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 enlarge | Director: Roman Polanski
Actors: Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Hillerman, John Huston, Perry Lopez
Studio: Paramount Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.99
Buy New: $7.89
You Save: $7.10 (47%)
New (43) Used (18) Collectible (1) from $7.89
Rating:  225 reviews
Sales Rank: 2605
Format: Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Portuguese (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Portuguese (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 131
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: PARD122444D
UPC: 097361224442
EAN: 0097361224442
ASIN: B000UAE7RW
Theatrical Release Date: June 20, 1974
Release Date: November 6, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW sealed shipped daily. International Shipping via Air Mail.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Great, although painful, movie August 12, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
It took me a while to get this movie. I ordered a "like new" version and it was filled with scratches and was unwatchable. It took a little finagling to get a better copy, but it ended up working out. I would've ended up giving it 5 stars had the disc be in "like new" condition.
I really like this movie, although "the nose" scene (so I don't ruin in for anyone who hasn't seen it, but specific enough for the people who have seen it to understand) was incredibly disturbing, the performances of Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway were riveting. It is one of the most heart-wrenching and suspenseful movies I have ever seen.
I would suggest this movie. It might be too much for the average viewer to take, but moreover, it is a movie to watch.
 One of the greatest films of all time, and one of Nicholson's best too July 26, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is a film you absolutely need to see at least twice. The first time through you'll be gasping for air, trying to keep up with the twists and turns in the plot. The second time through, you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Those willing to view it again and again will find more and more to love in this amazingly dense but satisfying film. Jack Nicholson is perfect in the lead role, and the rest of the cast is equally at home in roles that flesh out this well woven tale. The look and feel of this film is fantastic.
Great film-noir atmosphere July 20, 2008
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Great noir films must have a certain dark, brooding atmosphere and Chinatown has this atmosphere in spades. This film starts as a relatively simple detective story about a philandering husband but slowly the layers of the onion are peeled back and the web of intrigue becomes more complex and seedy. Ultimately, you can see that the story is headed for a train wreck, it is simply a question of how it will unfold. Jack Nicholson plays the shady detective who is digging for the truth about a murder and shady land dealings during a drought in 1930s Los Angeles. In the end, it is hard to feel very sympathetic for any of the characters, most are driven by lust or greed or demons that they cannot purge. There are literally hundreds of reviews of this film, there is no need for me to repeat plot summaries other than to say that I wholeheartedly support the most positive reviews. This film is really a throwback to the great noir era of the 40s. Jack Nicholson would have been great alongside Barbara Stanwyck and any of the other femme fatales of the noir era. This film is in fact better than many of the earlier noir films in some ways in that more complex (and offensive) plot lines (e.g. incest) can be explored to really make the characters miserable and pathetic. If you like any of the noir greats (like Double Indemnity), you'll love Chinatown. Highly recommended.
Chinatown July 19, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
My favorite movie of all time. A great purchase. Wish it were on bluray.
Yes, Somewhat Overrated July 15, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
A good movie, but a great one? I think the Amazon review is a bit heavy on the hype. This was a good movie, even a very good movie, but I often found it somewhat slow, and the ending was less than satisfying. Not what I'd call 5 star material (but maybe I'm using the wrong evaluation criteria - entertainment value counts for a lot with me.. and while there was definitely some, it didn't reach the 5 star mark in my book). Certainly the pace picked up quite a bit in the last 3rd of the movie - which left me all the more frustrated with that sudden dud ending. On the other hand, if Polanski's goal was to be true to noir genre, than perhaps he succeeded there (I wouldn't really know, not being an expert in noir). As for the quality of the dvd, the transfer on my disc was rich and colorful - the tone of the film was certainly something of an acheivement.
Polanski, Nicholson, Dunaway.. ingredients for something great, but go in with low expectations and you'll come away pleased. If you see it for the first time with all the gushing of the Amazon review in mind, you're bound to be disappointed.
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