The neo-noir progressive style and thematic presentation of the movie “Chinatown” set it apart from other movies and it is truly a classic. The movie is set in the depression era of the 30s where there was general despair and apathy among people. Franklin Roosevelt’s new Deal was being advertised as the way American would rise again but there was no hope in the streets. The movie serves to remind us about the corruption that has taken hold of our democratic institutions.
The movie is a detective narrative which follows the hero of the movie; a detective who has been hired by a femme fatale to investigate whether her husband is committing adultery. The movie moves through the city of Los Angeles and shows us how the greed and corruption had led to the problem of a water shortage in the city. The construction of a dam to help this flourishing city turn into a barren wasteland is the central issue in the movie.
The detective who is shown to be jaded and is not surprised in the very least by human nature is shocked and disturbed about what he uncovers in the course of his investigation. It seems that the city of Los Angeles which was still at that time far from being the metropolis that it is now; was ruled by powerful business men and tycoons. These business men wanted to control the city’s water supply and land. They wanted to restrict the abundant supply of water and land in a bid to control it. This shocked our hero who felt powerless to stop these villains.
The movie parallels the development of the city of Los Angeles in a number of ways. The speculators and business men did harm the natural resources of the city in a very bad way. They created a culture of greed and corruption. Also, the apathy and desperation of the people in the film was also for the most part not taken away. The movie highlights the various struggles that the demographics go through in order for them to get a ‘piece of the pie’.
The characters in the movie are also for the most part acting in their own self interests. This is evidenced by the assessment of one character in the movie who is described as being honest but eventually has to swim in the same water as others. The idea behind that is that the world is morally corrupt and the only way to survive is to be morally flexible. This view is further echoed by the villain of the movie who says that in the right place and the right time people are capable of anything.
The movie is in a sense a timeless piece because it is about human nature and how people are for the most part careless and lazy. People are lazy because they do not put much effort into what is going on around them. They are easily manipulated by politicians and business men. The movie is called ‘Chinatown’ partly because the ending is in the district of Chinatown and party because of the hero’s state of mind. The hero tries to figure out what is going on but is unable to.