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 Sight and Sound Directors’ Poll: Greatest Films of All Time
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The Seventh Seal
Directed by Ingmar Bergman • 1957 • Sweden
Starring Max von Sydow, Inga Landgré, Gunnar BjörnstrandReturning exhausted from the Crusades to find medieval Sweden gripped by the Plague, a knight (Max von Sydow) suddenly comes face-to-face with the hooded figure of Death, and challenges him to a g...
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Ikiru
Directed by Akira Kurosawa • 1952 • Japan
Starring Takashi Shimura, Nobuo Kaneko, Kyoko SekiOne of the greatest achievements by Akira Kurosawa, IKIRU shows the director at his most compassionate—affirming life through an exploration of death. Takashi Shimura beautifully portrays Kanji Watanabe,...
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L'argent
Directed by Robert Bresson • 1983 • France, Switzerland
Starring Christian Patey, Vincent Risterucci, Caroline LangIn his ruthlessly clear-eyed final film, French master Robert Bresson pushed his unique blend of spiritual rumination and formal rigor to a new level of astringency. Transposing a ...
