Is Chinatown a film noir?

            While watching Roman Polanski’s Chinatown, I kept on going back and forth on whether or not it qualifies as a “film noir.”  It has several key aspects of the noir, but also lacks others and obviously was not made in the post-WWII era.

            In John G. Calweti’s “Chinatown and Generic Transformation,” he attacks the same problem that I do.  Calweti says that “there is something not quite right” about the mood generated in Chinatown, the color.  I completely agree with this assessment.  When I think of a film noir, the first things that come to my mind are black and white, darkness and night.  For instance, Alfred Hitchcock utilizes shadows in his film noir Vertigo as does Edgar Ulmer in his film noir Detour.  Seeing a movie where so many scenes are shot in daylight and feature “rich golden light” throws off the viewer.  Calweti argues that these scenes are insignificant, or “outside the world of the hard-boiled detective story.”  In some cases I agree; however, often Jack Nicholson’s character J.J. Gittes does his investigating in broad daylight.  For instance, when Gittes discovers the Noah Cross’ glasses in Evelyn Mulwray’s backyard, it is sunny outside.  This discovery is crucial to the investigation of Hollis Mulwray’s death, and proves to be the piece of evidence that convinces Gittes that Noah Cross murdered Hollis.

            Calweti states that one of the most important factors in film noir is that the protagonist is a “private investigator who occupies a marginal position with respect to the official social institution.”  These are all completely accurate characteristics of J.J. Gittes, Polanski’s protagonist.  Also, Gittes seems to be in over his head, another common element of a film noir. 

Heroes in classical Hollywood cinema are “smooth,” can save the day, and get the girl. Typical Hollywood heroes include James Bond and Indiana Jones.  They always win the fights, save the innocent bystanders, and have the charisma to win over anybody.  Gittes is the anti-hero with regards to all of these.  Gittes is not witty as shown by his telling of the Chinese joke.  Also, he is caught doing investigation early on, and his nose is cut.  While Gittes is walking around the whole movie with a large bandage covering his nose, it may be difficult for people (the audience included) to take him seriously.  When all is said and done, the girl dies and the guilty walks free, thus showing that Gittes was in over his head and did not “save the day.”

            Another recurring theme in film noirs is the dangerous woman, or the “feminine antagonist.”  For the first portion of Chinatown, the audience believes that Ida Sessions is the antagonist.  Sessions poses as Evelyn Mulwray and asks Gittes to follow Hollis Mulwray.  Thus, Sessions is the reason why Gittes follows Hollis Mulwray in the first place.  As the plot develops, it is shown that Evelyn Mulwray is the antagonist.  Although she is not the murderer, she lies to Gittes on several occasions, and she also hides, sometimes forcefully, her “daughter-sister” Katherine Cross.  At first glance Evelyn may seem to be innocent and have good intent (unlike Vera in Detour), it is clear when we see her holding Katherine that she is just looking out for herself rather than looking for justice.

Though Polanski often veers from the noir mood, it is clear that Polanski wanted the final scene to be shot in the mood of the noir.  He succeeds in doing so.  In Chinatown, it is nighttime and the audience is reminded of the corruption that is clear in the film.  After Lieutenant Escobar witness the murder of Evelyn Mulwray, and Gittes explains Noah Cross’ corruption in the Los Angeles Water Supply, Escobar fails to arrest Cross, and it is even implied that he will not follow up on any leads.  When Gittes mutters “as little as possible,” to Escobar, he is reminding both Escobar and the audience that corruption is a recurring theme in the film.  This brings the film full circle in the noir theme.  Calweti writes that in most film noirs “the police and the courts are incapable of effectively protecting the innocent bringing the guilty to appropriate justice.”  This is clear in Evelyn’s death and Noah Cross’ freedom.

It is also worth nothing, that traditional film noirs have dark, solemn moods, but Chinatown incorporates several comical scenes.  Though none of the characters laugh at Gittes’ Chinaman joke, the audience finds humor in it.  Gittes also makes other witty remarks throughout the film.  When he is eating with Noah Cross and the fish is served with their heads still on, Gittes remarks “Fine…long as you don’t serve the chicken that way.”  In most of the film noirs I have seen, the ominous mood dominates so much that I cannot recall any witty or humorous remarks.

Even if it is very difficult for me to accept a film with so much light and color as a film noir, I think Chinatown has enough key elements that it should be considered a film noir.  Its final scene and specifically the results of it, lead me to believe that Chinatown embodies even elements of the noir mood for it to be considered a film noir.