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Overview
Roman Polanski’s 1974 American neo-noir mystery film Chinatown stars Jack Nicholson as private detective J. J. “Jake” Gittes, who is conducting a routine investigation when he uncovers a far-reaching criminal conspiracy in Los Angeles in the 1930s
. Though the characters in the film are fictional, its plot was inspired by the California water wars, a series of political conflicts over control of water rights in Eastern California. Acclaimed by critics upon its release, Chinatown examines the corruption of the “American Dream” and the dishonesty of authority figures. The film is often listed as among the greatest ever made despite ongoing controversies regarding the legacy of Polanski, who fled the United States after pleading guilty to statutory rape in 1978.
