Released 16 years after the legendary Chinatown , serves as a moody, postwar neo-noir sequel that struggles to live up to its predecessor's shadow while offering its own brand of atmospheric beauty. Directed by and starring Jack Nicholson , the film revisits private investigator Jake Gittes in 1948 Los Angeles, shifting the focus from the city’s water rights to its underground oil reserves. Plot & Narrative
The story begins when Gittes is hired by land developer (Harvey Keitel) to catch his wife in an act of adultery. When Berman shoots his partner during the confrontation, Gittes is pulled into a conspiracy involving oil, land development, and ghosts from his past in Chinatown. The Two Jakes 1990 sequel to Chinatown review