Narrative Of China Town

The main structure of this movie is: beginning, twist, middle, climax and finally the ending.
In the beginning we are introduced to a character called “J.J” Gittes, who is a private detective. A woman who we think is Mrs Mulwray is hiring Gittes to spy on her husband, as she thinks he is having an affair. This introduces the feel of deception and mistrust, and the woman is a typical femme fatale, with red lips, silky expensive clothing and a cigarette.
However, this soon easy-to-understand plot we are introduced to very quickly goes pear-shaped, with a twist and deception of identity, as a new typically femme fatale woman introduces herself as Mrs Mulwray, proving the other Mrs Mulwray to be a fake. Soon after, having discovered corrupting evidence against Mr Mulwray whilst tracking him to discover his affair, Gittes investigates into the water reservoir plot, and discovers Mulwray to be dead, and Evelyn’s (Mrs Mulwray) father to be his business partner. Gittes uncovers a big plot formed by the water department, suggesting they’re forcing farmers out of their land so they can buy it cheap, and selling it back at a much higher price as they’re fertilising the land with water they’re diverting from the reservoirs. However they are putting pensioners in a retirement home unknowingly legally in charge of the land. During this discovery, Gittes and Evelyn strike up a romantic relationship, which is cut short when Evelyn receives a dramatic phone call making her leave him for a while.
Gittes follows Evelyn to a house to find her keeping Mulwray’s mistress against her will. Gittes confronts Evelyn, who tells him that the girl is her sister, and distressed because she has only just learned of Mulwray’s death. Later on another twist develops as the police point out that Mulwray’s lungs were filled with saltwater, even though he was found in a freshwater reservoir. Gittes goes to the Mulwray mansion, and finds glasses in their back-yard bond, which is filled with saltwater.
The climax of this film is when Gittes confronts Evelyn, and she reveals that Catherine (her husband’s mistress) is her daughter and her sister, revealing the sexual relations she had with her father, however her father had taken advantage of her.

More on the mise-en-scene of Chinatown:
Slatted blinds.
Character drinking & smoking.
Shadows in the corners.
Spying/surveillance - binoculars.
Watching man in wing mirror
Fan in the background.
Chiaroscuro lighting.
Deception - hidden identity (of the daughter).
Red lips, blonde/brown hair, tight suit - Femme Fetal.
Gun shot.
Violence- knife.

Camera angels/Shot types:
Extreme close-up on photo- black and white, gently zooms out.
Over the shoulder shot showing a subject that has more importance.
Long shot - shows hostility and harsh surroundings.
Mirroring reflection of man walking away, shot through binoculars.
Close up of watches.
High angled shot.
Another reflection in man's camera- you can see man/women.
Over shoulder shots, close ups, mid shots, extreme close ups, long shot, birds eye view (used to show emotions on faces of character, e.g. Jake lying in bed with Mrs Mulwray).
All making the audiences attention focus more on the film, keeping them engaged in what is happening (narrative-wise).

Sound:
Jazz music in introduction, relaxing and soothing - non- diegetic
Calm, quiet music- makes you question what he is doing
Tension music - minor key, makes you feel not-quite-right ~ repeated when looking at lake for men. It builds suspension Romantic music used.

Editing & Special Effects/ SFX:
As Jake falls unconscious, the shot fades out.
One of the security guards cutting Jake's nose open with a knife.