I think Chinatown is probably my favorite of the "Great" movies. I used to rewatch it every couple of years or so (as I do with LA Confidential and Lone Star) but it had been awhile as my DVD version had gone faulty.
Anyway, I bought it on streaming and a different interpretation jumped out at me that I had never thought of.
Was Hollis Mulwray (Faye Dunaway's characters husband) actually having an affair with her daughter or was he just the kindly stepfather who was just taking care of her?
I had always thought that he was just taking care of her and helping hide her from the John Huston character. But seeing it with pretty fresh eyes caused me to question that interpretation. I still don't think he was having an affair with her-but that door opened a little during this rewatch.
On the subject of rewatching movies, we (as a family-as many probably do) watch Family Vacation and Christmas Story at this time of year and as many times as I have seen Family Vacation-I noticed something new this time-During the blessing before Clark cuts the turkey-Cousin Eddie is doing "Here is the church, here is the steeple. open the door and see all the people" with his hands. That cracked me up.
"Chinatown" Question-Spoilers
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Bob Juch
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Re: "Chinatown" Question-Spoilers
There was no suggestion that Katherine was sexually involved with Hollis. As she was a minor, "affair" isn't the right word.
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
- Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)
Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere.
Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he'll never be able to drive in New Jersey.
- Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)
Si fractum non sit, noli id reficere.
Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home and, when he grows up, he'll never be able to drive in New Jersey.
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Spock
- Posts: 4308
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:01 pm
Re: "Chinatown" Question-Spoilers
To my knowledge, we don't really know her age. That was never stated. The only thing to go by was that Evelyn was 15 when she was raped.
I agree that a sexual relationship was unlikely. The only thing that opened the door slightly on this rewatch was when Evelyn told Gittes that she was happy for him that he was having an affair as she had had many such. It just caused me to think a little about things from that angle.
I just read Sam Wasson's book on "Chinatown"-"The Big Goodbye." So I have a lot of Chinatown swirling around my head.