Right? To anyone else it looks like an old man shielding a hysterical girl from a gruesome sight. But to us the audience, it looks like he is kidnapping her.
@@haljordan8420 Yeah. I think that's why she gives out the second scream when her father grabs her. The first scream was realizing her mother was dead, the second was much more agonized and terrified like she knew what was in store for her. This scene is haunting even without the above stuff, but with it, it becomes one of the most existentially terrifying movie endings I've ever seen.
Well he's old asf I don't think he can do more than Harvey Weinstein Stuff So She Could Just Kill Him Since This Event Would Trigger A Life And Death Crisis -JACK
I nearly breakdown everytime when Cross grabs the girl saying "Oh Lord" John Huston does a fantastic job in this being the most vile peice of trash imaginable.
Same here! Not that I want all movies to sound the same way, but there's something soft and crinkly about the sound in movies from the 80s and earlier.
@@lizzychrome7630 totally off topic, but it is so refreshing seeing a comment that praises something about old movies without feeling the need to trash modern movies. They're both good people!
The writer of the movie Robert Towne originally had a much light hearted ending, however director Roman Polanski wasn't having any of it, still reeling over the death of his late wife Sharon Tate, he had a much darker and devasting ending that was more effective.
The greatest Noir ever by far and one of the masterpieces of world cinema. The feeling of disgust, sadness and hopelesness I experienced when I watched it the first time is unparalled.
I find Noah Cross’ reaction to being shot very interesting. Most people would be screaming on the ground, but Cross just shrugs it off while looking simultaneously disappointed and annoyed at Evelyn. It’s almost like he’s so far removed from humanity that he can’t even experience pain.
Cross isn't the real antagonist, the scene in which he reveals his motivation is anticlimactic precisely because he has no motivation; his accumulation of land is done for the purpose of accumulation itself. The real antagonist is revealed in the final scene, represented by Jake's foil: Lou. The scene takes place in Chinatown, which is both the location of a previous incident of corruption (which caused Jake to quit the police force) and a metaphor (in my opinion) for the same corruption.
@@user-ll2je4kc4f What are you talking about? You don't make any sense. It doesn't ruin my experience of Chinatown at all. I'm not the one that posted the personal stuff on here; YOU did. Others on here were talking purely about the movie. People were on here to talk about the movie. So: please tell us all about how Robert Towne, as he developed the Noah Cross character over the course of a very, very long time, please tell us what that has to do with Polanski's personal life?
@@craigstoll2098he prob compared the two because both cross and polanski sexually abused minors? Doesnt take a genius to put two and two together lol maybe do a quick google seaech on Polanski. Still think its a great movie but that doesnt excuse polanskis actions
Anyone notice how she is shot through the same eye that she said had a "flaw in the iris" earlier in the film? It seems symbolic as if to say, she failed to see that she would never be able to get away from a man like her father.
As someone who really dislikes downer endings, it amazes me how close this one comes to perfection. It's arguably the bleakest and most disheartening ending of any major Hollywood production, and it's also one of the most beautiful conclusions to a story I have ever seen.
Hollywood was FULL of these kinds of films in the 70s. The Golden Age for the American movies. It was a beautiful fucking time for cinema, when the country was so fractured and disillusioned, it had no choice but to reflect in the movies.
But it’s real life back then basically. It’s rare that a hero wins like in Star Wars or James Bond. It’s more like this really just way bloodier honestly
Just watched this film today for the 1st time and i have no words for this ending, I mean it's been like 4 hours ago since I whatched and I'm still like wow, just wow.....
directing and acting in this scene was amazing. i like how Polanski chose to have very few cuts... shows how quickly a life can end. one second Evelyn is yelling at Cross and pointing a gun at him, the next she's dead. and Jack Nicholson's reaction of catatonic horror and disgust is perfect. also like how the camera stays with the shooter and you're just hoping the car gets away and then you hear the horn and see it come to a stop and know immediately what has happened. amazing movie.
What we re seeing rn is a true director block and set up scenes The action of the gun car pulls away Shooters shoot horn blows We chase to see the results this is all very unique cinema even in its simplicity there's layers of complexity that's going on everyone who seen this film doesn't forget it Kinda the same with full metal jacket
Your comments and analysis of this scene is spot on...very well written..the entire movie is incredible....even if watched today..years later..but it's this last long scene , and Faye D. sudden death that is so gripping..followed by the incredible background score.. they just don't make movies like these anymore...
Watched it for the first time tonight, I was so devastated from this ending. What’s sad as well is the poor child is left with her rapist of a father/grandfather.
there was this comment that said "hurr durr it would have been awesome if in the ending he said some cliche action quote" and it infuriated me so i sarcastically said
"As little as possible". Jake never talks about what made him quit the police force, but there are plenty of clues through the movie that point to an incident that occurred in Chinatown, possibly a case that was abandoned due to corruption. Lou played ball and stayed in the police force while Jake quit in search of honest work (remember one of the first scenes in which Jake insists, almost hysterically, that he makes an honest living). In the final scene, it becomes clear to Jake that Cross will get away with murder and that the police force, with Lou at the head of this particular investigation, will do nothing. Great final scene of a great film.
The cut to Lou after the "as little as possible" line is so brilliant. After panning from one character to the next for 45 seconds, it would be easy to just pan again to see Lou's reaction. But the jolt of cutting right to him instead, and his response of frustration and offense to Jake's remark hammers home the point one last time that things can change just that quick.
Yeah, Lou's reaction is important. He knows the PD are dirty, but it's probably been "hey, nobody (meaningful) gets hurt, and you pocket some $$." But now he's seen first-hand where the corruption can end up. So when he tells Jake that he's doing him a favor, he means it: we crooked cops have to live with this now, but you can walk away knowing you at least tried to be the good guy. Not that it makes it any better, of course...
Possibly the only film where I felt exactly how the character felt in every scene, especially the ending. It came out of nowhere, I was surprised, hurt, and I was staring just like he was.
I'm 31 and love old movies. Finally saw this film for the first time today. Jesus Christ what an incredible movie. I have no idea how I've gone this long without seeing it.
*List of movie endings that totally pissed me off when I first watched them:* Number 1: _Chinatown_ ... *List of movie endings I absolutely loved when I rewatched them:* Number 1: _Chinatown_
Yes, it's a shitty ending a far as justice is concerned, the perverted Huston character gets away with murder and gets ahold of the girl. But as a mystery and a quasi-noir film, the ending is appropriate.
I think this movie aged incredibly well, certainly better than most. It's cynicism fits perfectly with our cynical age. If this film came out tomorrow it would still be a hit.
Only realised after the 3rd time watching that the comment Jake made to molray in her house before they made love was about the black spot in the middle of her iris as an imperfection or birthmark, and then in this last scene she gets shot straight through the same eye, probably represents something more to do with imperfect society or how her beauty was flawed in the same way as the system which cross controlled.
The ending of the movie is brilliant in a number of ways. First, going along with the history of the Gittes PI character, he made a mistake earlier alluded to where his intervention got a woman killed...and he's tried to over come this. This time it happens again. The shooting through the eye is prefigured in the earlier escape from the Mar Vista Nursing Home where there is a shot through the the car's left windshield...and Marion adjusts her eyelash as they speed away. The get-away by Marion seems, at first, as clichéd as possible...she'll speed away and escape. But, the movie goes totally against our expectations of this by having the car take off and one of the shots by Loach hitting her and the car slows to the stop...it's a slap in the face and brilliant. As the car stops and the horn sounds and then Katherine starts screaming...it's chilling. We have the slow realization she's been shot and the characters race to the car to see she's dead...we see this from behind them looking at the car in the distance and then hard cut to the car looking back at them racing forward. As Jake opens the door we see she's dead--shot through the left eye. It's much like the depiction of violence in the whole movie (like the knife cut to Gittes' nose)...to those who have seen real violence, it pretty true-to-life...quick, unexpected, and brutal. The movie is about really trying to not repeat old mistakes but hoping against hope when a similar situation comes your way. When Jake's man says:"...it's Chinatown." it's sort an icon for "That's life."...you tried at great risk to succeed, but in the end the evil is perpetuated (Noah Cross), the man who knows how all the pieces fit is helpless to effect a positive outcome (Gittes), and the authorities who should understand what's going on are clueless to what has happened (Lt. Escobar). It's not the happy ending that screenwriter Robert Towne envisioned, but it "makes" the movie, holds it together and gives it a pathos and reality a happy ending wouldn't have engendered. That's why Polanski and Nicholson should be respected for this downbeat ending. I suppose to people who like fairy tales and "...they lived happily ever after." this movie is a bit of a letdown, but many times, unfortunately, that's not reality, life, and the world as it is. Essentially, everyone's story ends with a downbeat.
Jan Pasquin Casadella I‘d rather go with the interpretation that Chinatown as a symbol for a time, when Gittes should do „as little as possible“ and wasn’t capable of keeping Chinatown calm, is mentioned to show that he isn‘t capable of changing anything of the madness, corruption and injustice happening in the film. In the end „it‘s Chinatown“ and he can‘t do anything against it
You Sound Chinese Or Black, Because You Misunder Child Rape Being The Whole Plot How Even If One Man Tried, The Rich Guy Won't Be Hurt Serious Even If Shot And Also As Marian Said "Owns The Police" Making His Actions Unseen And Even If He Was Taken Down You (Gittes) Wont And Cant Even Try To Stop A System Built To Cause This Problem To Never Stop, I MEAN Like Watch The Movie Like Gosh -JACK
Like Jeffrey Epstein And Harvey Weinstein -JACK refers to Examples Of Evil Being In Control Of The System Of Société As We Know It I.E. The Law (Police) And The Government (IDK I GUESS MARIAN) -JACK
@@tobip.4589 isn't it both those things? When you say "that's life", it's because something happened that you can't change; life just operates against you. I don't know why we have to be so rigidly specific in the symbolic meaning. Either "interpretation" communicates the same general theme.
Excellent explanation btw. I never noticed the foreshadowing and that is god-tier symbolism. I completely agree with the ending too. There's something to be said about the value of fearlessness in writers. Even when I'm engaged in a movie, I feel the presence of their decisions, and something like this takes me aback ("woah, they chose to go there!"). But it's also meaningful for the story and not just a letdown for letdown's sake, which is important. A happy ending, apart from being seen many times before and thus conventional, wouldn't have fitted as well with the overall thematic and aesthetic style of the movie. I was rooting for a happy ending for them, and I guess I felt I'd be satisfied because the rest of the film and its characters were more captivating, real or substantial compared to the average movie. Choosing to go the other way leaves a longer-lasting message about the content/message of the film: that there are bigger forces out in reality who shape the world they want through bureaucracy and total disregard for others. That's an important life skill and while I don't like saying films show stuff because "that's how reality is" (often it's about escape too) there is that in here, but I'd qualify it this way as communicating a theme consistent with the movie.
Seen this film about 20 times. What's most haunting to me, is how much Evelyn Mulwray suffered in life, and she got the ending that, horribly is predictable. It breaks your heart into pieces thinking about that. Then someone like Jake comes along, and like her husband, tries to 'save' her, but it's no use. The darkness of her father overwhelms any light that could be brought into her life. Faye Dunaway was stunning in this role. How could you not fall in love with Evelyn Mulwray and not try to be her hero, even though you know it will be a fools errand? An epic tragedy.
The double meaning of the little as possible line 😢 on one hand jake is referring to the culture of policing chinatown and doing as little as possible, whilst provoking Lou’s conscious over whats happened. On the other hand, jake completely disregards his own advice from the beginning of the film when he tells Curly to let sleeping dogs lie in regards to his cheating wife. If jake did as little as possible with the case and let sleeping dogs lie he’d never have suffered such heartache .
Yeah, every time I watch this film and see the ending, I can't help but wonder what becomes of Jake after that night. I know there's a sequel, but when I'm caught up in that ending, I forget all about that and can't help but worry for Jake, as if he might lapse into despair and alcoholism, or take his own life, after Evelyn's senseless death.
Beautifully done, and to think Towne wanted them to get away. He left the film, and Polanski scripted the ending. Wonderful directing, photography, editing, and acting. Even the little girl is good and genuine. Very few films have an ending that you really feel the triumph of evil. But this one does. Because its all so natural and believable.
I watched this movie on the telly a year ago. It still haunts me when I listen to the track. It's like suddenly your heart is hollow and you feel nothing. I can't help but watch taxi driver after watching Chinatown. Just for that satisfaction at the end.
"...as little as possible". Great ending to a great movie. Killer performances by Nicholson and Huston, and one of the saddest last lines by a character in movie history. And that music...
I think that this set the standard for film noir. If it had been a conventional type of ending, people would probably have forgotten it shortly after seeing it. The entire ending sequence; Jake being walked away by his associates, after having been urged by the "Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown" remark, the longer shot of the cars arriving at the scene and the haunting love theme playing helped make for a movie that is truly unforgettable. This ending is frozen in time and the memories of those who saw it.
I had to watch this move for a class dissecting the American identity through film, and upon first viewing, this ending left me so angry. I was so pissed that Evelyn had been shot and that someone so disgusting vile as Noah Cross was able to win in the end. Upon my rewatch, I came to understand that this movie isn't about justice, but rather the absence of it. The fact that I was angry and horrified meant the movie did its job correctly. A must-see for all movie goers, I think
Earlier in the film, Jake notes to Cross that his ex-partner, Escobar, is a stand-up professional but "of course he has to swim in the same water we all do." Here we see that in action: Escobar intuitively grasps that the best he can do is to sweep the incident under the rug and just let Jake go.
@@bigpapasmurfz6252 --The movie is well made but wicked. Jake raped a woman early in the film. It ends with a truly vile cretin getting police to murder his daughter so he can ruin his daughter/granddaughter.
Just saw this movie for the first time. That final sequence was an absolute gutpunch. So moving, and dark (and not just dark for cynicism’s sake). Brilliant script by Robert Towne.
One thing worth mentioning... Typically in noir films, when characters walk off into the distance at the end of the picture, they become envelope in the fog. Think Casablanca although that's not a noir. I like how there's no fog here. You can see Jack keep walking off into the distance - a grisly reality he can't escape.
Saw this movie in 1974 and of all the movies I have seen as a film buff , Chinatown's screenplay is the greatest ever written - Robert Towne wrote this screenplay . Faye and Jack acted like no film duo in sound movies ever filmed . They were unbelievable in their chemistry !!!
This is brilliant because it inverts a long time movie trope - we see guys shooting at escaping cars all the time with no effect but this time the consequences are devastating. Also Faye Dunaway's performance in this film is incredible. You can sense her anxiety all through the film from her abuse - she seems constantly trying to keep it together to escape with her daughter - and she almost makes it.
Greatest movie I've ever seen. It's one of the movies that you're sad that there's not really anything else like this in terms of a more modern film, but happy because it's one of a kind.
when I hear the horn sound,I knew something bad had happened.I just didn’t know that it would be more terrified than what I’ve been thinking how it paid out
This movie is so heavier than I could of ever appreciated as a young film geek. You really have to have a thorough knowledge of film noir before you can ever hope to fully appreciate it. Bravo.
in film noir from the original cycle 1940-1959 such a bleak ending would not have beenalowed to happen. With the ending of the Hays Code, they were free to create a downer ending in which the good/victim daughter is shot and the incest girl dragged away by a monster.
Hat's off to the entire cast and crew of this incredible movie..each actor ..down to the last extra..played their parts to perfection..and the amazing music / background score ..just enhanced the whole watching experience.. thanks for sharing..!!!
damn, i'll never forget the first time i watch this movie. this ending hits hard. I love how Evelyn actually get's killed is hinted throughout the movie
A great film like this would never get made today. Direction, music, acting, production design., confident, measured pacing, everything exceptional. Thanks for posting!
Just finished watching this movie. This right here is gonna haunt me for the rest of my life. Textbook definition of a good movie. (according to my textbook anyway)
The genius scene is more amazing. You are looking at the car in suspense trying to figure out is it getting away or slowing down.. Than the realisation hits in. You can hear the siren and the screams. Everything is clear.
The ending is both dark and phenomenal. This whole film is phenomenal one of the greatest ever made imo. Also Noah is one of the most evil movie villains I’ve seen . The way he just takes Katherine away and doesn’t even show the slightest bit of emotion, he’s not even upset that his own daughter is dead. He was even happy that he killed Hollis. He’s just downright evil and psychotic.
1974 was just as cynical President Nixon resigned from office (Watergate) and the then longest war (Vietnam) was ending after years of bloodshed and loss of life. The cynicism in our new century has its roots in those times. We owe this film to the great master Roman Polanski, Robert Towne, Nicholson,Dunaway, Huston ,John A. Alonzo, the supporting cast and Paramount who had the guts to produce it. the seventies were somewhat of golden age for mainstream American Films. Take a look!
The 50s was the golden age of Hollywood cinema. The 70s was average, on the whole perhaps, but the few new-wave inspired young American filmmakers created the greatest works of art in all of American cinema. The height of movies such as Citizen Kane weren't matched in quality until The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Chinatown, Apocalypse Now, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and so much more. As an artistic medium, the 70s was the greatest for American cinema.
Julian Escobedo wait a second plenty of Films matched citizen Kane not just the ones in the 70s, Pictures such as Vertigo,Tokyo Story, La dolce vita,The Treasure is the Sierra Madre among others are on the level of citizen Kane
+Robot Lover I know the feeling. 6 months after she dumped me, after taking all my money, she was shocked to see me happy. She forgot, I still had a good job. She was angry that I must have been holding out on her. She felt I must have hidden some money she did not take.
Before watching this movie i knew this line, i always assumed it meant that chinatown was ruled by gangs or something not that its lawless because of the corruption in the police! Amazing ending
+agrahamofmeth Haha, it's a great ending. I'm a cinephile and an independent filmmaker for some years now, and your comment is really condescending. This film is important not only to freshmen, but to anyone in and out of the film business. I suppose you're in the position to say such a thing? Plus, all film freshman students I've met were longtime cinephiles and knew way more than just this.
Such a devastating ending. Saw it for the first time today. My heart sank when I heard the horn blaring without stop and the car slowing to a halt. I couldn’t believe she got hit.
i love the moment immediately after the killing shot. all that is heard is the ring of the horn (Evelyn's head has rested on it). in the same long shot, the horn maintains for five or so seconds until the characters move slowly into the frame. Jake starts to run exactly as Katherine starts to scream. the first cut is a quick pan to Jake opening the car and showing Evelyn's body fall and her blown out eye socket. an eerily quiet moment has turned into utter chaos, as the villain of the movie gets away with the object of his desire. say what you want about Polanski as a person, but that is masterful directing right there. he has an uncanny knack for atmosphere that's steeped in horror imagery, but it never feels cheap. haven't seen this in a couple of years, but i'm reminded why it's one of the greatest endings of all time
It's like jake understood how bad things are, that no one is going to save you. Its a darkness that he only grasped at his time in the force, but now he can see it completely. Its so grotesque and unfair that is transcendental, beautiful.
No matter how many times I watch this film (and I watch it way too often lol it's a comfort movie of mine, believe it or not), and even though I know how it all plays out, I always end up getting caught up in it and hoping things will go differently and being devastated at the outcome. Brilliant film. Apparently, it was originally supposed to have a happy ending. In Towne's original script, Evelyn survives. They argued about it, but Polanski insisted that the film should end with Evelyn dying and the villain winning. So that makes me wonder who came up with the famous "Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown" line, if Towne's script was different. Anyone know?
Also, in a more recent interview, Polanski said that he did the right thing by changing the ending, and that the film most likely would not be considered such a major and memorable piece of cinema if not for the brutal ending. I think he's probably right to some extent.
@@tuanjim799 The film is definitely strong for other reasons but I agree the ending sealed it, and it's a great example of a villain winning (hadn't occurred to me!) or an ending making a film better. Good question @ script. I can only find sources saying Polanski wrote the ending a few days before shooting. One or two sources without reference say Nicholson helped.
The real fucked up irony is that while Noah Cross is depicted in the film as this creepy monster (which he is of course) by director Roman Polanski, Polanski himself would be caught raping an underage girl just three years later. This movie is phenomenal but damn, just knowing that the director of this very movie is just as bad as the people in the end makes you very cynical.
Wow man your rights i just checked it out he raped a 13 year old girl... This film is already sad but that makes it even more fucked up, like he wants the villain to win in his own movie for his own pleasure.
Well, another slightly humourous bit of trivia lies in the fact that Jack Nicholson was dating John Huston's *actual* daughter, Anjelica Huston (nowadays, possibly best known as _Morticia Addams_ in the two early-90s _Addams Family_ movies, altough some might remember her best for her performance in _Prizzi's Honor_) starting at the time of the movie's shooting until 1990 (apparently an on-off kind of thing).
You say Polanski is "just as bad" and yet he went on to make the film Tess based on Thomas Hardy's novel, which depicts a teenage peasant girl who is raped and degraded by those with more social power, and the film is from her own point of view. So, Polanski definitely had remorse for what he did and the film Tess is a form of penance for that. Polanski did something terrible, no doubt about it, but he's not Noah Cross.
Messylin Him making another film that he makes profit off of doesn't erase what he did, he raped and drugged an underage girl, just because you like his films doesn't mean you should ignore or minimize what he did, and he's still hiding from US authorities in Poland btw.
+La Smudge "Noah" is a reference to the Biblical Noah and the great flood. "Noah Cross" is pidgin English (spoken in Chinatown) for "Don't cross me," which Jake Gittes does, and lives to regret.
Jimmy would NOT root for a child rapist. He was abandoned as a child and lived in a series of homes, and may have been molested. He lived an awful childhood, until a kindly family named Burke took him in.
Noah grabbing the little girl and taking her into the dark is such a haunting picture
Right? To anyone else it looks like an old man shielding a hysterical girl from a gruesome sight. But to us the audience, it looks like he is kidnapping her.
And a whole group of other grown men, law enforcement, just letting him, probably knowing.
@@gordonchell4364 You can imagine the rest of her life, poor soul.
@@santannavalter If you see the sequel, you'll find out.
@@j.b.9260 You´re right. I did last week. It´s a good one.
The worst part is knowing that he will inevitably do the same thing to this daughter that he did to her... disgusting.
Your comment is all too true, why the hell did I have to read it
@@haljordan8420 Yeah. I think that's why she gives out the second scream when her father grabs her. The first scream was realizing her mother was dead, the second was much more agonized and terrified like she knew what was in store for her.
This scene is haunting even without the above stuff, but with it, it becomes one of the most existentially terrifying movie endings I've ever seen.
@@onbored9627 The sick f**k is already envisioning her screaming in an entirely different context.
No because that one would of shot him or herself now that she knows guns can just take away a life -JACK
Well he's old asf I don't think he can do more than Harvey Weinstein Stuff So She Could Just Kill Him Since This Event Would Trigger A Life And Death Crisis -JACK
That expression on Nicholson's face when he looks at John Huston... Anger, sadness, self-disgust, resignation: take your pick. Simply astonishing.
I think it was rather nothing at all. Resolution.
Masterpiece.
Defeat. That’s the look of a man that’s been defeated.
Ah yes, simply refreshing old chap, toodeloo old pal o me o my
You are correct!
" Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown." Then the haunting music cues and the credits slowly roll.
@Andorian Nationalist so true
Polanski at his best.
I nearly breakdown everytime when Cross grabs the girl saying "Oh Lord" John Huston does a fantastic job in this being the most vile peice of trash imaginable.
Men like him built this country. Its disturbing to think about
I love the sound of older movies.
Same here! Not that I want all movies to sound the same way, but there's something soft and crinkly about the sound in movies from the 80s and earlier.
Yep.
@@lizzychrome7630 totally off topic, but it is so refreshing seeing a comment that praises something about old movies without feeling the need to trash modern movies. They're both good people!
@@apullcan Yes! My only complaint about modern movies is that they don't keep some of the old styles for variety.
Yeah CGI has been used in a lot of horror films especially. It’s used as a crutch now basically and the innovation for movies plateaued in about 2015.
I didn't expect such a grotesque, surprisingly nightmarish ending to this film. Really quite haunting.
The writer of the movie Robert Towne originally had a much light hearted ending, however director Roman Polanski wasn't having any of it, still reeling over the death of his late wife Sharon Tate, he had a much darker and devasting ending that was more effective.
@@Shah-of-the-Shinebox That is why directors direct, and writers write what they're told.
"HE OWWWWWNS THE POLICE!"
*slams purse into car* 👝💥
The greatest Noir ever by far and one of the masterpieces of world cinema.
The feeling of disgust, sadness and hopelesness I experienced when I watched it the first time is unparalled.
i wonder if polanski drew from his own life for any of the characters 🤔
I find Noah Cross’ reaction to being shot very interesting. Most people would be screaming on the ground, but Cross just shrugs it off while looking simultaneously disappointed and annoyed at Evelyn. It’s almost like he’s so far removed from humanity that he can’t even experience pain.
He’s the fucking devil.
It’s also a really small caliber bullet and he’s a big dude. It probably just pissed him off.
Plus I'm pretty sure it just skimmed his arm
he went into shock therefore couldn't feel the pain
Cross isn't the real antagonist, the scene in which he reveals his motivation is anticlimactic precisely because he has no motivation; his accumulation of land is done for the purpose of accumulation itself. The real antagonist is revealed in the final scene, represented by Jake's foil: Lou. The scene takes place in Chinatown, which is both the location of a previous incident of corruption (which caused Jake to quit the police force) and a metaphor (in my opinion) for the same corruption.
J.J. Gittes-and the audience, by extension, is forced to confront the futility of obtaining justice in a town where things were rigged.
Add Jimmy McNulty and Lester Fremont on that list.
A great metaphor for America. Or the world for that matter.
@@KianoUyMOOP Dont forget the Bunk.
He was just a humble mothafucka with a big ass dick.
Ronald Charles Epstein ‘Things were rigged?’ No. Futility wherein justice is simply unobtainable because the terms of discourse don’t allow for it.
Look at how the liberals get away with everything now. It really hits home when looking at Weinstein epstein the Clintons and the deep state.
Noah Cross has to be one of the most despicable characters in anything ever
And John Huston played him to a T
You shouldn’t blame him. At the right time and place a man is capable of _anything._
@@jonathanbirch2022 Wtf are you even saying? You can absolutely blame rich people for their own abhorrent choices and actions.
@@LordVader1094 r/Whoosh
@@LordVader1094 it's from the movie. a line Cross says about himself.
The sad thing is that Roman Polanski was the real life equivalent of Noah Cross
No, that isn't the "sad thing". What the hell does that have to do with this incredible film? Um, nothing, that's what. Thanks.
@@user-ll2je4kc4f What are you talking about? You don't make any sense. It doesn't ruin my experience of Chinatown at all. I'm not the one that posted the personal stuff on here; YOU did. Others on here were talking purely about the movie. People were on here to talk about the movie.
So: please tell us all about how Robert Towne, as he developed the Noah Cross character over the course of a very, very long time, please tell us what that has to do with Polanski's personal life?
@@craigstoll2098 you're pathetic
@@craigstoll2098 Stop it Craig, it's Chinatown.
Polanski is the IRL Cross
@@craigstoll2098he prob compared the two because both cross and polanski sexually abused minors? Doesnt take a genius to put two and two together lol maybe do a quick google seaech on Polanski. Still think its a great movie but that doesnt excuse polanskis actions
No wonder this masterpiece get an Oscar for screenplay
Had The Godfather part II not been made the same year, Chinatown would have swept the board at the Oscars.
Anyone notice how she is shot through the same eye that she said had a "flaw in the iris" earlier in the film? It seems symbolic as if to say, she failed to see that she would never be able to get away from a man like her father.
DIRTY DEEVZ amazing attention to detail
Screenwriter Robert Towne got the idea for that from his girlfriend, who had the same condition.
Stellar observation that enriched my movie experience.
Nice dude
The broken glasses of the evidence and when Gittes glasses during the shootout with cowboys and horses.
As someone who really dislikes downer endings, it amazes me how close this one comes to perfection. It's arguably the bleakest and most disheartening ending of any major Hollywood production, and it's also one of the most beautiful conclusions to a story I have ever seen.
I do not see how this ending is in anyway..."beautiful". I agree with the bleakest and most disheartening ending.
Hollywood was FULL of these kinds of films in the 70s. The Golden Age for the American movies. It was a beautiful fucking time for cinema, when the country was so fractured and disillusioned, it had no choice but to reflect in the movies.
Why do you dislike downer endings? I love and prefer them.
@@ctrl_altesc The golden age was the 40s which wouldn’t have shown an ending like this I’ll tell you that.
But it’s real life back then basically. It’s rare that a hero wins like in Star Wars or James Bond. It’s more like this really just way bloodier honestly
Just watched this film today for the 1st time and i have no words for this ending, I mean it's been like 4 hours ago since I whatched and I'm still like wow, just wow.....
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
Right genre, wrong movie, man!
Keyser Söze Oh Shit is the legend himself!
Cool Hand Luke.
If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll reget it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but soon and for the rest of your life!
directing and acting in this scene was amazing. i like how Polanski chose to have very few cuts... shows how quickly a life can end. one second Evelyn is yelling at Cross and pointing a gun at him, the next she's dead. and Jack Nicholson's reaction of catatonic horror and disgust is perfect. also like how the camera stays with the shooter and you're just hoping the car gets away and then you hear the horn and see it come to a stop and know immediately what has happened. amazing movie.
I know this comment is a year old, but it's still an exceptional comment.
the camera also stays when Jake leaves. Both stories end the same way.
What we re seeing rn is a true director block and set up scenes
The action of the gun car pulls away
Shooters shoot horn blows
We chase to see the results this is all very unique cinema even in its simplicity there's layers of complexity that's going on everyone who seen this film doesn't forget it
Kinda the same with full metal jacket
Your comments and analysis of this scene is spot on...very well written..the entire movie is incredible....even if watched today..years later..but it's this last long scene , and Faye D. sudden death that is so gripping..followed by the incredible background score.. they just don't make movies like these anymore...
Watched it for the first time tonight, I was so devastated from this ending. What’s sad as well is the poor child is left with her rapist of a father/grandfather.
IDK if there's a more heartbreaking moment in cinema, than when Jake says "as little as possible"...
Ok master screenwriter
@@yoofredo417 Something wrong?
Brian brush shit bro this is the wrong comment
why did he say that what did it mean
there was this comment that said "hurr durr it would have been awesome if in the ending he said some cliche action quote" and it infuriated me so i sarcastically said
The ending of Toy Story is much happier than this.
lol
lol
lol
The ending of the shining is much happier than this.
lol
The ending haunts me till this day. Killing Evelyn and letting that evil man get away like nothing happened shows you how cruel this world can be.
True, that's reality, that's how the world works.
"As little as possible" really sums up the scene in so few words
"As little as possible". Jake never talks about what made him quit the police force, but there are plenty of clues through the movie that point to an incident that occurred in Chinatown, possibly a case that was abandoned due to corruption. Lou played ball and stayed in the police force while Jake quit in search of honest work (remember one of the first scenes in which Jake insists, almost hysterically, that he makes an honest living). In the final scene, it becomes clear to Jake that Cross will get away with murder and that the police force, with Lou at the head of this particular investigation, will do nothing. Great final scene of a great film.
That would make a great prequel film
@@randywhite3947
I’d pay to see that for sure.
@@Gr13fKvlt who would you cast as J.J.?
I like how the original post left out the part where Gittes clearly said he "ended up making sure" a woman was hurt.
@@randywhite3947 Ryan Gosling.
The cut to Lou after the "as little as possible" line is so brilliant. After panning from one character to the next for 45 seconds, it would be easy to just pan again to see Lou's reaction. But the jolt of cutting right to him instead, and his response of frustration and offense to Jake's remark hammers home the point one last time that things can change just that quick.
Yeah, Lou's reaction is important. He knows the PD are dirty, but it's probably been "hey, nobody (meaningful) gets hurt, and you pocket some $$." But now he's seen first-hand where the corruption can end up. So when he tells Jake that he's doing him a favor, he means it: we crooked cops have to live with this now, but you can walk away knowing you at least tried to be the good guy. Not that it makes it any better, of course...
Possibly the only film where I felt exactly how the character felt in every scene, especially the ending. It came out of nowhere, I was surprised, hurt, and I was staring just like he was.
I'm 31 and love old movies. Finally saw this film for the first time today. Jesus Christ what an incredible movie. I have no idea how I've gone this long without seeing it.
Same here. One of my favourites.
Your first name is turd?
I envy anyone that gets to be watching it for the first time.
*List of movie endings that totally pissed me off when I first watched them:*
Number 1: _Chinatown_
...
*List of movie endings I absolutely loved when I rewatched them:*
Number 1: _Chinatown_
Yes, it's a shitty ending a far as justice is concerned, the perverted Huston character gets away with murder and gets ahold of the girl. But as a mystery and a quasi-noir film, the ending is appropriate.
Will never forget the way I felt seeing this ending for the first time. That sinking feeling when the car horn goes on for a bit too long.
I think this movie aged incredibly well, certainly better than most. It's cynicism fits perfectly with our cynical age. If this film came out tomorrow it would still be a hit.
Try getting Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton to face justice. Now, the other BC, Bill Cosby is going to walk.
i wish you were right but sadly audiences have changed But it hasn't aged at all
Yeah. Audiences are into cgi.
Only realised after the 3rd time watching that the comment Jake made to molray in her house before they made love was about the black spot in the middle of her iris as an imperfection or birthmark, and then in this last scene she gets shot straight through the same eye, probably represents something more to do with imperfect society or how her beauty was flawed in the same way as the system which cross controlled.
Dylan Morgan
Or it could foreshadow her fate.
The ending of the movie is brilliant in a number of ways. First, going along with the history of the Gittes PI character, he made a mistake earlier alluded to where his intervention got a woman killed...and he's tried to over come this. This time it happens again. The shooting through the eye is prefigured in the earlier escape from the Mar Vista Nursing Home where there is a shot through the the car's left windshield...and Marion adjusts her eyelash as they speed away. The get-away by Marion seems, at first, as clichéd as possible...she'll speed away and escape. But, the movie goes totally against our expectations of this by having the car take off and one of the shots by Loach hitting her and the car slows to the stop...it's a slap in the face and brilliant. As the car stops and the horn sounds and then Katherine starts screaming...it's chilling. We have the slow realization she's been shot and the characters race to the car to see she's dead...we see this from behind them looking at the car in the distance and then hard cut to the car looking back at them racing forward. As Jake opens the door we see she's dead--shot through the left eye. It's much like the depiction of violence in the whole movie (like the knife cut to Gittes' nose)...to those who have seen real violence, it pretty true-to-life...quick, unexpected, and brutal. The movie is about really trying to not repeat old mistakes but hoping against hope when a similar situation comes your way. When Jake's man says:"...it's Chinatown." it's sort an icon for "That's life."...you tried at great risk to succeed, but in the end the evil is perpetuated (Noah Cross), the man who knows how all the pieces fit is helpless to effect a positive outcome (Gittes), and the authorities who should understand what's going on are clueless to what has happened (Lt. Escobar). It's not the happy ending that screenwriter Robert Towne envisioned, but it "makes" the movie, holds it together and gives it a pathos and reality a happy ending wouldn't have engendered. That's why Polanski and Nicholson should be respected for this downbeat ending. I suppose to people who like fairy tales and "...they lived happily ever after." this movie is a bit of a letdown, but many times, unfortunately, that's not reality, life, and the world as it is. Essentially, everyone's story ends with a downbeat.
Jan Pasquin Casadella I‘d rather go with the interpretation that Chinatown as a symbol for a time, when Gittes should do „as little as possible“ and wasn’t capable of keeping Chinatown calm, is mentioned to show that he isn‘t capable of changing anything of the madness, corruption and injustice happening in the film. In the end „it‘s Chinatown“ and he can‘t do anything against it
You Sound Chinese Or Black, Because You Misunder Child Rape Being The Whole Plot How Even If One Man Tried, The Rich Guy Won't Be Hurt Serious Even If Shot And Also As Marian Said "Owns The Police" Making His Actions Unseen And Even If He Was Taken Down You (Gittes) Wont And Cant Even Try To Stop A System Built To Cause This Problem To Never Stop, I MEAN Like Watch The Movie Like Gosh -JACK
Like Jeffrey Epstein And Harvey Weinstein -JACK refers to Examples Of Evil Being In Control Of The System Of Société As We Know It I.E. The Law (Police) And The Government (IDK I GUESS MARIAN) -JACK
@@tobip.4589 isn't it both those things? When you say "that's life", it's because something happened that you can't change; life just operates against you. I don't know why we have to be so rigidly specific in the symbolic meaning. Either "interpretation" communicates the same general theme.
Excellent explanation btw. I never noticed the foreshadowing and that is god-tier symbolism. I completely agree with the ending too. There's something to be said about the value of fearlessness in writers. Even when I'm engaged in a movie, I feel the presence of their decisions, and something like this takes me aback ("woah, they chose to go there!"). But it's also meaningful for the story and not just a letdown for letdown's sake, which is important. A happy ending, apart from being seen many times before and thus conventional, wouldn't have fitted as well with the overall thematic and aesthetic style of the movie. I was rooting for a happy ending for them, and I guess I felt I'd be satisfied because the rest of the film and its characters were more captivating, real or substantial compared to the average movie. Choosing to go the other way leaves a longer-lasting message about the content/message of the film: that there are bigger forces out in reality who shape the world they want through bureaucracy and total disregard for others. That's an important life skill and while I don't like saying films show stuff because "that's how reality is" (often it's about escape too) there is that in here, but I'd qualify it this way as communicating a theme consistent with the movie.
"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown." Great ending line for a great ending for a great film. Jerry Goldsmith's "Chinatown" soundtrack is brilliant.
Seen this film about 20 times.
What's most haunting to me, is how much Evelyn Mulwray suffered in life, and she got the ending that, horribly is predictable.
It breaks your heart into pieces thinking about that.
Then someone like Jake comes along, and like her husband, tries to 'save' her, but it's no use.
The darkness of her father overwhelms any light that could be brought into her life.
Faye Dunaway was stunning in this role.
How could you not fall in love with Evelyn Mulwray and not try to be her hero, even though you know it will be a fools errand?
An epic tragedy.
i go to the source and take out her father. once he's gone she won't have to worry about him terrorizing her and her daughter
The double meaning of the little as possible line 😢 on one hand jake is referring to the culture of policing chinatown and doing as little as possible, whilst provoking Lou’s conscious over whats happened. On the other hand, jake completely disregards his own advice from the beginning of the film when he tells Curly to let sleeping dogs lie in regards to his cheating wife. If jake did as little as possible with the case and let sleeping dogs lie he’d never have suffered such heartache .
..."as little as possible"....
In my opinion, a much more powerful line than "Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown."
+obasaz They're probably still blindsided by Evelyn dying, and thus miss that part.
obasaz we just can't hear it either
I'm still not clear what this line is referencing?
Benjamin Bode it’s nothing. What you should pay attention to is the ending line.
Two people died that night, Evelyn, and Jake.
Yeah, every time I watch this film and see the ending, I can't help but wonder what becomes of Jake after that night. I know there's a sequel, but when I'm caught up in that ending, I forget all about that and can't help but worry for Jake, as if he might lapse into despair and alcoholism, or take his own life, after Evelyn's senseless death.
@@tuanjim799 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Jakes
That's very poignant ....I'm going to take a shit....
@The Colour Green Jake outlives Cross that is a plus point since Cross succumbed to sickness and died a few year later
I would say three ppl.
One of the darkest and saddest movie endings ever.
One of the great movie endings of all time.
it's absolutely crazy how it's been almost 100 years since when this movie is taken place and nothings really changed
One of if not the most beautiful soundtrack in movie history.
The soundtrack is perfect,,,that trumpet.
Beautifully done, and to think Towne wanted them to get away. He left the film, and Polanski scripted the ending. Wonderful directing, photography, editing, and acting. Even the little girl is good and genuine. Very few films have an ending that
you really feel the triumph of evil. But this one does. Because its all so natural and believable.
He didn't want them to get away, he wanted her to kill her father and then go to jail (unable to tell the truth) .....bittersweet, rather than bleak
That blown-out eye. The mundane way that violence is portrayed here. Genius.
I watched this movie on the telly a year ago. It still haunts me when I listen to the track. It's like suddenly your heart is hollow and you feel nothing. I can't help but watch taxi driver after watching Chinatown. Just for that satisfaction at the end.
"...as little as possible". Great ending to a great movie. Killer performances by Nicholson and Huston, and one of the saddest last lines by a character in movie history. And that music...
I think that this set the standard for film noir. If it had been a conventional type of ending, people would probably have forgotten it shortly after seeing it. The entire ending sequence; Jake being walked away by his associates, after having been urged by the "Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown" remark, the longer shot of the cars arriving at the scene and the haunting love theme playing helped make for a movie that is truly unforgettable. This ending is frozen in time and the memories of those who saw it.
I had to watch this move for a class dissecting the American identity through film, and upon first viewing, this ending left me so angry. I was so pissed that Evelyn had been shot and that someone so disgusting vile as Noah Cross was able to win in the end. Upon my rewatch, I came to understand that this movie isn't about justice, but rather the absence of it. The fact that I was angry and horrified meant the movie did its job correctly. A must-see for all movie goers, I think
Earlier in the film, Jake notes to Cross that his ex-partner, Escobar, is a stand-up professional but "of course he has to swim in the same water we all do." Here we see that in action: Escobar intuitively grasps that the best he can do is to sweep the incident under the rug and just let Jake go.
Between this and Rosemary’s Baby, Polanski really knows how to articulate the omnipresence of evil.
Probably because he was so evil himself
it's projection.
One of the greatest movies ever made by legendary director Roman Polanski. The music by Jerry Goldsmith is very, very pretty.
@vermilion J He also made Chinatown.
The good does not outweigh the bad in his case.
Its a shame that such a talent can perpetrate such vile acts.
@@bigpapasmurfz6252 --The movie is well made but wicked. Jake raped a woman early in the film. It ends with a truly vile cretin getting police to murder his daughter so he can ruin his daughter/granddaughter.
Dan Davis Jake raped a woman? What u on about
@@willdavey6570 he probably means Noah
Jerry Goldsmith's beautiful, sad, haunting score carries an extraordinary movie to it's tragic denouement.
Just saw this movie for the first time. That final sequence was an absolute gutpunch. So moving, and dark (and not just dark for cynicism’s sake). Brilliant script by Robert Towne.
great story great score great acting great everything
Best scene in the entire history of human cinema
One thing worth mentioning... Typically in noir films, when characters walk off into the distance at the end of the picture, they become envelope in the fog. Think Casablanca although that's not a noir. I like how there's no fog here. You can see Jack keep walking off into the distance - a grisly reality he can't escape.
Saw this movie in 1974 and of all the movies I have seen as a film buff , Chinatown's screenplay is the greatest ever written - Robert Towne wrote this screenplay .
Faye and Jack acted like no film duo in sound movies ever filmed . They were unbelievable in their chemistry !!!
This is brilliant because it inverts a long time movie trope - we see guys shooting at escaping cars all the time with no effect but this time the consequences are devastating.
Also Faye Dunaway's performance in this film is incredible. You can sense her anxiety all through the film from her abuse - she seems constantly trying to keep it together to escape with her daughter - and she almost makes it.
You mean her sister
@@jonathanbirch2022a woman ♀️ is always a mother first. She carried that girl inside her. You only get one mum in this life
"Get off the streets" the best closing line.
"Forget it, The Two Jakes. It's the two Chinatowns." - Scott Aukerman
Greatest movie I've ever seen. It's one of the movies that you're sad that there's not really anything else like this in terms of a more modern film, but happy because it's one of a kind.
The long take employed in this shot is astounding! It continues through the credits; now that's a continuous shot.
when I hear the horn sound,I knew something bad had happened.I just didn’t know that it would be more terrified than what I’ve been thinking how it paid out
This movie is so heavier than I could of ever appreciated as a young film geek. You really have to have a thorough knowledge of film noir before you can ever hope to fully appreciate it. Bravo.
So I take it its worth revisiting even after watching it once despite it being a "mystery" movie
in film noir from the original cycle 1940-1959 such a bleak ending would not have beenalowed to happen. With the ending of the Hays Code, they were free to create a downer ending in which the good/victim daughter is shot and the incest girl dragged away by a monster.
Best ending of all-time, hands down
Lets all salute Towne for his amazing screenplay and Polanski for giving the viewer the ultimate ending
Don't forget Jerry Goldsmith.
In words of Keanu Reeves: “Gosh, I love Movies”
The ending shocked me. What a great movie!
John Huston, like Orson Welles was OK playing the villain in his own film.
Hat's off to the entire cast and crew of this incredible movie..each actor ..down to the last extra..played their parts to perfection..and the amazing music / background score ..just enhanced the whole watching experience.. thanks for sharing..!!!
damn, i'll never forget the first time i watch this movie. this ending hits hard. I love how Evelyn actually get's killed is hinted throughout the movie
A great film like this would never get made today. Direction, music, acting, production design., confident, measured pacing, everything exceptional. Thanks for posting!
sadly I think you are right - too complex; too "slow"; to challenging
silvanusslaughter You missed "one of the best scripts ever written"
That is true!!
This would be an independent movie if made today, much like say Dog Day Afternoon and Taxi Driver
Great use of lighting and colour...Something today's films lack
This movie is timeless. It's the real deal and Faye a vision....
Just finished watching this movie. This right here is gonna haunt me for the rest of my life. Textbook definition of a good movie. (according to my textbook anyway)
0:37
Is no one gonna address how impressive that shot was?
I bet he wasn't really expecting to hit her, he just shot the speeding car because that's what you're expected to do in those situations.
Still kinda impressive that he managed to hit her like that, even if he was just taking chance shots.
The genius scene is more amazing. You are looking at the car in suspense trying to figure out is it getting away or slowing down.. Than the realisation hits in. You can hear the siren and the screams. Everything is clear.
The ending is both dark and phenomenal. This whole film is phenomenal one of the greatest ever made imo.
Also Noah is one of the most evil movie villains I’ve seen . The way he just takes Katherine away and doesn’t even show the slightest bit of emotion, he’s not even upset that his own daughter is dead. He was even happy that he killed Hollis. He’s just downright evil and psychotic.
Watched this once and it became one of my fav movies ever
Same
1974 was just as cynical President Nixon resigned from office (Watergate) and the then longest war (Vietnam) was ending after years of bloodshed and loss of life. The cynicism in our new century has its roots in those times. We owe this film to the great
master Roman Polanski, Robert Towne, Nicholson,Dunaway, Huston ,John A. Alonzo, the
supporting cast and Paramount who had the guts to produce it. the seventies were somewhat of golden age for mainstream American Films. Take a look!
The 50s was the golden age of Hollywood cinema. The 70s was average, on the whole perhaps, but the few new-wave inspired young American filmmakers created the greatest works of art in all of American cinema. The height of movies such as Citizen Kane weren't matched in quality until The Godfather, Taxi Driver, Chinatown, Apocalypse Now, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and so much more.
As an artistic medium, the 70s was the greatest for American cinema.
It was also the year that Godfather II was released and it cut deeply into the income earned by this film and the notice that it received.
Julian Escobedo agree best Decade for Movies
Julian Escobedo 2001 a space odyssey came out in the 60s not 70s
Julian Escobedo wait a second plenty of Films matched citizen Kane not just the ones in the 70s, Pictures such as Vertigo,Tokyo Story, La dolce vita,The Treasure is the Sierra Madre among others are on the level of citizen Kane
Just that dead look in Jake's eyes...it breaks your heart every time.
And that especially dead look in Mrs. Mulwray’s eyes.
@@zeltzamer4010 you mean the dead look in her eye
It really does.. I’ve watched this movie many times, and that moment breaks my heart every time..
Ask me for the greatest line and the most haunting ending in any movie ever and I wouldn't hesitate for a beat.
The look of devastation on Gittes face is so very authentic.
(I imagine this is how I looked when I saw my crush with her new boyfriend last week).
Rolls eyes
I'mNotCharlesBarkley SoDon'tBanMe Hey!
+Robot Lover I know the feeling. 6 months after she dumped me, after taking all my money, she was shocked to see me happy. She forgot, I still had a good job. She was angry that I must have been holding out on her. She felt I must have hidden some money she did not take.
True.
+Robot Lover Why didn't you go after her first : )
一片の希望もない絶望。当初はハッピーエンドになるはずだったシナリオを、自身に降りかかった悲劇によって改変することで昇華した。これぞ作家なのでしょうか、悲しすぎるけれどだからこそ観客の胸を打つのか。そしてそれを受け止めて作品を作ったタランティーノ。人の思いの連鎖に感動しますね
Before watching this movie i knew this line, i always assumed it meant that chinatown was ruled by gangs or something not that its lawless because of the corruption in the police! Amazing ending
Nice to see the freshman film students in the comment section.
+agrahamofmeth Haha, it's a great ending. I'm a cinephile and an independent filmmaker for some years now, and your comment is really condescending. This film is important not only to freshmen, but to anyone in and out of the film business. I suppose you're in the position to say such a thing? Plus, all film freshman students I've met were longtime cinephiles and knew way more than just this.
Look Closely ( John Huston) Actor is terrific because he knows exactly what he is doing he just knows it all
Forget it Jake it’s Chinatown. Joe Mantell with the great delivery of one of the best lines ever written
Don't think there's a bleaker ending to a classic film than this.
Old boy
@@Sayajin3321 Oldboy actually gives people hope in the ending since it was an open ending, when Chinatown's ending fucked everyone's mood up
@@dyniaz65 Not true. I was rooting for the old guy in this movie so i was happy with the ending. Speak for yourself, kid.
@@dewok2706 you rooted for a child rapist? okay, enough said, Epstein is proud of you
@@dyniaz65 That's right. It is enough said. Epstein did nothing wrong either.
The final dialogue was not scripted but was improved. Incredible scene.
Improvised*
Both improvised and improved, lol
Heart breaking movie.
1974 a great year for films.s
This is my favourite. Love Goldsmiths soundtrack.
Such a devastating ending. Saw it for the first time today. My heart sank when I heard the horn blaring without stop and the car slowing to a halt. I couldn’t believe she got hit.
i love the moment immediately after the killing shot. all that is heard is the ring of the horn (Evelyn's head has rested on it). in the same long shot, the horn maintains for five or so seconds until the characters move slowly into the frame. Jake starts to run exactly as Katherine starts to scream. the first cut is a quick pan to Jake opening the car and showing Evelyn's body fall and her blown out eye socket. an eerily quiet moment has turned into utter chaos, as the villain of the movie gets away with the object of his desire. say what you want about Polanski as a person, but that is masterful directing right there. he has an uncanny knack for atmosphere that's steeped in horror imagery, but it never feels cheap. haven't seen this in a couple of years, but i'm reminded why it's one of the greatest endings of all time
There's a scene in the middle of the movie where Evelyn honks the horn with her head, and that's foreshadowing.
Because he was the horror, he saw and surrounded himself with people like Cross and they all get away in Hollywood. Write what you know.
One of the ten best movies ever made and without a doubt the best movie ever made by Hollywood
What’s your top ten?
Watched this with my grandparents back in 99 , always a classic
It's like jake understood how bad things are, that no one is going to save you. Its a darkness that he only grasped at his time in the force, but now he can see it completely. Its so grotesque and unfair that is transcendental, beautiful.
No matter how many times I watch this film (and I watch it way too often lol it's a comfort movie of mine, believe it or not), and even though I know how it all plays out, I always end up getting caught up in it and hoping things will go differently and being devastated at the outcome. Brilliant film. Apparently, it was originally supposed to have a happy ending. In Towne's original script, Evelyn survives. They argued about it, but Polanski insisted that the film should end with Evelyn dying and the villain winning. So that makes me wonder who came up with the famous "Forget it Jake, it's Chinatown" line, if Towne's script was different. Anyone know?
Also, in a more recent interview, Polanski said that he did the right thing by changing the ending, and that the film most likely would not be considered such a major and memorable piece of cinema if not for the brutal ending. I think he's probably right to some extent.
@@tuanjim799 The film is definitely strong for other reasons but I agree the ending sealed it, and it's a great example of a villain winning (hadn't occurred to me!) or an ending making a film better.
Good question @ script. I can only find sources saying Polanski wrote the ending a few days before shooting. One or two sources without reference say Nicholson helped.
The real fucked up irony is that while Noah Cross is depicted in the film as this creepy monster (which he is of course) by director Roman Polanski, Polanski himself would be caught raping an underage girl just three years later. This movie is phenomenal but damn, just knowing that the director of this very movie is just as bad as the people in the end makes you very cynical.
Wow man your rights i just checked it out he raped a 13 year old girl... This film is already sad but that makes it even more fucked up, like he wants the villain to win in his own movie for his own pleasure.
Well, another slightly humourous bit of trivia lies in the fact that Jack Nicholson was dating John Huston's *actual* daughter, Anjelica Huston (nowadays, possibly best known as _Morticia Addams_ in the two early-90s _Addams Family_ movies, altough some might remember her best for her performance in _Prizzi's Honor_) starting at the time of the movie's shooting until 1990 (apparently an on-off kind of thing).
You say Polanski is "just as bad" and yet he went on to make the film Tess based on Thomas Hardy's novel, which depicts a teenage peasant girl who is raped and degraded by those with more social power, and the film is from her own point of view. So, Polanski definitely had remorse for what he did and the film Tess is a form of penance for that. Polanski did something terrible, no doubt about it, but he's not Noah Cross.
Messylin Him making another film that he makes profit off of doesn't erase what he did, he raped and drugged an underage girl, just because you like his films doesn't mean you should ignore or minimize what he did, and he's still hiding from US authorities in Poland btw.
epicman004 i don't give a flying fuck what he did in his private life. What matters is that he's an incredible filmmaker.
Noah Cross, and the whole water thing....definitely a deeper meaning in here somewhere?
amazing film
+La Smudge "Noah" is a reference to the Biblical Noah and the great flood. "Noah Cross" is pidgin English (spoken in Chinatown) for "Don't cross me," which Jake Gittes does, and lives to regret.
The music at the end... i've no words for describe that
The only movie I’ve ever truly been in awe...
Most underrated movie of all time
Matt Veteska how it’s widely considered to be one of the greatest movies ever on the level of citizen Kane,vertigo, and The Godfather
Definitely a Jimmy Conway type of movie/ending. He was the guy who'd root for the bad guys to win. And when they win...that poor girl...
Jimmy would NOT root for a child rapist.
He was abandoned as a child and lived in a series of homes, and may have been molested.
He lived an awful childhood, until a kindly family named Burke took him in.
Thanks for lurkin the story brah.