Editing Chinatown (1974 film) (section)

==Reception==
===Box office===
''Chinatown'' was released in the United States on June 21, 1974, by [[Paramount Pictures]]. The film grossed approximately $29.2 million domestically, with an additional $28,149 earned in international markets, resulting in a worldwide total of $29.23 million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chinatown |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0071315/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>

Adjusted for inflation, ''Chinatown''<nowiki/>'s domestic gross is estimated to be approximately $146 million in 2022 dollars.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Lifetime Adjusted Grosses |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/chart/top_lifetime_gross_adjusted/?adjust_gross_to=2022&offset=800 |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>

===Critical response===
''Chinatown'' received widespread critical acclaim for its screenplay, direction, and performances, and is often regarded as one of the greatest films of the 20th century.

On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds a 98% approval rating based on 147 reviews, with an average score of 9.40/10. The site's consensus reads: "As bruised and cynical as the decade that produced it, this noir classic benefits from [[Robert Towne]]'s brilliant screenplay, director [[Roman Polanski]]'s steady hand, and wonderful performances from Jack Nicholson and [[Faye Dunaway]]."<ref>{{cite web |title=Chinatown (1974) |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chinatown/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224170324/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chinatown |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |access-date=March 8, 2024 |website=Rotten Tomatoes}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 92 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim."<ref>{{cite web |title=Chinatown Reviews |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/chinatown |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180908202431/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/chinatown |archive-date=September 8, 2018 |access-date=August 31, 2018 |website=Metacritic}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] included ''Chinatown'' in his "Great Movies" list, noting that Nicholson's performance was instrumental in lifting the film beyond a standard crime thriller, and concluding that it "seems to settle easily beside the original noirs."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |title=Chinatown |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-chinatown-1974 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120153907/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-chinatown-1974 |archive-date=January 20, 2016 |access-date=January 14, 2016 |website=RogerEbert.com}}</ref> [[James Berardinelli]] of ''ReelViews'' praised the film as "unquestionably one of the best films to emerge from the 1970s," highlighting its complex characters and narrative.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berardinelli |first=James |title=Chinatown |url=https://www.reelviews.net/reelviews/chinatown |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Reelviews Movie Reviews |language=en}}</ref>

[[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' described the film as a "superlative neo-noir," stating that ''Chinatown'' "now looks like a classic in a direct line of succession to earlier pictures" and has "weathered the years with a real touch of class."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bradshaw |first=Peter |date=2013-01-03 |title=Chinatown review – Roman Polanski's superlative neo-noir is still unmissable |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/jan/03/chinatown-review |access-date=2025-04-12 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Rob Fraser of ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' echoed the sentiment, calling it "the best private eye movie ever made" and "a never-bettered noir masterpiece."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-01-01 |title=Chinatown |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/chinatown-review/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Empire |language=en}}</ref>

Ryan Brown, writing for ''Pantheon of Film'', characterized it as "a masterpiece drenched in murky reservoir water," lauding its bleak tone and thematic depth. He noted that the film "flips an entire genre on its head in masterful fashion."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Ryan |date=2024-11-26 |title="Chinatown" Review {{!}} A Masterpiece, Drenched in Murky Reservoir Water |url=https://medium.com/pantheon-of-film/chinatown-review-a-masterpiece-drenched-in-murky-reservoir-water-fc5b74c12f22 |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Pantheon of Film |language=en}}</ref> ''Cineluxe'' emphasized the film's striking visual and narrative cohesion, describing it as "a razor-sharp, tightly paced film that remains just as unnerving and engrossing today."<ref>{{Cite web |last=jmdls |date=2022-03-12 |title=Review: Chinatown |url=https://www.cineluxe.com/review-chinatown/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=Cineluxe |language=en-US}}</ref>

''Common Sense Media'' noted the film's mature themes and disturbing content, advising that it's "best suited for older teens and adults," but also commended it as "a landmark of American cinema" with "powerful storytelling."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Movie & TV reviews for parents |title=Chinatown Movie Review {{!}} Common Sense Media |url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/chinatown |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=www.commonsensemedia.org |language=en}}</ref> ''That Old Picture Show'' called it "a staggering, disturbing, brilliant film" with "layered performances and a script that doesn't just evoke the noir tradition—it rewrites it."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-12-28 |title=Chinatown (1974) Review |url=https://thatoldpictureshow.com/2021/12/28/21-chinatown-1974/ |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=That Old Picture Show |language=en-US}}</ref>

While the film was praised by most major critics, [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' offered a more reserved view, suggesting that the filmmakers "have attempted nothing so witty and entertaining," and expressing a preference for earlier noir classics. However, he acknowledged Nicholson's performance as the film's "major contribution to the genre."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Canby |first1=Vincent |title=Chinatown (1974) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129084518/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF1739E460BC4951DFB066838F669EDE |archive-date=January 29, 2016 |access-date=January 14, 2016 |website=The New York Times}}</ref>