Chinatown (1974)

Private investigator Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) receives a mysterious visit from a new client one morning. A woman who introduces herself as Evelyn Mulwray (Diane Ladd) wants Gittes to follow her husband Hollis, who is the head of the Water and Power Department in Los Angeles, whom she believes is having an affair.

Gittes begins to investigate, and discovers that Hollis (Darrell Zwerling), who is currently campaigning to stop a new dam from being built, is indeed having an affair. But no sooner does Gittes make this discovery than it appears on the front page of the newspaper the following morning.

Gittes protests in the strongest possible terms; he didn't tell the papers anything, but no one will believe him. And to make matters worse, a woman who claims she is the real Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) shows up at his office, threatening to sue him for defaming her husband's good name.

But the next day, Hollis's body is dragged from the river, badly cut and bruised. Police lieutenant Escobar (Perry Lopez) opens an investigation, certain this is a homicide.

As Gittes continues his own investigation, the plot grows thicker and thicker. Who was the woman who first hired him? What exactly was Hollis doing by fighting plans for the new dam? And just how deep does the whole sinister plot go?

I have got to say, the best part of this film is undoubtedly the screenplay, written by Robert Towne. And I am not the only person who thinks so. Towne in fact won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay for this film.

Also, screenwriting teacher and guru who has written many books on the subject, and is widely regarded as the best screenwriting professor of the twentieth century, Syd Field - who literally wrote the book on screenwriting - has been using the screenplay for Chinatown as the optimal example of what makes a great screenplay since the film's release. Having read his books for years now - but having not seen this film until recently - I never fully understood what he was talking about. Now that I have seen the film, I must say, I agree wholeheartedly with Professor Field on this one.

The film's score, too, is a prime example of what makes a great film score. In the film's 130-minute running time, probably less than twenty percent of that is scored. Composer Jerry Goldsmith provides would-be film composers with one of the most valuable lessons they could ever learn: not to overscore their projects. Goldsmith has only written music for the moments of the film that absolutely require it, and not felt in any way obligated to fill every scene with unnecessary music.

Cinematographer John A. Alonzo has such a great understanding of light and dark, and uses shadows so well, the movie feels like it belongs to the great film noir tradition, with the only caveat being that it is in colour.

Director Roman Polanski has made an absolutely brilliant thriller, a film that I suggest you see as soon as you can, if you haven't done so already. I can't believe it's taken me this long to get around to watching it, and I certainly won't be waiting as long before watching it again.

9 out of 10.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Based on the novel by Ken Kesey, this film from director Milos Forman scooped the pools at the Academy Awards in its day, taking home Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director. And for good reason.

Set in a mental hospital, and featuring what would be now called an all-star cast (though at the time, a lot of the performers were unknown or were in their debut film roles), this film gives a real, raw look at what went on behind closed doors, and in some cases I am sure, still goes on today in any remaining institutions or the less savoury psychiatric wards.

Randle P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) is brought into the hospital at the beginning of the film, having been in prison. He is there to be assessed for mental problems, to determine where he is to serve the remainder of his incarceration. While there, he meets a varied group of other patients on the ward, and finds himself under the iron-fisted rule of Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher). His arrival causes havoc on the ward, as he refuses to fit in and abide by their rules, constantly fighting against the system that has put him there.

I won't go into a lot of detail listing major plot points of the film, but I will say a few things.

Firstly, the casting of this film is truly inspired. Nicholson and Fletcher of course both shine in their roles, and have truly earned their aforementioned respective Academy Awards for their hard work. But it is in the supporting cast - the other patients on the ward - that this film stands out. Those who have seen enough other films will recognise the faces of Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd and Brad Dourif, all of whom are spectacular in their various personalities and characters.

Another stand-out performance of this film is that of Will Sampson, who plays a Native American known only as 'Chief'. His large physical presence hides a tender-hearted character full of secrets. Those who have read the book will have advance warning of a major plot revelation we do not discover until quite late in the film, but Sampson's performance is nonetheless superb.

The entire cast take their performances very seriously, and do not at any point descend into caricature. There are moments that are funny, there are moments that are touching and serious, and there are moments where the true cruelty of the hospital staff will shock you. If the close-up shot of Nicholson's face as he undergoes electric-shock therapy does not bring tears to your eyes, then I regret to inform you that you have no heart.

That being said, those portraying the hospital staff also portray their characters in a way that does not paint them as one- or two-dimensional cutouts. Fletcher in particular is incredible as Nurse Ratched, playing the role in such a subtle, understated way as to make her actions all the more chilling.

The ensemble nature of the cast means that no one actor stands out more than the others. In fact, even the way the film is shot, with so many inserted close-ups of other patients (as in, not the person who is speaking at the time) reveals their dedication to their own roles at all times. They do not break character even for the briefest moment, which must have been a challenge, but one they succeeded at entirely.

There is not much more I can say about this film at this point, other than that it is well worth watching. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and it will make you appreciate everything about life. It is a truly beautiful piece of art, and as mentioned above, earned every single one of its five Academy Awards.

8 out of 10.