description Chinatown Screenplay Overview
Written by Robert Towne and directed by Roman Polanski, this screenplay follows private investigator J. J. Gittes as he investigates a marriage and becomes involved in corruption surrounding water management in 1930s Los Angeles. The 1974 film combines detective fiction, political intrigue, and family tragedy within a neo-noir setting.
Towne won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
help Chinatown Screenplay FAQ
What case does Jake Gittes investigate in the Chinatown screenplay?
Jake Gittes is hired to investigate Hollis Mulwray, the chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The investigation expands into a conspiracy involving drought, water rights, land development, and Evelyn Mulwray's family.
Why is the title Chinatown important to the screenplay?
Chinatown represents Jake's earlier failure as a Los Angeles police officer, where good intentions could not prevent a woman from being harmed. By the ending, the phrase has become a symbol of a system so corrupt that Jake cannot rescue Evelyn.
What makes Chinatown's ending so tragic?
Evelyn Mulwray tries to escape with her daughter Katherine, but the police intervention ends with Evelyn being shot and Katherine taken away. Jake's investigation reveals the truth, yet that knowledge arrives too late to change the outcome.
Was Chinatown written as an adaptation of a real Los Angeles scandal?
No, Robert Towne wrote it as an original screenplay, although its water politics draw on real Los Angeles history. The screenplay uses the fictional Mulwray case to turn disputes over land and water into a private detective mystery.
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