still the home of NET’s successor: PBS.

• At age 89, Fredrick Wiseman is still going! In fact, in the year and a half since my post about “High School”, Wiseman has produced another documentary: 2018’s “Monrovia, Indiana”. Based on the trailer, Wiseman has not lost his touch.

#380) His Girl Friday (1940)                  

OR “Get Me Rewrite!”

Directed by Howard Hawks

Written by Charles Lederer. Based on the play “The Front Page” by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur.

Class of 1993

The Plot: Morning Post editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant) is about to lose his star reporter/ex-wife Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) to her new fiancé, bland insurance salesman Bruce Baldwin (Ralph Bellamy). Walter knows that a good story will lure Hildy back, and convinces her to interview Earl Williams (John Qualen), a convicted murderer set to hang in the morning. When Williams escapes, all hell breaks loose in the press room as only a Hawks screwball comedy can. There’s plenty to be said about love, politics, and the newspaper industry, and it’s all being said at the same time.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film a “fiery and funny battle of the sexes”, praising Hawks’ use of overlapping dialogue and “vibrant pace”.

But Does It Really?: “His Girl Friday” has a lot going for it: snappy dialogue, wonderful chemistry between Grant and Russell, and a pace so frenetic it can never be duplicated, only appreciated. I will argue that the film doesn’t hold up as well as others of the era, but the whole thing goes by so quickly who can tell? “His Girl Friday” deserves its spot on the NFR, and still has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, but I’d be curious to see if future generations will revere it as much as we do now.

Shout Outs: Though the 1931 movie of “The Front Page” is not directly referenced here, Howard Hawks’ goal was to craft a remake of the original play that was faster and funnier than its predecessor.

Wow, That’s Dated: Umm…everything? From its printed newspaper setting and binary gender politics to its topical references and racially insensitive terminology, this movie is very much a product of its time. Speaking of…

Title Track: A “girl Friday” is slang for a man’s female assistant or secretary, and is derived from the Friday character in “Robinson Crusoe”. “His Girl Friday” didn’t coin the phrase, but did make it popular.

Seriously, Oscars?: While successful with critics and audiences, “His Girl Friday” was completely shut out at the Oscars. 1940 was a very crowded year at the Oscars (“Grapes of Wrath”, “Philadelphia Story” and “Rebecca”, to name just a few nominees), and Columbia was still finding its footing as a major movie studio. Plus “His Girl Friday” came out in January; even back then early releases didn’t get Oscar nods.

Other notes

• There are two different stories as to how “The Front Page” became “His Girl Friday”. Hawks’ version involves reading scenes from “The Front Page” at a party, and being impressed by how well the character of Hildy worked when read by a woman. The version from Hawks’ biographer Todd McCarthy says that Hawks initially planned a straightforward remake of “The Front Page”, but liked how Hildy’s lines sounded coming from his secretary at auditions. Either way, inspiration struck.
• Rosalind Russell was no one’s first choice for Hildy, and she knew it (Jean Arthur, Ginger Rogers and Irene Dunne all passed). Undeterred, Russell hired a comedy writer to punch-up her dialogue, and successfully snuck the lines into Hawks’ encouraged spontaneity. Russell more than holds her own in the final film, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Hildy.
• Hawks accomplished the film’s trademark overlapping dialogue by rewriting the lines so that the beginnings and endings could be talked over without missing anything important, and having the sound mixer on set adjusting the boom mics live for each take. Somewhere Robert Altman took notes.

• Poor Ralph Bellamy. He plays the third wheel so beautifully is it any wonder he got pigeonholed? Bellamy would eventually head to the theater for more substantial roles (You never saw FDR lose Eleanor to Cary Grant).

• Despite the breakneck banter of Grant and Russell, I always find something stagnate about the movie. Having now seen the original “Front Page” I think I’ve figured it out. The first scene of the play is now 25 minutes into the film, meaning that we get TWO first acts; the new one establishing Burns and Johnson as a divorced couple, and the original one setting up the reporters and Earl Williams. The movie doesn’t really get going until more than halfway through. It’s still fun, but there’s a bit of inertia for most of the runtime.
• If Endicott sounds familiar, that’s Cliff Edwards, aka Jiminy Cricket. “Pinocchio” would be released one month after “His Girl Friday”.
• Most risqué line by 1940 standards: “Earl shot the Professor right in the classified ads. …No, ads.”
• In addition to Cliff Edwards, fellow Disney voiceover actor Billy Gilbert (Sneezy) steals the show in his two scenes as Mr. Pettibone trying to deliver the Governor’s pardon.

• Also very 1940: Americans ignoring the rise of Hitler and the ongoing war in Europe.
• Cary Grant makes a few inside jokes throughout the movie. First, Walter describes Bruce as looking like “that fellow in the movies. You know, Ralph Bellamy.” Then he calls Williams a “mock turtle”, like the one Grant played in 1933’s “Alice in Wonderland” (though this line also appears in 1931’s “The Front Page”). And towards the end, he mentions the tragic fate of an “Archie Leach”, Cary Grant’s birth name.
• All of this just makes me wonder how many other male-centric classic movies could be improved upon with a change in gender. “The Godmother”? “Midnight Cowgirl”? “No Country for Your Grandma”?

Legacy

• “His Girl Friday” is one of those movies whose legacy is its genre shorthand. Anyone who talks quickly in a Trans-Atlantic accent is paying homage to “His Girl Friday” and the screwball comedy genre whether they know it or not.
• While there have been many remakes of “The Front Page” over the years, only one has included the “His Girl Friday” gender-swap. 1988’s “Switching Channels” updates the story to cable news and features the love triangle of Burt Reynolds, Kathleen Turner, and Christopher Reeve, none of whom spoke fondly of their time making the movie.

• There have been attempts to recreate the fast-paced world of “His Girl Friday”, most notably the TV show “Moonlighting”. Does anyone remember that show? It was a big deal back in the ‘80s. Anyway, they talked fast and had witty banter. Oh, and one of them was a young Bruce Willis.

• Some of Rosalind Russell’s dialogue is sampled in the Pomplamoose song “Expiration Date”. That really has nothing to do with anything, I just like Pomplamoose.

#379) The Night of the Hunter (1955)

OR “Rev! Run!”

Directed by Charles Laughton

Written by James Agee. Based on the novel by Davis Grubb.

Class of 1992

The Plot: Serial killer Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) travels around 1930s West Virginia posing as a reverend, marrying gullible women, and murdering them for their money. While serving a stint in prison, Powell’s cellmate Ben (Peter Graves) mentions he stole $10,000 in a bank robbery, but won’t reveal where the money is. After Ben is executed, Powell is released and zeroes in on Ben’s widow Willa (Shelley Winters). The new Mrs. Powell knows nothing about the money, but her children John and Pearl (Billy Chapin and Sally Jane Bruce) were sworn to secrecy by their late father. Let’s just say that Powell and his stepchildren have a L-O-V-E/H-A-T-E relationship.

Why It Matters: The NFR praises the film’s “occasionally outrageous dark humor, bucolic settings contrasted with gothic images, and an unsettling child’s-eye perspective.” An essay by film critic Peter Rainer is the movie’s defense against audiences “who think they’re smarter than this film”. And if there’s one thing that pisses me off, it’s film criticism that boils down to “you just didn’t get it”.

But Does It Really?: Sometimes I get a sixth sense about a movie on this list, where something doesn’t feel right, and I got that with “Hunter”. Don’t get me wrong, I still found the film effectively suspenseful, but ultimately I was thrown by the film’s noir-by-way-of-German-Expressionism aesthetic, somewhat watered down subject matter, and at times uncertain rookie director. The aforementioned Rainer essay admits the film can be “baffling” if you don’t “get the hang of it”, and that was me on this viewing. “Night of the Hunter” is quite bizarre, but admittedly it’s that bizarreness that has helped it endure for 65 years. I’ll give “Night of the Hunter” a minor classic designation, and move on.

Everybody Gets One: Paul Gregory was a Broadway producer whose credits included several plays directed by Charles Laughton. Once Gregory obtained the film rights to the novel “The Night of the Hunter”, he convinced Laughton to make his directorial film debut with the project. “Night of the Hunter” is the only film from Paul Gregory Productions.

Other notes

• For those of you unfamiliar with Charles Laughton: By 1955 Laughton was already an accomplished stage and film actor; winning an Oscar in 1933 for his performance as Henry VIII. Despite a film career that includes “Mutiny on the Bounty”, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “Witness for the Prosecution”, Laughton’s only NFR appearances as an actor are his supporting turn in “Spartacus”, and his lead work in the more obscure “Ruggles of Red Gap“.
• That…is a weird opening. But at least they picked a nice night to shoot it.
• This is the movie where Peter Graves, while sitting on the bottom bunk, punches Robert Mitchum in the face, causing him to fall out of the top bunk. How is that not the moment everyone remembers from this film?

• Turns out Robert Mitchum has a lovely singing voice. A few years later he even recorded…a Calypso album?
• The L-O-V-E/H-A-T-E monologue is a classic for a reason, but is the Bible really this discriminatory against the left hand? I thought the Lord loved a lefty!

• I’m used to seeing Shelley Winters in her later, campier years (looking at you, “Pete’s Dragon”), so it’s great to see her turn in a subtle, complex performance. Winters spoke fondly of her time on the film, and calls her Willa, “the most thoughtful and reserved performance I ever gave.”
• Stories about Laughton not getting on with the child actors and having Robert Mitchum direct their scenes are completely false; Mitchum made them up for his autobiography. Many cast and crewmembers (including Mitchum) have called Laughton a delight to work for, and have cited “Hunter” as one of their favorite filmmaking experiences.
• [Spoilers] The underwater shot of Willa’s corpse is amazing. Turns out that’s a dummy with a mask of Shelley Winters’ face, which is a little disappointing because Shelley Winters is an excellent swimmer.

• For proof of Laughton’s silent film influence, look no further than the iris zoom on the kids hiding in the cellar. It may be the only shot of its kind in the sound era.
• Yeah, the boat ride down the river is where the film loses me. There’s nothing wrong with it, but the movie takes a hard right into expressionism territory. And did they rent every animal for that shoot? Frogs, rabbits, horses; I was waiting for an elephant to cross the shot.

• “Don’t he never sleep?” Okay, movie you got me on that one. Well played.

• To prepare for his first directing gig, Charles Laughton studied every D.W. Griffith film he could get his hands on. It was during this process that the idea of casting Griffith staple Lillian Gish as Rachel came about. Gish’s performance worked best for me, effectively bringing out both Rachel’s well-worn toughness and angelic sweetness.
• Turns out the film’s biggest surprise is reserved for the end: It was a Christmas movie this whole time!
• And for anyone who didn’t get the film’s message to “save little children”, Lillian Gish beats you over the head with it about eight times in the last scene. Like The Dude 40 years later, the children abide.

Legacy

• “The Night of the Hunter” was met with mixed critical reactions and mediocre box office returns in 1955, making it difficult for Paul Gregory to fund his next film, an adaptation of “The Naked and the Dead”. Charles Laughton became disillusioned with film directing, and opted to return to the theater. “Hunter” is his sole film as a director.

• Despite its rough beginnings, “The Night of the Hunter” eventually found successes on late night TV and at film school screenings from cinema snobs who love them a good “Dr. Caligari” reference.
• In the early ‘70s, Charles Laughton’s widow Elsa Lanchester donated Laughton’s notes from the “Hunter” production, as well as hours of outtakes, to the American Film Institute. The footage was handed to UCLA, and the restored outtakes became the 2002 documentary “Charles Laughton Directs ‘The Night of the Hunter’”.

• Like many a classic movie, “The Night of the Hunter” has a TV Movie remake that is only remembered via its connection to the original. Starring Richard Chamberlain, “Night of the Hunter” aired on ABC in 1991, and hasn’t been heard from since.

• Interestingly enough, the main reference point from “Night of the Hunter” throughout the years has been the “L-O-V-E/H-A-T-E” tattoos. Those two words have shown up on quite a few knuckles in the last 65 years, most memorably in “Do the Right Thing”.

As 2019 (and the decade!) winds down, the National Film Preservation Board meets to discuss which 25 American films are worthy of NFR recognition. Now that the submission deadline has passed, it’s time for me to divulge the 50 movies I chose for consideration this year. Eight films from my previous selections have made the cut, so the odds are good you’re looking at a few soon-to-be-minted classics here.

My 50, Plus My Reason Why

I’m still surprised they haven’t made the cut yet: Carrie (1976), A Clockwork Orange (1971), Grease (1978), The Great Escape (1963), Harvey (1950), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

They are Minor Classics, but classics nonetheless: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Key Largo (1948), Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), The Odd Couple (1968), White Christmas (1954), The Wild One (1954)

They have at least one Iconic Moment: Big (1988), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Return of the Jedi (1983), Royal Wedding (1951), The Seven Year Itch (1955)

I dunno, I just like them: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Clue (1985), Home Alone (1990), It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Rope (1948), A Thousand Clowns (1965), Waiting for Guffman (1996), Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

They’re newly eligible: Avatar (2009), The Dark Knight (2008), There Will Be Blood (2007), Up (2009)

Bad Movies are people too: The Bad Seed (1956), Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

This one’s for Mom: The Miracle Worker (1962)

The Library of Congress just restored it, so…: Frankenstein (1910)

Its sequel inexplicably made the list, but the original hasn’t: The Sheik (1921) [“Son of the Sheik” was added in 2003.]

“The Other Side of the Wind” isn’t eligible for a while: F for Fake (1973)

“Green Book” won Best Picture: Driving Miss Daisy (1989)

“Documentary Now!” can do no wrong: Original Cast Album: Company (1970)

“He hates these cans! Stay away from the cans!”: The Jerk (1979)

These talented artists STILL aren’t on the list:

Jane Fonda: 9 to 5 (1980)

Eddie Murphy: Eddie Murphy Raw (1987)

Robin Williams: Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Glenn Close (and hasn’t she been through enough already?): Fatal Attraction (1987)

Tim Burton: Edward Scissorhands (1990)

Mr. Magoo: When Magoo Flew (1955)

The Amazing RANDO!: Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)

And finally: Because I dare you, National Film Registry. I fucking dare you: Song of the South (1946)

#378) Chinatown (1974)

OR “Like a Dick Takes to Water”

Directed by Roman Polanski

Written by Robert Towne

Class of 1991

The Plot: Private investigator Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired to find out if L.A. Water and Power engineer Hollis Mulwray (Darrel Zwerling) is having an affair. Photos of Hollis with a younger woman make front-page news, and his wife Evelyn (Faye Dunaway) sues Gittes for libel. When Hollis’ dead body is found in a reservoir, Evelyn drops the suit and has Gittes investigate the potential murder. Along the way, Gittes uncovers a massive plot to divert L.A.’s water supply from the nearby farmland and annex that land for cheap, and all fingers point to Hollis’ former business partner/Evelyn’s father Noah Cross (John Huston). The plot thickens a lot more from here, but trust me, it’s worth it.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls it a “compelling whodunit reminiscent of Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett”, and throws superlatives at Nicholson, Dunaway, Huston, Polanski, Towne, and cinematographer John A. Alonzo. An essay by film critic James Verniere dissects the film’s symbolism, much of which both Towne and Polanski have admitted was unintentional.

But Does It Really?: “Chinatown” is as close to a perfect movie as you can get. Everything about this movie works, from Robert Towne’s brilliantly structured screenplay, to Polanski’s dark perspective of 1930s LA, to performances from Nicholson, Dunaway, and Huston that reward you with each viewing. “Chinatown” may be the greatest film mystery of all time, and the rare film noir homage that can stand alongside the real thing. “Chinatown” continues to be one exhilarating ride 45 years later, and is a no-brainer for NFR inclusion.

Everybody Gets One: Though they both did uncredited work on “The Godfather”, this is the only credited NFR appearance for producer Robert Evans and screenwriter Robert Towne. Evans had just stepped down as head of Paramount Pictures, and “Chinatown” was his first film as a hands-on producer. He originally commissioned Towne to adapt “The Great Gatsby” to film, but Towne felt he could not improve on the novel (Side note: No one can), and instead offered to write an original screenplay for less money. “Chinatown” was inspired by Towne’s interest in the California Water Wars that permanently affected his home town of Los Angeles. And special mention to Darrel Zwerling as Hollis Mulwray, aka the vic.

Wow, That’s Dated: Oh geez, I don’t know, maybe the “Screwin’ like a Chinaman” joke?

Seriously, Oscars?: A critical and commercial success, “Chinatown” led the Oscar pack with 11 nominations, tied with that year’s eventual big winner “The Godfather Part II”. “Chinatown” faced a near-shutout from “Godfather”, and walked away with only one Oscar: Original Screenplay for Towne. Among its losses, Nicholson lost to Art Carney for “Harry and Tonto”, Dunaway to Ellen Burstyn in “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”, and the film lost in several categories to ‘70s disaster flicks “Earthquake” and “The Towering Inferno”. That’s gotta sting.

Other notes

• Shoutout to Jerry Goldsmith, whose haunting score sets the mood of the film far greater than any dialogue could. And he wrote and recorded the whole thing in 10 days! Bonus shoutout to Uan Rasey, who provided the trumpet solos, and can also be heard on the soundtrack of pretty much every MGM film from the ‘50s and ‘60s.
• It’s always nice to see Jack Nicholson before he became a caricature of his persona. His Jack Nicholson-ness helps ensure the dialogue comes off as natural smart-alecky talk, as opposed to clever writing.
• Wow, this movie is a plethora of recognizable performers. Diane Ladd, Burt Young, Rance Howard, John Hillerman; I’m one Eileen Brennan away from ‘70s Character Actor Bingo!
• Despite her infamous diva persona, I’ve always enjoyed Faye Dunaway as an actor. Evelyn may be her crowning achievement: a woman whose cold exterior is stripped away to its tragic, fraught center. Dunaway plays it marvelously, and I wish she would stop slapping stagehands and keep cranking out good work.
• There are a lot of “golden hour” shots in this movie; everything takes place either at sunrise or sunset. Must have been hell getting those shots down.
• He gives Oscar caliber performances AND he jumps his own fences. Jack Nicholson can do anything!
• That’s director Roman Polanski as the thug that cuts Jake’s nose. “You know what happens to nosy fellas?” …They flee the country after being convicted of statutory rape?

• I feel like sleuthing is a lot easier these days, what with the internet and all. But who wants to watch Jack Nicholson Google “Los Angeles reservoirs” or “Northwest Valley real estate”?
• John Huston is to this movie what Orson Welles is to “The Third Man”: he makes a maximum impact with minimum screen time. And with that rich bass I could listen to him talk all day.

• This is another one of those movies where the major twists were spoiled for me prior to my first viewing. Although I missed out on discovering this movie’s secrets for myself, it does allow me to appreciate the quality of the screenplay, as well as the performance subtleties from Dunaway, Huston, and everyone else who knows the truth.
• “Politicians, ugly buildings, and whores all get respectable if they last long enough.” God damn this screenplay is good.
• Shoutout to Perry Lopez as Lt. Lou Escobar. It takes a powerful actor to push Jack Nicholson around and get away with it.
• Ultimately this movie isn’t really about solving the mystery, but rather about the corrupt forces that we are powerless to change. That being said, it is still a fun mystery to unravel. It’s like “All the President’s Men”, except everyone’s immoral!
• The “She’s my sister, she’s my daughter” scene is equal parts terrifying and heartbreaking. Apparently Nicholson is actually slapping Dunaway (at Dunaway’s request), and this violence stands out far stronger than any of the punches throughout the film.

• What a horribly poetic nightmare that final scene is. Towne and Polanski fought over the ending: Towne’s original scene had a few uplifting qualities, but Polanski insisted on something more tragic. Polanski eventually got his way, and Towne later admitted that it was the right choice.

Legacy

• “Chinatown” was Roman Polanski’s last American film before fleeing to France to escape criminal charges (still pending, by the way). Sure, he gave us “The Pianist” and his victim (Samantha Gailey) has publically requested the charges be dropped, but still…

• There are some movies on this list you don’t expect to have a sequel, and “Chinatown” is one of them. After a difficult production, 1990’s “The Two Jakes” saw Gittes uncovering a mystery about land and oil ownership in 1948 L.A. The film was a box office disappointment, and was Nicholson’s third and final film as a director.

• Either there was going to be a third Jake Gittes movie as part of a planned trilogy or there wasn’t. Sources vary. Allegedly the third movie would have involved corporations buying up public transit to phase them out and build freeways. This plot point, along with several neo noir elements, was utilized in NFR entry “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, which takes many a cue from “Chinatown”.

• But the main legacy of “Chinatown” is its immortal closing line. Everyone has done some variation on “Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown.” They even reference it in “Inside Out” for crying out loud!

Further Viewing: Despite the film’s title, only the final scene takes place in Chinatown, and the only Asian Americans depicted are Evelyn’s domestics. But Los Angeles’ Chinatown neighborhood is so much more than a metaphorical contemplation of when protecting someone becomes harmful. Please enjoy this video walkthrough. Be on the lookout for the statue of Bruce Lee!