Directed by Roman Polanski • 1974 • United States
Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston
An Oscar-winning screenplay by Robert Towne, career-defining performances from Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, and Roman Polanski’s atmospheric direction come together in one of the greatest films of the 1970s. In 1937, Los Angeles private detective Jake Gittes (Nicholson) takes on a seemingly simple case and burrows into a maze of murder and public scandal. Inspired by the true story of the California water wars, CHINATOWN is the rare noir homage to fully transcend pastiche and stand as a brilliantly realized work of art in its own right.
Up Next in ’70s Thrillers
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Winter Kills
Directed by William Richert • 1979 • United States, West Germany
Starring Jeff Bridges, John Huston, Anthony PerkinsAmong the myriad conspiracy thrillers that proliferated in the 1970s, WINTER KILLS stands out for its audacious, tonally bonkers blending of paranoia and black-comic satire as wel...
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All the President’s Men
Directed by Alan J. Pakula • 1976 • United States
Starring Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack WardenAt once a taut, deeply engrossing political thriller and one of the most fascinating films ever made about the inner workings of the press, the final installment in director Alan J. Pakula’s Pa...
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The Long Goodbye
Directed by Robert Altman • 1973 • United States
Starring Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt, Sterling HaydenRobert Altman updates Raymond Chandler for the liberated, hedonistic 1970s in this brilliantly idiosyncratic adaptation of one of the writer’s most renowned novels. Elliott Gould brings a ...
