Chinatown (1974) 1080p BluRay HEVC EAC3-SARTRE + Extras

"You may think you know what you're dealing with, but believe me, you don't," warns water baron Noah Cross (John Huston), when smooth cop-turned-private eye J.J. "Jake" Gittes (Jack Nicholson) starts nosing around Cross's water diversion scheme. That proves to be the ominous lesson of Chinatown, Roman Polanski's critically lauded 1974 revision of 1940s film noir detective movies. In 1930s Los Angeles, "matrimonial work" specialist Gittes is hired by Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) to tail her husband, Water Department engineer Hollis Mulwray (Darrell Zwerling). Gittes photographs him in the company of a young blonde and figures the case is closed, only to discover that the real Mrs. Mulwray had nothing to do with hiring Gittes in the first place. When Hollis turns up dead, Gittes decides to investigate further, encountering a shady old-age home, corrupt bureaucrats, angry orange farmers, and a nostril-slicing thug (Polanski) along the way. By the time he confronts Cross, Evelyn's father and Mulwray's former business partner, Jake thinks he knows everything, but an even more sordid truth awaits him. When circumstances force Jake to return to his old beat in Chinatown, he realizes just how impotent he is against the wealthy, depraved Cross. "Forget it, Jake," his old partner tells him. "It's Chinatown." Reworking the somber underpinnings of detective noir along more pessimistic lines, Polanski and screenwriter Robert Towne convey a '70s-inflected critique of capitalist and bureaucratic malevolence in a carefully detailed period piece harkening back to the genre's roots in the 1930s and '40s. Gittes always has a smart comeback like Humphrey Bogart's Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe, but the corruption Gittes finds is too deep for one man to stop. Other noir revisions, such as Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (1973) and Arthur Penn's Night Moves (1975), also centered on the detective's inefficacy in an uncertain '70s world, but Chinatown's period sheen renders this dilemma at once contemporary and timeless, pointing to larger implications about the effects of corporate rapaciousness on individuals. Polanski and Towne clashed over Chinatown's ending; Polanski won the fight, but Towne won the Oscar for Best Screenplay. Chinatown was nominated for ten other Oscars, including Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Cinematography, Art Direction, Costumes, and Score.

Sample Clip (Download file for actual quality)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=17ZpB0Aah4XnyqaB9ESnyhydngxhVVTvj



Blu Ray Extras

Audio Commentary - Screenwriter Robert Towne and Filmmaker David Fincher speak lovingly about the film. Discussions include the opening titles, their first exposure to the film, the score, the work of the cast, character construction and detail, Polanski's contributions, the film's place in Nicholson's career, set decoration and shooting locales, the importance of precise wardrobe to shape the characters, the details of the story and themes, research for the script, and plenty more. Despite a few silent stretches, this is a high quality commentary that's a must-listen for fans.

Water and Power (480p, 1:17:50) - A three-part feature broken down into The Aqueduct, The Aftermath, and The River & Beyond. Chinatown Screenwriter Robert Towne visits the L.A. Aqueduct for a detailed look at its purpose, history, how it works, the role of the aqueduct in the film, the film's importance in L.A. period history, the area today, geography, politics, the environmental impact, waste, the division and utilization of resources, water conservation, and more.

Chinatown: An Appreciation (480p, 26:15) - Steven Soderbergh, Kimberly Pierce, Roger Deakins, and James Newton Howard discuss their first impressions, the way the picture grows with multiple viewings, the themes, the quality of the script, intertwining fiction with factual history, the basics of the plot and those things which lie beyond it, the work of the filmmakers and the cast, the score, the ending, and more.

Chinatown: The Beginning and the End (480p, 19:28) - Roman Polanski, Jack Nicholson, Robert Towne, and Producer Robert Evans discuss the origins of the story, the planned trilogy, the real history that shaped the story, the process of writing the script, getting the movie off the ground, Polanski's craftsmanship, disagreements between the crew, changes to the ending, and more.

Chinatown: Filming (480p, 25:45) - Discussions include shooting in both studios and on-location, filmmaking techniques and visual style, an early change in cinematographer, Gittes' name, Nicholson's performance, Polanski's small part in the film, anecdotes from the set, shooting various scenes, and more.

Chinatown: The Legacy (480p. 9:37) - Polanski, Nicholson, Evans, and Towne share their thoughts on Goldsmith's score and the picture's release, instant success, nominations, and lasting qualities.

Chinatown Theatrical Trailer (720p, 3:20)