Chinatown

Roman Polanski’s 1974 masterpiece Chinatown is in itself a re-statement of the noir genre that characterized the 1930s and 1940s. The femme fatale in this case is Faye Dunaway in one of her best roles, a complex, many layered ultimately tragic figure at the centre of intrigue, corruption and despair. With a cynical private eye immaculately played by Jack Nicholsonand Robert Towne’s brilliant screenplay, this movie ranks as one of the highlights of 1970s Americana and is a landmark work of astonishing and enduring cinematic virtuosity.