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==== Cinema 101. Monthly Forum Movie Discussion Folder ====..........Chinatown
Krummm's choice
(52 previous messages)
I already did.
Okiecub, "..........Chinatown" #16, 29 Nov 2005 12:24 pm
- Dec 15, 2005 5:23 am (#54 of 68)
I see!
- Jan 5, 2006 1:09 am (#55 of 68)
I finally got to the library to get a copy of this flick (I know -- about 6 weeks too late), so I'll watch it and discuss it with myself, now that the rest of you have moved on to C.H.L.
Better late than never, ARM, and you have a whole MONTH to watch CHL, if you can!
- Jan 5, 2006 5:46 am (#57 of 68)
I'll make a point of watching 'Luke. Plus I've already seen it, so I can offer insightful comments like "I never did like hardboiled eggs much."
lol
I used to like hardboiled eggs, but I grew out of it, I guess.
I still like em. Not in THAT quantity, however.
- Jan 10, 2006 5:08 am (#60 of 68)
This was my first viewing. Because of that, I often found myself thinking "oh this scene is kind of copying movie so-and-so", when in truth, Chinatown came first, and other films were copying it. It is a testament to the quality of the film that it has held up so well.
I agree with Okie and someone else (too lazy to work back through the thread) about the ending. It isn't that the ending is blatantly "wrong". It kind of went "klunk" for me, like I just ate a meal in a 5-star restaurant, then for dessert was served store-bought ice cream out of a box. The movie was worthy of a better resolution, in pacing, feel, and credibility.
I agree with Rom on the face-slapping scene. Jake is supposed to be "the hero". Such behavior is not tolerated from a hero -- if he mistreats a woman, at the very least, he should feel some remorse afterward (think Russell Crowe in L.A. Confidential after he slaps Kim Bassinger around). Then in the end, he protects himself. He makes no effort to protect his lover; instead, he leads the villains to her. And not innocently or by accident either. So when he is saddened at the conclusion or feels outrage, I don't feel the anger and outrage like I might have had he showed that he gave a shit at any point in the story. I was left feeling that this was like real life Hollywood -- no love is lasting or really means anything. About the only "real" love was between Dunaway's character and her daughter/sister.
All I have time for tonight. I'll probably need some things explained to me later (like why Jake was hired the very first time -- was it just to find the girl?) I am very glad that I watched this. Thanks Krummm for selecting it.
- Jan 10, 2006 10:55 am (#61 of 68)
I thought the ending was abrupt, but it didn't exactly fall flat for me. I was outraged at the thought of Noah Cross taking the girl away, it felt unjust.
I was outraged at the thought of Noah Cross taking the girl away, it felt unjust.
For me, that was the point. Sometimes there is nothing the common man can do against money and power.
Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown.
- Jan 10, 2006 12:56 pm (#63 of 68)
Ed Zachary. However, I did feel that outrage. Jake's actions to me merely illustrate something closer to the reality, that people are imperfect. I don't see him so much as a hero as the linchpin of the narrative. While there's the appearance that he's becoming more humane throughout the film, his entire motivation is selfish and ultimately, there's no redemption for his character. Given the noir feel of the film, it worked out the way you'd expect and while it may not be satisfying or uplifting, there is a certain verisimilitude in the way things fall out.
- Jan 10, 2006 5:33 pm (#64 of 68)
It wasn't that I didn't like the resolution of the film -- although I think at some level "happily ever after" plays better with most people than "innocent woman shot in the back". I felt the final scene was not of the caliber of the scenes that had gone before it. If they wanted the female lead to die in that scene, I think that there could have been better ways to write it than the one that they chose.
As for the lack of hero qualities in Jake, it just limited how much I connected with the pic and his feelings for Evelyn. I'm already at a disadvantage in that I'm watching it 30 years too late on a small screen with life interacting and the pause button being used. Throw in that Jake doesn't seem to really care that much about Evelyn, so why should I? Yes, he feels sad and powerless. But he could have stopped Noah Cross, but at great cost to himself. Ultimately, he wasn't willing to pay that cost, which is why the powerful succeed -- very few stand up to them, no matter how despicable they may find their actions.
Had I seen this movie when it opened in a darkened theater full of people, I'm sure that the ending and the movie as a whole would have had greater impact on me. As it was, I'd categorize it as very good, but the circumstances of the viewing limited it from reaching "great" status for me.
- Jan 10, 2006 6:38 pm (#65 of 68)
That makes a sense to me, ARM. I can understand why you could be emotionally distanced in respect to this flick. Man, I wish I'd have watched it at the theater.
Forgive me, I have a mind like a sieve, but are you going to submit a list of comedies for Survivor? 
- Jan 10, 2006 7:14 pm (#66 of 68)
No sir. I sent "regrets" in the Survivor V thread.
- Jan 10, 2006 9:44 pm (#67 of 68)
Oh! I thought you were going to use my list. 
- Jan 10, 2006 9:51 pm (#68 of 68)
You offered, but I don't remember accepting.
..........Chinatown