Chinatown

1974 · directed by Roman Polanski

Rating

98/100

Hit

yes

Prestige lists

AFI 100, BFI Top 100, TSPDT 250, NFR

Private eye Jake Gittes lives off of the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-World War II Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together.

Chinatown (1974), directed by Roman Polanski, rates 98/100 — a hit. See how its director, cast and crew rate across their careers.

Cast

• Jack Nicholson
• Faye Dunaway
• John Huston
• Perry Lopez
• Burt Young
• John Hillerman
• Darrell Zwerling
• Roman Polanski
• Diane Ladd
• Richard Bakalyan

Crew

• John A. Alonzo — Director of Photography
• Sam O'Steen — Editor
• Jerry Goldsmith — Original Music Composer
• Robert Towne — Writer
• Roman Polanski — Writer

More from Roman Polanski

1. The Pianist (2002) — 91/100 · hit
2. Rosemary's Baby (1968) — 86/100 · hit
3. Repulsion (1965) — 82/100 · hit
4. Knife in the Water (1962) — 80/100 · hit
5. To Each His Own Cinema (2007) — 79/100
6. The Tenant (1976) — 77/100

How these numbers work: Methodology