Hey Steemit, Garrett here, tonight I watched 'Chinatown' for the first time, and it pretty much blew me away. Jack Nicholson is really god damn likable and has the perfect backstory that works so well with how this film shapes out. Faye Dunaway is also really good here, this mystery unfolds very slowly as you learn only what Jake Gittes (Nicholson) finds out along the way. Which obviously that isn't something super unique or anything but i feel that sometimes films use that narrative technique when they would be better served not going that route. But with Chinatown, it is the perfect way to go and at 131 minutes, this film is very well paced, which is something I really appreciate because a movie being boring or sluggish in some parts in an otherwise very good film can be really frustrating (Yes i'm talking about you Apocalypse Now!).
The Cinematography is amazing, every frame is composed so meticulously even in their simplicity. There's a shot where Jake is looking through binoculars outside, and its so beautiful lol. In most other movies, that would be just an ordinary frame, but it is made extraordinary by Roman Polanski and John Alonzo (Director, DP, respectively). Even the title is perfect, The meaning behind it lingers throughout the film, poking its head in just a few times, but its so powerful once the film is over.
This year I have set a goal to watch a lot of classic films that I have yet to see. I have already watched quite a few great ones and Chinatown is no exception, this is an absolutely fantastic film, one that I will revisit often throughout my life i'm sure.
9/10