Chinatown

Slug: Nicole Gonzalez (11/28/11) Chinatown. (1974). 130 min.
Directed by: Roman Polanski.
Written by: Robert Towne

Awards:

1975- Academy Awards, USA Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s) Won Oscar Best Writing, Original Screenplay: Robert Towne. Nominated Oscar Best Actor in a Leading Role: Jack Nicholson. Best Actress in a Leading Role: Faye Dunaway. Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: Richard Sylbert  W. Stewart Campbell Ruby R. Levitt. Best Cinematography: John A. Alonzo. Best Costume Design: Anthea Sylbert. Best Director: Roman Polanski. Best Film Editing: Sam O'Steen. Best Music, Original Dramatic Score: Jerry Goldsmith. Best Picture: Robert Evans. Best Sound: Charles Grenzbach Larry Jost.

BAFTA Awards: Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s) Won BAFTA Film Award Best Actor: Jack Nicholson Also for The Last Detail (1973). Best Direction: Roman Polanski. Best Screenplay: Robert Towne Also for The Last Detail (1973). Nominated Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music: Jerry Goldsmith BAFTA Film Award Best Actress: Faye Dunaway. Best Art Direction: Richard Sylbert. Best Cinematography: John A. Alonzo.Best Costume Design: Anthea Sylbert. Best Film and Best Film Editing: Sam O'Steen. Best Supporting Actor: John Huston. Chinatown

Bodil Awards: Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s). Won Bodil Best Non-European Film (Bedste ikke-europæiske film): Roman Polanski (director). Directors Guild of America, USA 

Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s): Nominated.

DGA Award Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: Roman Polanski.  

Edgar Allan Poe Awards:Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s):Won Edgar Best Motion Picture: Robert Towne.  

Fotogramas de Plata: Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s): Won Fotogramas de Plata Best Foreign Movie Performer (Mejor intérprete de cine extranjero): Jack Nicholson Also for Five Easy Pieces (1970).

Golden Globes, USA: Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s): Won Golden Globe Best Director - Motion Picture: Roman Polanski. Best Motion Picture - Drama. Best Motion Picture Actor - Drama: Jack Nicholson. Best Screenplay - Motion Picture: Robert Towne. Nominated Golden Globe Best Motion Picture Actress - Drama: Faye Dunaway. Best Original Score: Jerry Goldsmith. Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture: John Huston.

Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards: Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s) Won KCFCC Award Best Actor: Jack Nicholson. Best Supporting Actor: John Huston.

(1991)- National Film Preservation Board, USA  Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s).

(1975)- Won National Film Registry National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s).Won NSFC Award Best Actor: Jack Nicholson Also for The Last Detail (1973).

(1974)- New York Film Critics Circle Awards Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s): Won NYFCC Award Best Actor: Jack Nicholson Also for The Last Detail (1973). 2nd place NYFCC Award Best Screenplay: Robert Towne.

(2000)- PGA AwardsYear Result Award Category/Recipient(s). Won PGA Hall of Fame - Motion Pictures: Robert Evans.

(1975)- Sant Jordi Awards Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s). Won Sant Jordi Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera): Roman Polanski.  

(1975)- Writers Guild of America, USA Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s). Won WGA Award (Screen) Best Drama Written Directly for the Screen: Robert Towne.  

Chinatown can be described through auteur because of the stoyline. The movie tells a story of a hitman who is hired by a rich woman who suspects her husband for having an affair. As the movie continues, the audience learns about her father who is runs the water drought in Los Angeles. Also, the characters evolve within one another as the wife is closer to being caught by the police that are by her father. Both have an affair an the hitman becomes the anti-hero who does the right thing. The characters have endless problems that makes them interesting and plays well with the story. Autuer engages the audience by making the story and the two main characters memorable based on how they are written.

Roger Ebert states the movie is a revamp of the 1940's movies because it is an omage to the private eye movies (Ebert 1). The director Polanski's awareness of the 1930's is well played because he wanted to be seen as a movie that reaches close to the actual genre (3). Garrett Stewart compares the movie from the novel The Long Goodbye (Stewart 25).

There is an element of senister behind Jack Nicholson's character J.J. because of the numerous frame shots (26). When J.J. learns more of the widow from the father or when he is suspecious of the wife because she is hiding something, Jack Nicholson knows how to play for the camera.

Chinatown shows one of Jack Nicholson's great performance. As an inspiring writing, the techniques of stage direction, choice of shooting frames and choice of objections for the wife and the hitman is very well written in terms of character development. After watching, I would love to read more on the Robert Towne's work.

Work Cited

Ebert, Roger. "Chinatown." Rev. of Chinatown. rogerebert.com. rogerebert.com, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 

     2011. <http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19740601/REVIEWS/ 

     40817002>. 

Stewart, Garrett. "The Long Goodbye' from 'Chinatown." Film Quarterly  28.2 (1974-1975): pp. 25-32 . 

     JSTOR. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1211630>.