In June 1974, "Chinatown" premiered in the United States. Polanski shook his bright knife, cutting off the last gleam of hope for the world.
Roman Polanski was born in a Jewish family living in France in the 1930s. During World War II, he was forced to move back to Krakow with his family due to the influence of the anti-Semitism movement. His mother was buried in a death factory outside Krakow- -Auschwitz concentration camp.
Gradually stepping out of the shadow of war, the 20-year-old Polanski began his own creative career... In 1962, Polanski's first feature film "Sword in the Water" won the Venice Film Festival's best director award in one fell swoop and won An Oscar nomination for best foreign language film directly established its position in the world of film. Subsequently, Polanski’s several thriller films in succession have won the world’s attention. People are often amazed at the dark temperament that Polanski wants to show in his films, probably because of his childhood experience. Polanski has indeed magnified this feature. To nothing more.
At the end of 1968, Polanski began his journey to Hollywood with the horror film "Devil Baby". The film tells the story of an unscrupulous filmmaker and his wife in an old apartment. The director’s skillful skills make the land of the United States instantly shrouded in an atmosphere of horror and mystery. The great success of Hollywood did not bring Polanski luck. In August of the following year, Polanski's wife Sharon Tate, who was eight months pregnant, died at his home in Beverly Hills under the claws of the "Manson Family" cult. Afterwards, the police found a total of 16 stab wounds on Tate's body. Also killed were Tate’s hair stylist Sebring who was also living in Polanski’s mansion at the time, Polanski’s screenwriter and friend Frickoski and his wife, and a young man who happened to pass by, filming in London. Polanski in the new play escaped by luck. In future interviews, Polanski has repeatedly stated that the most regrettable thing in his life was his absence when his wife was killed.
The occurrence of the Tate incident undoubtedly had a huge impact on Polanski's own character and creative style. Polanski, who has returned to the set, constantly superimposes more grim thoughts about movies, about the world, and about truth into his works. "Macbeth" (1971), "Chinatown" (1974), and "Strange Tenants" (1976) one after another shattered people’s illusions about the world, and Polanski’s filming has long since been more than just movies... I said this:
"I had long known that it was impossible for a journalist to convey 100 percent of the truth, but I didn't realize to what extent the truth is distorted, both by the intentions of the journalist and by neglect . I don't mean just the interpretations of what happened; I also mean the facts. The reporting about Sharon and the murders was virtually criminal. Reading the papers, I could not believe my eyes. I could not believe my eyes! They blamed the victims for their own murders. I really despise the press. I didn't always. The press made me despise it."
"Chinatown" tells such a story.
"Chinatown" is based on a real event in the early 20th century-California Water Wars (California Water Wars), the story is set in Los Angeles in 1937. Through the perspective of JJ Gittes, a private investigator, Polanski cuts into the peachy news and uncovers a huge scam completed by half of the city. However, you and I can do nothing about the truth. Here are a few noteworthy details. [Note: The following content has key plots revealed] In the
office, a young lady who pretended to be Mrs. Mulwray found Jack and asked him to investigate "own" husband, Mr. Mulwray, the Minister of Water Resources of the City of Los Angeles. . Jack told her in a "coming man" tone that if you love your husband, just open one eye and close the other.
In the city hall, fierce debate: the mayor advocated building a dam for the benefit of the citizens, Mr. Murray advocated not building a dam for the benefit of the citizens, Jack flipped through the stage and looked at the newspaper in his hand. The horse racing sea biscuit that gives the American people unlimited hope. Mr. Murray closed his voice, and a flock of sheep rushed into the town hall where Roosevelt's huge photograph was hung.
At Murray's house, the real Mrs. Murray sits with Jack. The scandal of Mr. Murray was suddenly exposed without permission, and Jack realized that he had been deceived and decided to find out the truth on his own. The Chinese gardener on the side crouched and picked up the yellow plants in the pond. While picking it up, he chanted "bad for grass". Jack sneered "bad for glass". Mrs. Murray revealed to Jack two places where her husband frequented.
Oak Park, during the dry season, the Minister of Water Resources Mr. Murray drowned in the canal. The corpse was salvaged without the leather shoes on the right foot. Jack happened to meet Lou, an old friend who had worked together in Chinatown. After a period of hidden murderous greetings, Lu said to Jack: "Sometimes it's hard for men to find himself, maybe you have." At this time, Lu has been promoted to deputy. Captain, and Jack makes a living by helping people investigate Peachy News. Later, Mrs. Murray officially hired Jack to investigate Mr. Murray's death.
Jack was caught off guard by the sudden flood of Shigu Reservoir. On the way to escape, Jack ran away from his left shoe. Polanski himself made a cameo to watch the valley man wield a knife and cut Jack's nose. In the darkness, the truth becomes more confusing.
In the Ministry of Water Resources, Mr. Murray’s successor received Jack in the office that belonged to Mr. Murray. When asked if the nose hurt was painful, Jack laughed and said that it hurts only when he breathes. Outside the office, two staff members are struggling to wipe off Mr. Murray's name from the door.
At the Tuna Club, Mrs. Murray’s father Noah Krauss met with Jack. Noah is the largest consortium in the city and a partner of Mr. Murray. His name is very interesting, called Noah Cross. No-one cross. He told Jack: "you may think you know what you're dealing with, but, believe me, you don't."
In Mrs. Murray's bedroom, Jack and Mrs. Murray's relationship sprouted. Jack finally mentioned the past that he didn't want to recall, about Chinatown and the women in Chinatown. "Chinatown, to me it's just bad luck. Sometimes you can't always tell what's going on." he said. The phone rang, and bad luck followed...
Jack followed Mrs. Murray and saw the girl "imprisoned" in another apartment. Jack believed that the girl was Mr. Murray's mistress. Mrs. Murray was forced to tell Jack that the girl in Jack's apartment was named Catherine as her sister. Jack will be skeptical.
At Murray's house, the gardener was still picking up the dead plants in the pond while chanting "bad for glass". Jack fixed his eyes to find the reading glasses reflecting the sunlight in the pond. Jack used the clues he had to understand the cause and effect of the incident: Mrs. Murray found out that her husband had an affair with his sister, and drowned her in a pond at home in anger, but she forgot that Murray was left in the water when handling the body. Reading glasses in the pond. It was Mrs. Murray herself who killed Mr. Murray.
Jack returned to the apartment where Mr. Morey's "mistress" was imprisoned, and was bumping into Mrs. Morey who was packing. Jack dialed the phone number of the former enemy and now deputy captain Lu... Mrs. Murray finally told Jack the whole truth--the Catherine in front of him was not Mr. Murray's mistress, but the daughter she gave birth to after being taken over by her father Noah. ;Mr. Murray doesn’t own that pair of spectacles. Noah is the real murderer who dominates everything behind...
Two hours later in Chinatown, Mrs. Murray, who was fleeing with her daughter, was killed by Lu who came to arrest her, Noah. Yayan smiled and took away her granddaughter/daughter. Jack looked at the body of his beloved woman and the confetti floating on the floor. The city of Los Angeles continued to be shrouded in the boundless darkness...
"Chinatown" is a highly conceptualized film. In my opinion, it is a semi-autobiographical film made by Polanski for himself. Both Mr. Murray and Jack, who lost two shoes one after another, can find the shadow of the director himself: they don’t accept enlightenment, they only believe in the truth, they are outside the system, but in the end they are just pawns under the huge system. . In order to prevent the death of more lives due to the construction of the dam, Mr. Murray eventually killed his own life; Jack originally wanted to protect his beloved woman from harm, but finally saw her ruined in his own hands. inside. History is always cyclical. What is waiting for Los Angeles and what tragedy will happen in Catherine’s life, you and I know it, and we have reason to believe that "open one eye and close one eye." Jack, who is only "eyes", will once again be involved in the torrent of history, and will even push the history forward-whether he wants it or not, the desire for truth makes Jack destined to become a tragic hero. So, what exactly does Chinatown refer to? The official explanation is that Chinatown represents a place where existing laws and regulations cannot be realized due to cultural differences (Jack's own explanation in the film: "Sometimes you can't always tell what's going on."). There are a thousand sayings about the symbolic image of Noah, the biggest villain in the film. The residual temperature of the Watergate incident has not yet faded, and more and more people are gradually realizing that Chinatown refers to the United States. However, is this really the case? Just like the "bad for glass" in the gardener's mouth, what Polanski wants to express is by no means as simple as what you have heard/saw... The
Vietnam War and the Watergate Incident jointly opened the golden decade of rapid development of American independent cinema, 70 The Americans of the 1950s shouted for Anaqi, and the media of the 1970s was full of drugs, rock music, and sexual liberation. Polanski doesn't believe in the United States, let alone the United States in the Hollywood lens. "Chinatown" was born in 1974 and won 11 Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Director. Just as people were preparing to raise their arms for the bad Hollywood boy, Polanski still lost to Francis Coppola, a good boy who is more capable than him. The 47th Oscars ceremony was held on April 8, 1975. With 11 nominations, "Chinatown" finally only won the best original screenplay and a golden man. The biggest winner of the same year was called "The Godfather II"...
People heard the news about Polanski's private life again in March 1977. Polans Gene, who was sexually assaulted as an underage girl, has been accused of multiple charges and avoided France, and has not been able to return to the United States until today. Recalling the plot of "Chinatown" at this time, the speculation about Noah's role becomes even more confusing. In the film, Noah's lines "Most people never have to face the fact that at the right time and right place, they're capable of anything." also became meaningful. However, Polanski, who returned to Europe, still did not stop resisting. He continued to depict the world in his eyes with darker and more distorted works, and raised his middle finger to the world. When watching Polanski’s movies, I always ask myself: Which one is the real world I see or the world that Polanski describes? And the world I see through Polanski's lens is the same as the world Polanski actually wants to express?
In 2003, "The Pianist" finally helped Polanski win the highest honor as a director, the Oscar for Best Director. Polanski, who is still wanted in the United States, accepted the award on behalf of Harrison Ford.
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