Chinatown - 50th Anniversary (4K UHD Blu-ray) review

[David Vaughn]

Studio: Paramount 
Release Date: June 18, 2024
Rating: R
Film: 4.5/5

Plot
Jack Nicholson is unforgettable as private eye Jake Gittes, living off the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-war Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite (Faye Dunaway) to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together for one, unforgettable night.

My Thoughts
I’ve always heard great things about this film but for some reason never took the time to sit down and watch it. Well, that finally happened and I see what all the hype was about. The film garnered 11 Oscar® nominations, including Best Picture and in 1991, and the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” Unfortunately, it only won one award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay, which was certainly deserved, but I also think Nicholson and Dunaway should have grabbed some hardware as well.

 
This is film #45 in the Paramount Presents collection and it certainly received the A-list treatment for the 4K release. The studio did a complete restoration on the original camera negative, which was repaired using the latest technology in areas that had been previously damaged. What results is a sparkling 4K UHD presentation that’s as close to the source as is currently possible. Furthermore, the studio utilized a 100GB disc meaning there’s no bit starvation to speak of. The audio track is a standard TrueHD 5.1 track, which is mostly front-loaded, which is to be expected given the age of the film. Dialog is clear and concise and the score does its best to expand the soundstage.

Video 9.5/10

Audio 8/10 (Dolby Atmos)


Special Features:

• A State of Mind: Author Sam Wasson on Chinatown (NEW)
• Chinatown Memories (NEW)
• The Trilogy that Never Way (NEW)
• Commentary by screenwriter Robert Towne and David Fincher
• Water and Power
  
  
  • The Aquaduct
  • The Aftermath
  • The River & Beyond
• Chinatown: An Appreciation
• Chinatown: The Beginning and the End
• Chinatown: Filming
• Chinatown: Legacy
• Theatrical Trailer
• Bonus Blu-ray – The Two Jakes (Chinatown sequel)
• UHD + Digital Copy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T37QkBc4IGY&ab


Conclusion
My wife didn’t enjoy the film as much as I did, but she didn’t completely ruin the experience for me. The film reminded me a lot of The Maltese Falcon another mystery/detective film that I enjoy to watch. It’s hard to believe the film was released 50 years ago, but it definitely holds up well today and the studio did a bang-up job on the restoration. Highly recommended.


Reference Review System:
 JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
 (Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
 Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
 Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
 ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
 ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
 Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
 System Controller: URC MX-990
 M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
 M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
 Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
 Dual Rythmik FV15HP2
 Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
 Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
 PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner

[Paul Heroy]

Thanks David. I’m in the same boat of having never seen it despite decades of knowing I “should”. 

And funny you mention the The Maltese Falcon and your wife… I have to weigh watching this on my own. I finally plopped in my copy of TMF and watched it 3 weeks ago. Then the next 2 weeks I had to endure angry comments from mine about not watching any more of “my” old movies. No appreciation whatsoever for cinematic history! 

[David Vaughn]

Thanks David. I’m in the same boat of having never seen it despite decades of knowing I “should”.

And funny you mention the The Maltese Falcon and your wife… I have to weigh watching this on my own. I finally plopped in my copy of TMF and watched it 3 weeks ago. Then the next 2 weeks I had to endure angry comments from mine about not watching any more of “my” old movies. No appreciation whatsoever for cinematic history!

ROFL...we're in the same boat unless it's an "old" movie she likes

[SRW1000]

Add me to the group of those that should have seen the movie but haven't yet.  I was way too young to watch it when it first came out, and these grittier movies from the 70s always seemed like they'd been too much of a downer to watch in the years after that.

I've heard a number of people discuss this release lately, though, and it seems like a good time to finally give it a view.

Thanks for the review, David.

[AVSCraig]

Thanks David. I’m in the same boat of having never seen it despite decades of knowing I “should”.

And funny you mention the The Maltese Falcon and your wife… I have to weigh watching this on my own. I finally plopped in my copy of TMF and watched it 3 weeks ago. Then the next 2 weeks I had to endure angry comments from mine about not watching any more of “my” old movies. No appreciation whatsoever for cinematic history!

Lucky for me, my wife works a lot of evenings since she runs her own start up company. So I have mid week opportunities for old classics with friends. I still need to watch "The Roaring Twenties" and "Metropolis".