This week on the NoNaMe Storyteller podcast, our NoNamers - Aki, Al, Joshua, Edward, and Patrick- gather to dissect Chinatown (1974), the iconic noir starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston. The crew digs into the lack of voiceover narration, the film’s haunting visuals and score, and the tangled triangle of Jake Gittes, Evelyn Mulwray, and Noah Cross. They pull apart noir tropes, wrestle with the meaning of “Chinatown,” and debate whether the infamous ending lands—or even makes sense. Edward steps beyond the standard “Vietnam metaphor” classroom take for a deeper lens on the film’s legacy. And yes, they even ask: should Chinatown ever be remade? Along the way, expect nods to other classics like L.A. Confidential and Silverado, plus the mystery of the knife-wielding hood who scars Nicholson’s Gittes. Spoilers abound—so if you haven’t actually seen Chinatown (but keep pretending you have), consider this your modern-day SparkNotes to one of the greatest noir (or is it neo-noir?) films ever made.

Keywords: classic film analysis, noir vs. neo-noir, Chinatown (1974), Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston, Jake Gittes, Evelyn Mulwray, Noah Cross, L.A. Confidential, Momento, Silverado, deep film study, Vietnam metaphor, remake debate, film spoilers, podcast roundtable.

Enigma by Kevin MacLeod is licensedunder a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠license⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100241

Artist: http://incompetech.com/