Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Chinatown
1974
*****
Director: Roman Polanski
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Perry Lopez, John Hillerman, Burt Young, Darrell Zwerling, Diane Ladd, Belinda Palmer

In Roman Polanski's film noir masterpiece, private investigator Jake Gittes follows a potentially unfaithful husband and uncovers a conspiracy that revolves around the water supply in Los Angeles. Excellent performances, beautiful recreation of the time and place, and razor-sharp dialogue are some of the reasons why this film has become a classic. Robert Towne won an Oscar for his screenplay, which is now considered to be one of the finest ever written. Nicholson later directed a sequel The Two Jakes.