Noir of Chinatown Essay

Film noir is mostly associated with a ‘dark’ type of film in the era next WWII. Film’s that are grouped in this genre are proclaimed by a style that generally contains selected distinguishing elements – darker rooms with Venetian blinds, dark alleys, rain-slicked roadways, dark offices and low key light.

The storyline usually relates to the darker aspects of humanity-greed, murder, deceit and locura. There are also distinguishing characters, the main character a detective or an examiner usually portrayed as a loner; a beautiful sensuous femme-fatale who will use and finally destroy the primary character influencing him into crime. Although classic film noir generally is in mention of the a style of film through the 40’s and 50’s, film noir type and style can be obtained from some modern films. One particular being Both roman Polanski’s Chinatown.

Although Chinatown breaks certain rules of film noir – it had been filmed in 1974 and is in COLOR (black and white film is a traditional element of Film Noir) that models on its own with formal elements of Film Noir genre including the alluring femme-fatale (with a twist), a protagonist main personality seeking real truth, and the plan laced with deceit, killing and greed. The film uses many shadows and dark and light contrasts. The reduced key smooth lighting retains the moments dark and gloomy and projects the air of uncertainty. The viewer is told the story throughout the central personality, Gittes, a hard-nosed private eye in 1930’s LA, after he uses a case examining adultery gets caught up in the midst of murder, is situated and conspiracy- entangled in the dark side of humanity.

If he meets the ‘real’ Evelyn, who results in as mystical, sensual and troubled, Gittes falls additional into this web of corruption and complication along with falling for Evelyn. The films keep your rhythm and pace gradual seducing the viewer profound into the history. As in traditional film noir Chinatown includes a confrontational ending but with Chinatown there are unexpected twists.

We find the femme fatale is a victim and it is again a victim while she is shot. Gittes revelation that he has been wrong about Evelyn’s deceit as well loses winding up with practically nothing. He loses the girl, and the crimes get unpunished. Since the movie referenced