Chinatown Blu-ray Review
Score: 67
from 5 reviewers
Review Date:
Chinatown's Blu-ray release brilliantly showcases this timeless film with pristine video, superb audio, and essential extras, proving its status as a classic masterpiece.
Disc Release Date
Dolby TrueHD
Video: 67
Chinatown's Region Free UK Blu-ray offers a generally impressive 1080p transfer with vibrant colors and good detail, though it's limited by a 2006 master. Expect minor banding, some edge softness, and stable grain, reflecting the film's original elements without the latest 4K standard.
Audio: 60
The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 remix for Chinatown offers a subtle yet immersive audio experience, presenting clear and coherent dialogue primarily through the front channels while Goldsmith's score and ambient effects like gunshots and rushing water enhance the soundstage, though purists may miss the original mono track option.
Extra: 65
While the UK Blu-ray of 'Chinatown' lacks extras, the US release is a treasure trove, featuring an engaging commentary by Robert Towne and David Fincher, extensive featurettes on the film's production and legacy, and in-depth analysis of its themes and historical context. A must for any true fan.
Movie: 99
Chinatown's Blu-ray debut showcases Polanski's masterful direction, Towne's Oscar-winning screenplay, and Nicholson's captivating performance, all encapsulating a richly detailed neo-noir classic. The 1080p video and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 audio enhance this timeless portrayal of 1930s L.A. amidst deceit and corruption.
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Video: 67
Paramount’s 1080p Blu-ray transfer for "Chinatown" presents the film in its original 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio, significantly upgrading previous SD-DVD releases. While the video is sourced from the 2006 master used for the 2007 DVD Special Edition and does not meet the quality of the latest 4K prints, it still delivers a solid high definition experience notable for its attention to detail. The image generally maintains a sharp and clear look without excessive digital noise reduction (DNR), preserving fine details and natural textures. Panoramic shots showcasing late 1930s Los Angeles are particularly compelling, though some instances of banding, minor print damage, and edge softness are present.
The color scheme is one of the Blu-ray’s strengths, rendering accurate and vibrant tones that beautifully capture the period setting. Facial tones are generally stable with only minor inconsistencies, and rich colors such as lush greens, beautiful blue skies, and deep blacks contribute to the overall visual appeal. The Blu-ray effectively maintains a film-like quality with a light layer of grain that adds texture without being obtrusive.
While some minor flaws exist—such as occasional softness around edges and some pasty facial moments—the overall video presentation is commendable. Scenes exhibit consistent color balance, excellent contrast, and satisfactory shadow details even in darker sequences. Despite these visual strengths, fans may feel the absence of a new 4K transfer for this classic film, which would have anticipated higher standards in line with its iconic status. Nonetheless, Paramount’s Blu-ray is a commendable effort that effectively revitalizes "Chinatown," making it an appealing option for those upgrading from earlier DVD releases.
Audio: 60
The Blu-ray presentation of "Chinatown" audio features a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 remix and an optional lossless Dolby TrueHD Mono track. While purists might prefer the original mono for its authenticity, the 5.1 remix provides a subtle, yet atmospheric enhancement that stays true to the film’s original aural intent. Dialogue remains clear and well-prioritized, primarily occupying the frontal array, which enhances Jerry Goldsmith’s iconic score by offering it a richer soundscape. The remix does not bring a significantly different auditory experience compared to the mono version; however, it does afford listeners a slightly more immersive experience with minimal ambient effects, ensuring it complements the film's narrative without overwhelming it.
The 5.1 audio treatment excels in maintaining the neo-noir thriller's primary focus on dialogue. Surround activity is mostly limited to environmental sounds like city din, peeping crickets, seagulls, and running water, all of which situate within the front channels, ensuring the soundstage remains spacious but subtle and authentic. Gunshots and other explosive moments are delivered with adequate authority, albeit not extending much past the frontal soundscape. Bass elements seep through during pivotal scenes, adding a necessary depth and weight to the overall sound mix, while high-fidelity reproduction ensures that Jerry Goldsmith’s soaring score remains dynamically robust and free from distortion or surface noise.
Overall, while the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track doesn’t transform "Chinatown" into an overwhelming surround-sound experience, it successfully preserves the film’s period atmosphere and enhances its auditory characteristics. This refined mix aligns with the film's age and thematic content, producing a sound environment that is both clean and engaging, making it an excellent choice for cinephiles who appreciate nuanced audio fidelity.
Extras: 65
The Blu-ray edition of "Chinatown" delivers an exhaustive suite of extras that greatly enhances the viewing experience. The highlight is an audio commentary featuring Screenwriter Robert Towne and Filmmaker David Fincher, providing in-depth discussions on numerous facets including Polanski's direction, the film's music, and the contributions of the stellar cast. The disc also includes extensive featurettes detailing both the historical context of the Los Angeles aqueduct project and the meticulous filmmaking process that underpin the movie’s narrative. Whether you're a cinephile or a casual viewer, these extras offer valuable insights into one of cinema's most lauded masterpieces.
Extras included in this disc:
- Audio Commentary: Screenwriter Robert Towne and Filmmaker David Fincher
- Water & Power: A three-part feature focusing on the L.A. aqueduct.
- Chinatown: An Appreciation: Industry professionals discuss the film’s layers and impact.
- Chinatown: The Beginning & the End: Insight into the origins and conclusion of the story.
- Chinatown: Filming: Behind-the-scenes filming details.
- Chinatown: The Legacy: Reflecting on the film's success and lasting influence.
- Theatrical Trailer
Movie: 99
Roman Polanski’s Chinatown isn’t just a movie – it's an intricate exploration of corruption, deceit, and the power struggle embedded in 1930s Los Angeles. Jack Nicholson delivers a career-defining performance as private investigator Jake Gittes, who is thrown into a web of lies and murder when he’s hired by a woman, ostensibly to investigate an infidelity case. Co-starring Faye Dunaway as the enigmatic Evelyn Mulwray, the film deftly transforms from a routine private-eye tale into a dark, brooding epic that comments on larger societal issues related to water control and political machinations.
What separates Chinatown from other neo-noirs is its perfect synthesis of style and substance. Roman Polanski manages to imbue the film with an authentic 1930s energy while utilizing color cinematography to deepen the narrative's impact. The story’s authenticity and depth stem from Robert Towne’s masterful script, which interweaves personal drama with historical and socio-political commentary. Towne's screenplay deservedly won an Oscar, praised for its complex layering and hard-boiled dialogue that propels the plot into morally ambiguous territories.
The supporting elements further elevate this film into the highest echelons of cinematic brilliance. John A. Alonzo’s steady cinematography and Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score perfectly complement Polanski’s restrained direction, bringing to life Los Angeles as a character in itself. The performances are evenly matched with Jack Nicholson’s Gittes capturing the audience’s attention with his morally conflicted persona while Faye Dunaway’s Evelyn oscillates between vulnerability and strength. John Huston’s turn as the menacing magnate Noah Cross adds a layer of sinister gravitas to the narrative. Ultimately, Chinatown accomplishes what few films can: it completely immerses its viewers into its meticulously crafted world, making them forget they are watching a movie and not experiencing it firsthand.
Total: 67
Roman Polanski's "Chinatown" is an undeniable cinematic masterpiece that continues to define an era and a genre. Set against the meticulously recreated backdrop of 1930s Los Angeles, the film stands as a timeless testament to the power of cinema as both an art form and a means of escapism. Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway deliver iconic performances that are both nuanced and affecting, bolstered by Robert Towne's flawless screenplay. The film’s deliberate pacing and authentic atmosphere are gripping, ensuring that "Chinatown" remains compelling nearly four decades after its initial release.
Paramount's Blu-ray release does justice to this classic film, delivering pristine video and superb audio quality that revitalizes the movie for contemporary audiences. The video transfer retains the lush cinematography that the film is known for, making it visually arresting and evocative. The audio presentation ensures that the subtleties of the film's soundscape are preserved, adding depth to the viewing experience. Additionally, the Blu-ray is complemented by an impressive array of supplements that provide invaluable historical and analytical context, further enriching the viewer's appreciation of the movie.
In conclusion, "Chinatown" on Blu-ray is a must-own for any serious collector and enthusiast of classic cinema. The release serves both newcomers and long-time fans, allowing them to fully appreciate the intricate direction, excellent writing, and powerful performances. While a future restoration by Paramount might enhance the experience even further, this Blu-ray edition stands as an exemplary placeholder, capturing the essence of a film that continues to be highly regarded in film schools and among critics worldwide.
avforums review by Casimir HarlowRead review here
Video: 70
There’s no question that this HD rendition is a marked upgrade over the previous SD-DVD releases, but it also looks distinctly like it has been struck from the same master as the 2007 Special Edition DVD,...
Audio: 60
We get clear and coherent dialogue largely dominating the frontal array for the majority of the proceedings, with Goldsmith’s majestic score soulfully – and almost single-handedly – relating the period...
Extras: 10
The video offers a clear upgrade over previous DVD incarnations, but is not the stunning remastering job that you would have hoped would be provided for this classic; the audio track is good but we don’t...
Movie: 100
Total: 70
Blu-ray.com review by Martin LiebmanRead review here
Video: 80
Though light banding appears in one or two shots, a speckle or scratch or line occasionally pops up, edges appear prone to softness, blacks sometimes crush out details, and faces sometimes appear a slight...
Audio: 70
The 5.1 track is classy and reserved; it opens up the world of Chinatown a little bit more than does the mono presentation....
Extras: 80
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...
Movie: 100
Roman Polanski's direction isn't visionary, but it's decidedly steady and unobtrusive while still showing a certain style of accentuation and attention to detail that's critical in creating just the right...
Total: 80
It's proof of the timelessness of film and its power as an art form, not only as a lasting medium but as a time capsule that may be crafted in any time and in any place to take audiences on a journey to...
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 80
Faint grain preserves the film-like feel and adds vital texture to the picture, but a lush smoothness prevails, honoring the warmth and meticulous period flavor that pervade each frame....
Audio: 80
Surround activity is confined to atmospherics, such as crickets peeping in the night, but it's surprisingly distinct, and noticeable stereo separation across the front channels supplies further aural interest....
Extras: 80
Topics include the simplicity and understated power of Polanski's direction, the movie's distinctive music, choice of aspect ratio, the performances of Nicholson, Dunaway, and Huston, and the myriad nuances...
Movie: 100
Credit screenwriter Robert Towne, who justly won an Oscar for his work on the movie, with constructing not only an intriguing detective yarn replete with twists and revelations galore, but also linking...
Total: 80
For fans of fine direction, excellent writing, searing performances, and lush cinematography, this is a must own release that surely will be enjoyed again and again and again....
AVSForumRead review here
Video: 88
Black and white levels are spot on which imparts a fair amount of pop to colors and brighter exterior sequences while keeping darker or low lit segments looking noticeably punchy with quiet blacks with...
Audio: 80
There isn't much in the way of discrete surround sound or extended dynamics however there are a variety of instances where the entire soundstage is put to good use via Jerry Goldsmith's eclectic music...
Extras: 80
Audio commentary by screenwriter Robert Towne with David Fincher (HD) Water & Power (3 segments totaling 77 minutes): The Aqueduct The aftermath The river and beyond Chinatown: An appreciation - 26 minute...
Movie: 100
But what Gittes thinks is a routine case of adultery quickly deteriorates into a tangle of deceit, corruption and treachery....
Total: 87
Screen Onkyo PR-SC5508 THX Ultra 2 Audio/Video Processor Sherbourn Technologies - 7/200 Seven Channel Amplifier Oppo BDP-93 Universal Disc/3D capable Blu-ray Player (HDMI Audio/Video)...
Why So Blu?Read review here
Video: 90
With that being said, it’s a damn fine looking transfer, but for all of you grain-philes like myself there really isn’t much of it....
Audio: 80
Yeah, what’s to say about the audio on Chinatown other than it compliments the video specifications nicely....
Extras: 80
These items include the awesome commentary with Screenwriter Robert Towne with uber director David Fincher along with various featurettes that focus on the film and its impact....
Movie: 100
The building of a proposed dam would solve the city’s water shortage problem, but the engineer is against it due to some convenient past failures of similar plans....
Total: 90
At long last the Blu-ray has arrived for the new crop of aspiring filmmakers and film fans in general to grab a copy, so that they can see what all the fuss is about....
Director: Roman Polanski
Actors: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston
PlotPrivate investigator J.J. "Jake" Gittes is approached by a woman purporting to be Evelyn Mulwray, who hires him to investigate her husband, Hollis Mulwray, the chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Gittes follows Hollis and photographs him with a young woman, leading to a scandal when the images are published in the newspaper. Soon after, Gittes is confronted by the real Evelyn Mulwray, who threatens to sue him for defamation. As Gittes digs deeper, Hollis Mulwray is found dead in a reservoir, and the investigation uncovers a complex web of water supply corruption and deceit involving some of the city's most powerful figures.
Gittes' investigation leads him to discover covert land deals and a plot to control the city's water supply, suggesting that Hollis Mulwray was murdered because he stood in the way. The intrigue intensifies as Gittes becomes romantically involved with Evelyn, who harbors her own dark secrets. His pursuit of the truth puts him at odds with sinister forces, making him realize that the conspiracy reaches further than he initially imagined. Betrayal and moral ambiguity loom as Gittes navigates through bribery, deceit, and peril in his quest to uncover a shocking truth about the city's power dynamics and to protect the people unknowingly caught in the plot’s crossfire.
Writers: Robert Towne, Roman Polanski
Release Date: 20 Jun 1974
Runtime: 130 min
Rating: R
Country: United States
Language: English, Cantonese, Spanish