Movie #118- "Chinatown" (1974)

I have waxed poetically in past entries on movies from the 1970s.  I realize that I've had the ability to cherry pick my selections for this project.  Yeah, I know the decade produced its share of clunkers ("Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" anyone), but I think if you pitted the best of the 1970s against the best of any decade, the 70s would generally win.  I hope this isn't a statement based on nostalgia since I hit my teen years during that decade (although technically, I was too young to see most of the movies listed).  There is just something about the film output from that era that has a special, gritty tone and feel.  
You also notice the performances.  When you look at the recent resumes of actors like Nicholson, DeNiro, Pacino, Hackman, Hoffman... it doesn't quite resonant in the same manner as it did during that decade.  I know DeNiro received an Oscar nod for "Silver Linings Playbook", but did that performance equal those from "The Godfather Pt. 2", "Taxi Driver", or "The Deer Hunter".  Don't get me wrong as they were still producing quality work beyond the 1970s.  It's just that that decade really packed a wallop in terms of the cinematic experience.
"Chinatown" is a complex thriller, one that challenges the viewer as you travel a twisty road.  What appears as a simple crime of passion, turns into government corruption and murder all leading to a whopper of an ending.  Nicholson's J.J. Gettis is a detective not afraid to be knocked around because he knows when that happens, he's on the right trail.  Faye Dunaway is marvelous as the femme fatale with a horrible secret while director Roman Polanski gives us a brilliant ode to the film noir genre, subverting it to give us a product that's even darker and seedier.  And another common trait from 70s films, the good guy may win the battle, but he doesn't necessarily win the war.
I was entirely drawn into the film and understand why it's hailed as a classic.  An amazing piece of work.

Rating: 10/10
Movies I've previously seen: 6
First time viewings: 112