Chinatown

[mcg160270]

"The Future, Mr Gittes, the Future!" -Brilliant.

[incrediblehulkmovies]

Why did Townes include a sub plot about inceast? Was it to show just how sick Noah Cross was?

[korgri]

@incrediblehulkmovies To show how Noah perceived and exercised his own power - that he was above

society's values/laws and didn't care who knew it

[soide100]

Undoubtedly Polanski and Towne's greatest work.

[MegaGum1]

I contend Daniel Day based Daniel Plainview Hustons Noah Cross

[unionguy36]

A masterful scene from one of the greatest movies ever! At 02:04 the dialogue offers a brilliant insight into the seemingly insatiable greed of capitalists.

Nicholson: "How much are you worth?... Why are you doing it? How much better can you eat? What can you buy that you can't already afford?"

Huston: "The future, Mr. Gittes! The future!"

[Featureman]

I worked with John Huston for three days on Annie late in his career. I was an extra in a scene. He was very nice to me. He certainly was a great writer, director and actor.

[hameddeldar]

"You're a very nosy fellow, kitty cat. Huh? You know what happens to nosy fellows? Huh? No? Wanna guess? Huh? No? Okay. They lose their noses." - From the film Chinatown.

[JimmySteller]

John Huston was one of the greatest onscreen presences in film history. As a director he made great movies, and as an actor in this film, he was one of the most chilling villains of film.

[AHafan2]

Daniel Plainview ABANDONED HIS CHILD!!!!

Noah Cross only went and raped his.

[sarniatownreggae]

"How much you worth?"

"I have no idea. How much do you want?"

"Nah, I just want to know what you're worth. Over ten million?"

"Oh my, yes!"

"Why are you doing it? How much better can you eat? What can you buy that you can't already afford?"

Truer words have never been more spoken today.

[ChairmanMoe]

Yes, thanks for posting this: one of my favorite scenes ever. "What can you buy that you can't already afford?" It's always in my top 5 favorite movies of All Time.

[Silverwire100]

John Huston is one of the best character actors of all time.

[VFILM88]

I LOVE THE AMBIENT SOUNDS IN THIS SCENE, THE AIRPLANES AND CRICKETS :) :) :) :)

[29noangel]

Forget it Jake, It's Chinatown

[slye1991]

john sounds like daniel day lewis in there will be blood

[JimmySteller]

John Huston was not only one of the best directors of his time, but he also had one of the most unique voices in Hollywood. His take on Noah Cross was a fantastic if chilling performance that was by far one of the most memorable things of "Chinatown" (as well as Polanski's own supporting role).

[Beerlejuice]

"The future, the future." Just about the same thing Dick Cheney probably said to anyone trying to figure out what really happened. It doesn't matter what time period it is, human nature has always been depraved.

[MournfulWine]

noah cross is capitalism, raw and unencumbered.

[GhostSnake]

It's a common thing in Noir to pronounce names wrong

[betterdays105]

This scene and film explains power better than anything ever put on screen.

[Snoopies622]

I love this movie!

[jimandmarcus]

WHY oh WHY did Huston not win the Oscar for this role?????

[HitchcockFan16]

I finally caught the reference that Wes Anderson's Rushmore makes to this film. Gittes asking how much Cross is worth and then saying "Over ten million?" is almost exactly what Max Fischer asks Herman Blume. Just an observation. I love Chinatown, and Huston is such a good villain.

[S0vereignty]

Danny Huston sounds so much like his dad it's almost creepy.

[giladomega]

The future, Mr. Gitts! The future!

[Snoopies622]

@giladomega Yes! My favorite line in the movie. And just think about how many Noah Crosses run the world today..

[woollybully100]

In my opinion John Huston had the best voice in all of hollywood. In this film he plays one of the greatest film villians ever (has to be somewhere in the top 3), and one of the best things about him is you never see him do anything evil in the whole film, you just realize what he has done to other people.

[calciumkid85]

O ne of the greatest modern noir film ever made next to L.A Confidential. Which blends eroticism and crimes. Superb and Brillian. Period

Anyway, i like the ending..so typical noir film. And this movie really radiates 'sexy-dangerous' atmosphere. Dunaway-Nicholson-Polanski = A GEM!

[Beerlejuice]

That lousy John Huston rat bastard! It's a great performance, in I would say one of the best films ever made. You got people out there right now just like Noah Cross, Dick Cheney, Kenneth Lay who died but should've died in prison, George Bush, big business monsters who never go to prison because they're so goddamn rich and powerful and the justice system doesn't do anything about it, rotten bastards!

[miketheratguy]

I could listen to John Huston all day. That dude should have narrated audio books left and right.

Ape has killed ape, Lawgiver.

[oriousblack]

He does have a magical voice. Though it really shouldn't be surprising that the guy who directed The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The Maltese Falcon can act circles around anybody.

[CTyankee4277]

" ...most people never have to face the fact that at the right time and place they're capable of ANYTHING!!!"

When he says this, it's chilling. This guy is a villain in the truest sense of the word.

[chomsky88]

I love this film and I think Polanski is a genius but it just struck me, given his current problems with the law over his sexual relations with a 13 year old girl, how much that statement(the right time and place, a man is capable of anything) could apply to Polanski. But definitely one of the best films from the second golden age of Hollywood.

[lookingglassedge]

Noah Cross is the one best film villain's of all time. Totally evil: corporate, malicious, sociopathic, rapist.

Chinatown, in my opinion is the greatest movie of all time. Not my favorite, but for me the greatest. Even surpassing The Godfather.

[walkingbear56]

Does anyone have the scene where they first meet over a lobster dinner... the conversation is absolutely magnificent... especially when Huston says "just find the girl, Mr Gitz"... implied threats are always best.

[lookingoutpfunk]

i don't know which film i've watched the most. this film or the godfather. it's to the point now i can say the lines without the script.

[YoknapatawphaKid]

I'm shocked every time I watch this masterpiece at how evil John Huston's character is.

[JubalCalif]

Why in the world can't Noah Cross pronounce Jack Nicholson's character's name correctly. He keeps saying "getz" but it should be 'gitees". Noah Cross is one of the GREAT screen villians....truly evil. He certainly had a poor choice in bedrooom partners! In any case, thanks for posting this classic scene from one of Hollywood's truly classic flicks! :)

[gooder8888]

You're quite welcome.

[gulucka]

The mispronunciation is intentional, a way of dismissing a person indirectly. Ever see Newman in "The Sting." He does the same thing (mispronounce his name) with the Robert Shaw character to irritate him.

[dexxy84]

One of the best speeches by one of the great screen villains. By always misprounouncing his name, Cross shows his lack of respect for Gettes. It's a power play.

[wtfttfg]

@JubalCalif Because it belittles Jake. He does it on purpose--or to show that Gittes means so little to a man like him that he can't be bothered to remember how to pronounce his name.

[betterdays105]

@JubalCalif - He mispronounces it because he can. It is just one of many elements in the film that signifies his power and that everything and everyone is beholden to him.

[JubalCalif]

@betterdays105

Thanks for your insightful comments, betterdays! I see your point!

[rdecredico]

@JubalCalif Your're kidding, yes? It is a way to diminsh him....like calling aperson name Bobby, "Booby".

[stoots74]

@rdecredico exactly...want to make a guy know that you mean nothing to him...get his name wrong over and over..especially face to face. kind of like slapping someone

[peachwild]

@JubalCalif he mispronounces it to make it sound acquisitive like "gits" as in he's a greedy bastard

[SillertonJackson]

@JubalCalif

Noah Cross knows how to pronounce Jake's last name correctly. Mispronouncing Jake's last name is purposeful.

[NeurotiCaStuD]

@SillertonJackson I would have to disagree. I think Noah Cross honestly doesn't know how to pronounce his name due to character. Even though Jake corrected him once before, Cross is just so absorbed in his own world and feels he's too good for others that he just doesn't take the time to learn a new name or anything else that might take conscious effort. Everything is beneath him and therefore what he says goes.

[socrates4999]

@JubalCalif

That's because the character is rich and arrogant. Don't you get it!

[JubalCalif]

@socrates4999

Nasty ol' Noah Cross was probably so rich & arrogant due to owning the most successful laundry in Chinatown, the Wong Brothers emporium. They had a killer slogan: "TWO WONGS CAN MAKE IT WHITE" !!!

[korgri]

@JubalCalif He's doing it on purpose as a way of saying to (Jack/JJ) "I'm rich and powerful and I will pronounce your name the way I want to." It's a show of power and contempt.

[JubalCalif]

@korgri

Indeed. Uncouth Mr Cross (an incestuous pervert) could well afford to treat others with comtempt. Very rich dude. After all, he owned the famous Wong Brothers chain of laundries. Their well known slogan was "TWO WONGS CAN MAKE IT WHITE!"

[5teampunker]

@JubalCalif Sometimes mispronunciation is used to be more realistic. I always laughed when characters on Seinfeld would say Steinfield even at the height of his popularity.

[Gravyballs2011]

@JubalCalif

My guess would be that the character of Noah Cross is either slightly deaf, or is attempting to take a dig at Jake Gittes by purposely mispronouncing his name just to get under his skin a little. Great film from a great film decade.

[gomtron]

capable of ANHYTHPHFINGG!

[captain07234]

The way John Huston utters the line, "I don't blame myself " is absolutely chilling.

[syr1811]

Definitely one of the best movies ever . . . and Kudos for mentioning THE BIG SLEEP - One of the most overlooked Great movies, in my opinion. Thanks for posting, gooder8888.

[jimandmarcus]

Huston was robbed by not being nominated for oscar.

[frantic1971]

John Huston was great in this movie. I love how in the movie how Nicholson's character keeps telling him that his name is pronounced "Git-eez" and Cross keeps saying it as "Gits". Was he deliberately trying to agravate Jake?

[system2chaos]

this is one of the best movies erver made

[mbarac]

Can you post entire movie?

[gooder8888]

Nope.

[captain07234]

Noah Cross makes Daniel Plainview(There will be blood) look like a boy scout.

[8data]

cross-much better character of deceit in californias history

[LeCreuset05]

There's no comparison.

[WWAAK]

Daniel Plainview's a bastard, but is actually quite a good person and human compared to Noah Cross, who's just plain sick.

[samrit86]

@captain07234 No fucking way. They are both different characters, but There Will Be Blood is all about Plainview's life.

Plainview wins it for me. although I have nothing against Chinatown. It's one of the best movie ever made.

[billmarlo]

@captain07234 But just imagine if they teamed up! They could rule the world.

[CeruleanFilms]

@captain07234 Daniel Day Lewis actually based his performance on John Huston in this movie.

[integral]

Great scene.

Now if I could just figure out why Mrs. Mulwray said, "Jasper Lamar Crabb? I think

I would have remembered that name. "