Many people say that “Chinatown” brought back Film Noir. This is a genre that usually describes crime dramas and mystery thrillers, but the direct translation is, “dark film” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014). The original noir films were mostly in the 1940s and 1950s. This style not only had a mysterious feel, but usually darker lighting and a mysterious protagonist who has a troubled past. This genre lost popularity for some time, but then came back as neo-noir. Being that Chinatown was one of the films that brought noir back, it is one of the first neo-noir films. Gitties still embodies a typical noir character, with more of a new school feel. He is tough, gritty, sarcastic, and slightly obsessed with solving the crime. The genre has changed …show more content…
GITTES He owned the water department? SECRETARY Yes. GITTES He owned the entire water supply for the city? SECRETARY Yes. GITTES How did they get it away from him? SECRETARY Mr. Mulwray felt the public should own the display. The water. If you'll just read the display. GITTES Mulwray? I thought you said Cross owned the department. SECRETARY Along with Mr. Mulwray. GITTES They were partners. SECRETARY Yes. Yes, they were …show more content…
The first clue comes when Gitties follows Mulwray and sees him watch water as it is dumped into the ocean. Then, Walsh gets pictures of Mulwray and a man arguing about something to do with the word, “Apple Core,” (later used to determine that the man is Noah Cross and the word was Albacore). Next, Gitties sees a note in Mulwray’s office that reads “Tues. Night- Oak Pass Res. 7 Channels Used.” After that, Gitties hears the gardener say “bad for glass” (but doesn’t yet understand) and sees something shiny in the pond (but cannot reach it) in Mulwray’s backyard. Then he hears about the drunk man drowning in the L.A. river despite the fact that the river is dry. Gitties then gets a clue from Ida Sessions about the obituary column. Shortly after, he finds out the “C” in E.C.M. is for Cross, Evelyn’s maiden name. Gitties then sees a picture in Mulwray’s old office of Mulwray with Noah Cross, Evelyn’s father. The secretary unknowingly gives him important information after. Later on, Gitties checks public records and realizes that all of the landowners in the valley have just recently purchased their land. The farmer also tells him that his land is being poisoned so that he’ll sell it. Gitties makes a connection from the landowners to the obituary column, remembering Jasper Lamar Crabb’s name as someone who had died. Crabb had died two weeks ago and bought land one week ago. Gitties and Evelyn visit a