The 1970s are considered one of the most revolutionary periods in American filmmaking, and Roman Polanskiยs Chinatown is one of the decadeยs best. A reinvention of classic film noir, the dark and glistening tale stars Jack Nicholson as Jake Gittes, a detective whoยs not afraid of bending the rules to get answers. He finds himself pulled into a mystery thatยs both personal and political after he starts investigating what he believes is an ordinary affair. He discovers that heยs been duped; then the guy heยs trailing ends up dead. A young and stunning Faye Dunaway plays a beautiful Los Angeles socialite who gets tangled up with Gittes, giving viewers a story ripe with murder, incest, tragedy and one of the best endings in moviemaking history, not to mention the scene where Polanski slices open Nicholsonยs nose. You get to see it all on the big screen as Polanski intended today at 7 p.m. Rice Media Center, 6100 Main. For information, call 713-348-3138 or visit www.ricecinema.rice.edu. $5 to $6.
Mon., Jan. 19, 7 p.m., 2009
This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2009.