Album Description

Exclusive 2 DVD Canadian version features, Q & A with Roman Polanski, Production Diary, The Warsaw Ghetto - Historical Background, Wladyslaw Szpilman Biography, Filmographies, Bonus Audio Tracks from the Sony Classical CD Soundtrack, Soundtrack spot, 'Story of Survival' Featurette, Theatrical Trailers, Television Spots including Adrien Brody Interview Segments, Poster Gallery, Photo Gallery & Director's Note. Widescreen Version. Aspect Ratio 1.85 1. Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1. Region 1/NTSC. ... Read more

Reviews (281)

Intense Life Story During the Holocaust
"The Pianist" is one of the top 10 best films of 2002. It was rightfully nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, going on to win three: Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Its true story of world-famous pianist, Wladyslaw Szpilman, who struggles for his life during the Holocaust is very powerful, yet brilliant. The hardcore drama begins the moment his passionate music career becomes threatened by Hitler. Its material is close to as graphic as the actual conditions, which is how it should be displayed. Such intensity, which is never lost for a second, guarantees an emotional reaction. All the emotions in the scenery and through the characters are heartpounding through Szpilman's entire unfortunate journey. The immense research of these events is present. The writer's own heart and soul was written in every word. This project was wonderfully led by Roman Polanski's brilliant vision. His directing talents answer why he deserves his legendary status.

The set scenery is as accurate to the actual buildings and living conditions of Europe in 1939-1945. The hard work through the construction paid off, adding extra living intensity. The clothing worn in the movie adds the necessary emotional value that keeps audiences watching. All other physical details in this film are also flawless, namely the make-up and the dirty scenery (dirt, burns, blood, etc.). The musical score was composed beautifully, blending perfectly with every scenes' particular mood.

The performances from all the actors are beyond words. Adrien Brody beautifully portrays Szpilman in his career-launching role. His every drop of heart and soul are obviously presented through his character. This is one of the best Holocaust movie roles in cinema history. His talents prove that he'll be around for many more years. A few other actors could have received Oscar nominations for their supporting roles without critic complaints.

"The Pianist" is a great movie for entertainment and education. This future classic is sure to please many audiences. Those looking for more perspectives on the Holocaust should also watch "Schindler's List", which offers a more graphic look.

One of the best films ever about the Holocaust.
In an earlier review, I proclaimed "Chicago" the best film of 2002. Now I realize my judgment was hasty: "The Pianist" is really the year's best film. Roman Polanski has fashioned a horrifying, deeply moving film based on the life of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Jewish pianist who manages through the kindness of friends and strangers and the sheerest strokes of luck to survive in Warsaw during the six years of World War II. Polanski's understated style makes the horrors he records all the more powerful, as Nazis matter-of-factly murder Jews in the street for no other reason than that they can. Polanski actually lived through these atrocities, and makes them absolutely real on the screen. Polanski also had the enormous luck to find the perfect actor to play Szpilman, the young American actor Adrien Brody. With his soulful eyes and aquiline, otherworldly face, Brody was born to play Szpilman; in a performance that is nearly wordless through long stretches of the film, he moves us to tears. Brody brings Szpilman to breathtaking life, a decent, reasonable, exceptionally talented man in a world where decency, reason and talent count for less than nothing. In the early portions of the film, Brody bears more than a passing resemblance to portraits of Chopin; toward the end, long-haired and scraggly-bearded after years of hiding in bombed-out buildings, he looks like Jesus on the road to Calvary. There is one scene in which, ordered by a German officer to play, Szpiilman plays a Chopin ballade--the first time he has touched a piano in years. The performance, technically choppy but impassioned, reaches heights of emotion the cinema rarely achieves. This moment, and many others in the film, are magnificent testaments to the artistry of Polanski and Brody. At the end, it's not that you shouldn't leave before the credits are finished rolling, as Szpilman returns to his old life at the end of the war, playing Chopin's Grande Polonaise with the Warsaw Philharmonic, the beauty of the performance and the human triumph it represents leave you transfixed in your seat. No other non-documentary film about the Holocaust--not even "Schindler's List"--has moved me as deeply as "The Pianist."

For shame
Even though barely deserving a rebuttal, some of the reviews here are so beyond asinine that I cannot restrain myself, particularly with regard to those reviewers who had the gall to call Mr. Szpilman a coward. Mr. Szpilman risked immediate death every time he helped to smuggle a weapon or ammunition into the ghetto. The ghetto uprising itself was essentially a suicide mission, and everyone involved probably knew that. So Mr. Szpilman was a coward because he wanted to live, then? How dare you. While I don't believe that any work of art should be above criticism no matter what its subject matter, I have not read a single negative review here that has any remotely intelligent criticism of this film whatsoever. They pretty much describe it as "boring" or "another Holocaust movie." Schmucks. One reviewer couldn't even remember the protagonist's name, yet had no shortage of would-be scathing things to say about the movie. Almost as absurd are the unfavorable comparisons to "Schindler's List." Yes, Oskar Schindler was a great man, but the very straightforward good vs. evil nature of the subject matter must have appealed to Steven Spielberg's very American sensibilities. "The Pianist," on the other hand, boldly treads a ground that is decidedly messier, morally less clear-cut, and I think that only a man like Roman Polanski, who understands the particular time and place where these events transpired, could have made this film. And Adrien Brody fully deserved the Academy Award for this performance. And, yes, he does spend a good deal of time searching like a "rat" for food. What do these buffoons think it means to survive in such an environment? Idiots. Anyhow, this film is a masterpiece, an artistic triumph of the highest rank. The naysayers have not been able to level a single legitimate criticism against it.

Some lied when they vowed "Never Again"
For the record, let me comment on Dennis Littrell on his same review of this film. I find his opening statement repulsive, as he used the persecution of Jews during WW II as an excuse to justify Zionist persecution against the Palestinians here. Littrell is solely wrong if he thinks The Pianist is a film of Jewish supremacy overcoming all odds. Adrian Brody commented that in Szpilman's book (which this film is based), he narrates his experiences in an objective view. There were not just evil Nazis running around persecuting Poles and Jews, but there good Poles and bad Poles, good Jews and bad Jews and even good Germans among Nazi ranks. Even Polanski allows this in his film, where poor and suffering Jews complain of rich and influential Jews doing nothing to allevate their suffering. You can see the extreme contrast of rich and poor gap where you see the Jews in the restaurant where Szpilman plays the piano and the streets where you can see corpses lying on street, victims of starvation.

In the beginning of the film, the Germans have invaded Poland and the Szpilman family are adjusting their lives to the new ruling of the Nazi Germans. They find their living conditions deteriorate as they are hustled away from their comfortable home to Ghetto and finally to the "melting pot". We see two brothers conflicting with each other as Hendrik, Szpilman's brother did not like the way he supposedly grovel to the authorities and using his privilage as a famous pianist which many Jews may envy. Even Hendrik was ungrateful when his brother freed him from prison. "Are you mad?" Szpilman asked. Hendrik's reply was "That is also my business."

Szpilman's influence was so great that he was spared when his family was sent off to the gas chambers. He lost every one of his family and when he goes back to the Ghetto where virtually all Jews were wiped out, here is a man completely devastated. We see the second half of the movie being akin to The Fugitive where he wriggles away from the claws of ever-suspecting Nazis.

When caught by Captain Wilm Hosenfeld and asked to play the piano, he plays the piano for the first time in a few years he had to be in silence for fear of alerting those around him (in apartment where he lives, he cannot play the piano as to alert everybody around him that there is a hiding Jew). This is one of the most redemptive scenes in the history of film, Szpilman plays the Chopin's Ballade reflecting the ordeal he went through. It is akin to Furtwangler conducting the great Beethoven Ninth in 1942 with battlefield sounds heard from distant.

At this age, where we cannot foretell the conclusion to the Middle East conflict and Americans squandering up their operation in Iraq, the pathetic music of MTV is contrary to music in Szpilman's time. Great music can only be created with great suffering. Gustav Mahler said that if his life flows like a calm meadow, he would not have the ability to compose anything. The classical music age has lost it's Szpilmans, Furtwanglers, Menuhins and the like. When another horrific World War comes, will there be another artist like Szpilman? Time can only tell.

A Stunning Achievement
The depiction of the brutality of the Nazis toward the Jewish population of Poland is heartbreaking and unforgettable. This film captures the range of emotions that a family experience as they subjected to the gradual increase in persecution that ultimately leads to Treblinka.
Adrien Brody is a marvelous actor and is perfectly cast as Spilmann the famous pianist who is the only member of his family to survive. Spilmann's Survival depends on the kindnes of others who take great risks to protect him. Thes heroic acts are contrasted with the forementioned brutality of Germans to great effect in the film. A final act of redemptive kindness by a german officer near the end of the war brings the absurdity of the circumstances we have just witnessed into full relief.

Based on Spillman's memoirs , the film is very accurate relative to the book. The cinematography is astounding, particularly the transformation of Warsaw to a spectoral ruin where Spillman struggles to survive. The movie is well acted, well written and shocking in it's realism.

IT will leave you numb if you haven't seen it yet. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Psychological terrorism and supernatural horror have rarely been dramatized as effectively as in this classic 1968 thriller, masterfully adapted and directed by Roman Polanski from the chilling novel by Ira Levin. Rosemary (Mia Farrow) is a young, trusting housewife in New York whose actor husband (John Cassavetes), unbeknownst to her, has literally made a deal with the devil. In the thrall of a witches' coven headquartered in their apartment building, the young husband arranges to have his wife impregnated by Satan in exchange for success in a Broadway play. To Rosemary, the pregnancy seems like a normal and happy one--that is, until she grows increasingly suspicious of her neighbors' evil influence. Polanski establishes this seemingly benevolent situation and then introduces each fiendish little detail with such unsettling subtlety that the film escalates to a palpable level of dread and paranoia. By the time Rosemary discovers that her infant son "has his father's eyes" ... well, let's just say the urge to scream along with her is unbearably intense! One of the few modern horror films that can claim to be genuinely terrifying, Rosemary's Baby is an unforgettable movie experience, guaranteed to send chills up your spine. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (162)

"Pray for Rosemary's Baby"
This is the greatest horror film, and one of the greatest films ever, period.

Everything in it works. From that terrific tag line to the creepy poster art, to that off kilter lullaby Mia Farrow croons, to every single performance, line of dialogue and scene. The cast is perfection. The terror is palpable. The extras set the movie in its time, but the movie has surpased its time and become, like all true classics, for the ages. The Bramley will never be razed for a parking lot. Ira Levin's superb novel was blessed by Roman Polanski's film. Both are landmarks touched with more than a little genius.

The movie is wickedly funny, deliciously entrancing, groundbreakingly "real" because it's horror is set in present day New York; also, the elderly couple next door, who are the coven leaders, are played to the hilt by nosey Ruth Gordon and the intriguing Sidney Blackmer; therefore, it's easy to come under their spell. Blackmer especially gives an almost noble performance that is rich and wise. The entire cast is at the top of their game.

Maurice Evan's Hutch is the hope and comfort of the film, the logical reality against what is inexorably happening, while Ralph Bellamy's Dr. Saperstein (he was on "Open End," you know)is that soft spoken easygoing evil that you just know hides a little below the surface of most of his ilk. It's also fun seeing Hope Summers (Clara Edwards of "The Andy Griffith Show") as a Satanist. Not out of character here, really. Did Aunt Bea ever find out?

It's ironic that the movie probably could not be made today. The current crop of puritans would rail against it; odd, since the bare bones of the plot hew to what they say they believe. But while those lame Left Behind movies and the others artlessly propound beating foolish stuff into its audiences heads, "Rosemary's Baby" plays knowingly with fiction, with what ifs, with the paranoia come true, all in a twisty gripping eerie exciting film, produced by the great William Castle, who has just the right cameo that comes with the chill first, then the laughter.

Mia Farrow's heart wrenching Rosemary Woodhouse leads us into her terror and pain, then into her first goosebumpy nightmare come true reaction to her son, propelling into that final reaction, maybe even scarier, as the camera wisely pans to the window and the outside of the Bramley. There are some fine character actors as well, always dependable Elisha Cook, Jr. Philip Leeds and Patsy Kelly.

John Cassavetes, as Guy Woodhouse, also creeps us out as he sells himself and Rosemary, and I guess, their baby, and the world, to Satan, to further his acting career. Being in bit parts in "Luther" and "Nobody Loves an Albatross" can only take an actor just so far. Priorities, after all. So settle down with some "plain old Lipton Tea," a bowl of "chocolate mouse" and a Vodkda Blush, and watch a classic again or for the first time. Watch out for mouse bites, though.

CLASSIC TERROR
Roman Polanski concocted a devilish, stylish witches' brew of paranoia and real terror with this movie -- the movie is literally soaked with detail and imagination. Yet the terrors are mostly psychological, pulled off in the most amazing way, filling you, along with Rosemary, with absolute dread. Ira Levin's story, which reads significantly more outlandish in its terrors, is given a 60's pop art/New York look, what with its fabulous use of the Dakota as the ominous Bram, and Mia's delightful costumes. The dream sequences actually further the plot, and are spectacular visualizations of the narrative, providing insight into her strictly circa-late 60s Catholic upbringing. Mia Farrow is sensational as Rosemary, with her big eyes and winning sweetness; her transformation is riveting. Ruth Gordon provides more than enough creepiness all on her own, and John Cassavettes is absolutely perfect as Rosemary's ambitious, cunning husband. The wildly provocative premise places the son of the devil in Manhattan -- and as the movie cast its spell, you descend into madness with Rosemary, who, after all, simply wants the dream of motherhood in her pretty apartment. The bookend lullaby will continue to haunt you for days.

ROMAN AND MIA`S BEST
With all-star-performances from Mia, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer and John Cassavetes, Polish-director Roman Polanski offers his BEST film.... The seduction-scenes with the Devil - and Rosemary`s nightmares were based on LSD-trips and discussions between Roman and his wife, Sharon Tate. Sharon can be seen briefly in the "making of" and supposedly as an extra when Rosemary is having a party. The film is still disturbing and watchable. Rosemary`s humming is indeed by Mia Farrow.

ROSEMARYS BABY DVD- MIA FARROW
A BRILLIANT MOVIE!! A DEFINITE CLASSIC TO HAVE IN YOUR COLLECTION.ONE OF THE SCARIEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME. MIA FARROW IS EXCELLENT IN HER POTRAYAL OF ROSEMARY AS WELL AS RUTH GORDON AS THE NOSY,WITCH NEXT DOOR. DONT MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DR. SAPERSTEIN!!!! ALSO,SEE A VERY YOUNG CHARLES GRODIN. THE BEGINNING SEQUENCE IS CLASSIC AS THEY SHOW ALL SHOTS OF THE DAKOTA FROM ALL ANGLES. A MOVIE YOU WILL LOVE.

"What have you done to his eyes?"
The cast of Rosemary's Baby really help bring the wonderful characters of the novel to life. Mia Farrow is perfectly cast as Rosemary, as is John Cassevetes as her husband Guy. I could not imagine anyone other than Ruth Gordon playing Minnie Castevet, the annoying neighbor with a dark secret. Sidney Blackmer as her husband is truly memorable. The supporting cast is equally terrific and the story is suspenseful and chilling, brilliantly written for the screen by Roman Polanski. I have not seen a more faithful adaptation of a novel yet, and it works wonderfully, conveying Rosemary's turmoil and madness effectively. Mia Farrow plays her to perfection, vulnerable yet brave. The ending is truly memorable and creepy. I just wish the tone of the film was darker, but perhaps the subject matter was controversial enough in 1968. Perhaps a darker remake is in order? That would be great! ... Read more

Reviews (130)

Takes classic film noir detective story to new heights
This 1974 film takes the classic film noir detective movie to new heights. Yes, there is murder, scandal and lots of lies. But yet Jack Nicholson, cast as a private eye, is a sympathetic character. There's one scene in which the director, Roman Polanski, playing a bit part as a thug, rips open Nicholson's nose with a knife. This is the kind of wound that makes the audience grimace every time someone refers to it in the film. Faye Dunaway is cast as the femme fatale. She's beautiful, of course, and it's hard to take our eyes off of her. She's a woman of mystery, but little by little we glimpse her humanity. And by the time her secret is revealed, she's won everyone's heart.

Based on a real life scandal in Los Angeles in 1908, another underlying theme is about water and power in this desert city. The action takes place in the 1930s, and the details of that period of time are well portrayed, right down to Faye Dunaway's shaved and penciled eyebrows. The screenplay won an Academy Award and I can understand why. It was tightly written and revealed details that moved the plot forward at just the right pace. I sat there fascinated, not wanting to take my eyes off the screen, trying to figure out what would happen next and constantly surprised by the next twist and turn. John Huston is cast in the role of a wealthy landowner with a huge secret of his own. He's a fine actor and his presence on the screen added depth to the whole production.

The DVD has a special interview with the writer, Robert Towne, as well as Roman Polanski. This added to my enjoyment of the film and provided further insight about its production. Definitely recommended.

Transcendent Film Noir
I've seen very few "greatest film" lists that don't have Chinatown among the top 10, or even top 5. It's deserving. It's done in the style of a '50's film noir, but transcends the genre.

There are great performances here by Jack Nicholson and John Huston. Nicholson plays a jaded but heroically decent private investigator in the mold of Humphrey Bogart. He's much less the tough guy than Bogart, though, and you get the impression that he'd rather being doing something less seedy for a living. It's a very subtle portrayal. Huston, on the other hand, plays a tycoon whose mere presence on the screen can make your skin crawl.

The film stands out in just about every respect. The sets are wonderful and the cinematography beautiful to look at. Even the score is exceptional.

The DVD is a little short of extras, but they really aren't missed. The transfer is very high quality in all respects.

To the brainiac above who doesn't understand why the water is being dumped in the ocean: they're trying to create a drought to drive the farmers out of business. That's pretty much the key point of the plot. And, yes, a .38 snubnose is perfectly capable of hitting someone at 50 yards. Guns & Ammo tests them to that distance all the time. Get a clue!

A Master Screenplay, A Perfect Film
Many writers consider Robert Towne's screenplay for 'Chinatown' as the perfect screenplay. It is, and is also in fact the example of how important good writing is in the art of cinema. It is perfection and in the hands of Roman Polanski it became a film masterpiece. But it all goes back to the writing. Robert Towne has taken the true story of how Los Angeles stole water to grow and wound around it the fictional story of Jake Gittes, Evelyn Mulwray, and Noah Cross and made them major participants in an ugly little tale of lust and greed. Towne's screenplay is layered like a decaying Dahlia with twisting mysteries and taught suspense. There is not a loose end in sight and a few well placed red herrings are added to the mix to delight any fan of this type of story.
The attention to detail from vintage cars, sets, real L.A. streets and alleys to the excellent score by Jerry Goldsmith and the golden cinematography of John A. Alonzo contribute to all the aspects of this classic of the post 60's film noir.
Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Mulwray is at the top of her game creating a neurotic exotic hothouse flower that carries death within the heart of her dark and dirty secret. Lacquered and veiled in the most perfect black widow getup of the genre she is superbly brittle and vulnerable at the same time. She is fascinating to watch as she slowly unravels along with the mystery until she is naked in the horror of what her past and present prison is. This is a great performance by a great artist.
As Evelyn's father Noah Cross, John Huston is the debauched cancerous center of evil and greed captured within the crumbling casing of a seemingly charming old man. He too gives the performance of a lifetime and his soliloquy on what a man is capable of is chilling.
The center of this masterwork is Jack Nicholson who became a star with this, the best of his early work. His J. J. Gittes is hardboiled and ruthless in getting to the bottom of why he is being used to take the fall for a murder. He embodies the soul of Bogart and the heart of a romantic fighting to stay tuff in a rotten world. He is drawn with such skill that he seems not to be acting but simply existing the real world of L.A. in the late 1930's.
"Chinatown" is seminal in its place in film history. It bridged and old and forgotten genre with a new Hollywood in its post studio infancy and laid the groundwork for later films of equal ambition such as "Mullholland Falls" and "L.A. Confidential".
This is one of the best film ever made and a must have for any serious film collector.

I cut my nose shaving
Not since Otto Preminger's LAURA had filmgoers the pleasure of watching a classic film noir, until Polanski's CHINATOWN. The plot and characters are complex but chillingly believeable. I can't find anything wrong with this film. It is well-paced for a fairly long movie. The lighting, cinematography, setting, costumes... everything is as should be. The performances by John Huston and Faye Dunaway are eerie and tragic, respectively. Then of course there's Nicholson. Mad Jack was already firmly established on the Hollywood map having already won acclaim for EASY RIDER, THE LAST DETAIL, and FIVE EASY PIECES. This film however fixed him permanently in the constellation of Hollywood stars. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST would soon follow. In any event, his portrayal of an aloof, world-weary gumshoe who stumbles in over his head into an intrigue involving crooked politicians and the money-slobbering wealthy still holds up 30 years later. This is an incredible film.

THIS IS WHAT FILM IS SUPPOSED TO BE
The mid-1970s saw a spate of "government conspiracy" films, all with liberal themes that emanated from Watergate. None of them were about Kennedy stealing the 1960 election. Hmm.
"Chinatown" (1974) may be the best screenplay ever written. A historical look at 1930s Los Angeles, it actually condensed events from the 1900s with events that, uh, never happened but made for good drama. Written by L.A. native Robert Towne, directed by Roman Polanski, produced by Evans and starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunnaway and famed director John Huston, it told the story of how Los Angeles became a metropolis. In Towne's version, Huston "owns" the L.A. Department of Water & Power with a character based on actual L.A. City engineer William Mulholland. Mulholland had orchestrated the political deal which built the aqueduct that brought water from the Owens Valley into the L.A. Basin, allowing millions of Southern Californians to keep their lawns green to this day.
The Mulholland character is "sacrificed" at the altar of greed, embodied by Huston, who secretly buys the San Fernando Valley, knowing that once the water deal is set, it will be incorporated into the city, making him a gazillionaire. It is rather cynical, although nobody suggests the L.A. "city fathers" were boy scouts. The same old theme is that capitalism and American political power are corrupt. To make sure the audience is convinced the corruption is beyond redemption, Huston is in the end found out be an insatiable, incestual monster. He plays the role so well it brings up minds-eye imagery of his real daughter, Angelica. The film is utterly beyond any criticism, regardless of political colorization. For decades, film students and screenwriters have studied it. It spawned an artistic quest to lace the screen with symbols, metaphors, backstory, and twists.
"Chinatown" seems to be the apex of the American film period, the mid-1970s. The period from 1960 to 1979 is unparalleled, but the backstory of the people who created these classics is a telling tale of why the genre leans to the Left. In the 1960s, film schools became popular. Four schools emerged, and have held their place as the place to learn the craft. In Los Angeles there was the USC School of Cinema-Television. Their first big alumnus was "Star Wars" director George Lucas. UCLA combined their film school with their drama program, so as to bring actors, writers, directors and producers together. Coppola went to UCLA along with a future rock star named Jim Morrison, who would form The Doors with another UCLA film alumnus, keyboardist Ray Manzarek.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Roman Polanski's adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy remains one ofthe most infamous for a number of reasons: the copious amounts of bloody gore, its expert use of location settings (filmed in North Wales), and Lady Macbeth's nude sleepwalking scene. Despite its notoriety, though, this does remain one of the more compelling film adaptations of the Scottish tragedy, if one of the more pessimistic takes on the story of Macbeth and his overreaching ambition. If you think the play is normally a bit of a downer, you haven't seen Polanski's bleak version of it, made in reaction to the murder of his wife, Sharon Tate, by the Manson "family." Jon Finch (Hitchcock's Frenzy) is an forceful Macbeth, bringing out the Scot's warrior instincts, and Francesca Annis is a memorable Lady Macbeth, but the main thrust of the film belongs to Polanski's and noted British playwright and critic Kenneth Tynan's take on the play: extremely violent, nihilistic, and visceral; this is down-in-the-dirt, no-holds-barred Shakespeare, not fussy costume drama. Pay close attention to the end, a silent coda that puts a chilling twist on all the action that has come beforehand and foreshadows more tragedy to come. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (63)

Martin Brody likes it dark and violent
Please ignore the poorly thought out review on this page. Anyone with either a passing interest in Shakespeare or an appreciation of film should seek this out now. Polanski, avoiding the trap so many other filmmakers fall into, makes a film based on Macbeth, not merely recording a performance of the play. He has crafted a breathlessly paced film, making very reasonable cuts in the text in order to bring the film in under 2½ hours. I have seen much longer versions that had no grasp of the play at all.

Polanski also wisely chose not to use well-known stars for the major roles; instead utilizing some of the best (and youngest) British stage actors of the time. Jon Finch and Francesca Annis perfectly capture the most emotionally wrenched marriage ever, without the moustache twirling that finds its way into Shakespeare film adaptations too often. This film is dark, muddy, and violent; it is not intended for children. I have to assume that the people who complain about the violence in the film have never actually read the play. And I hope, for the sake of their own sanity, they steer clear of Titus Andronicus, Richard III, Julius Caesar, Othello, and if beheadings put a bee in your bonnet, beware Cymbeline!

... This is a raw, passionate telling of one of the great fictional works in the English language, by one of the great filmmakers of our time. But wait for the wide-screen DVD.

Shakespeare as Cinema!
Purists beware, Roman Polanski and Kenneth Tynan have cut, rearranged, and shaped Shakespeare's material to make a MOVIE! And what a grand film they created. Flowingly cinematic, with stunning location filming and superb cinematography the many cuts allow for a smooth narration without sacrificing the gut and heart of the play.

There was much controversy when this film debuted, probably due to it being financed and produced by Hugh Hefner and Playboy, and probably because it was unblinkingly bloody upfront (although the blood is in the play, much of it is naturally offstage), and because of nudity in several key scenes (including the witches....all those old nude crones, while factually correct, no doubt upset many). Today, these seem like perfectly reasonable choices. The film is relentless and remorseless, as befits the story. I don't know what part of Polanski's personal tragedy had any part in his work here, but the direction is excellent. Finch and Anis are fine as the murderous Laird and his Lady, as is the rest of the cast.

If you want the play, see the play. If you want a stimulating and fully realized CINEMATIC treatment of Shakespeare's great themes of greed, ambition, murder, guilt and destiny, see this finely produced, directed, and acted work. Well worthwhile.

Vaulting Ambition
This is a terrific cinematic adaption of one of Shakespeare's greatest plays. The film is also known as "The Tragedy of Macbeth", or sometimes "Roman Polanski's Macbeth". Set in early medieval Scotland ( although filmed, I understand, in Wales ), this is a well-known tale of the ruthless ambition of a young noble, Macbeth, who is goaded into acts of evil by his scheming, manipulative wife. Macbeth literally murders his way to the throne of Scotland. Of course, we know what happens to those who "live by the sword" !

British actor, Jon Finch, has the title role, and he expertly peels away the various levels of his character's personality--his Macbeth is no cardboard villain. His performance is more than matched by Francesca Annis as Lady Macbeth, whose twisted mind and blood-soaked hands drive her to madness. Performances by other members of this primarily British cast are all fine, with Martin Shaw particularly effective as Banquo.

The other "star" here, of course, is Polanski. The story of Macbeth, and the times in which it occurred, were brutal, primitive, stark--wars were constant--men settled disputes with swords, daggers, axes and maces--death was not heroic or pretty--women and children could be victims as well. Polanski portrays this environment with as much matter-of-fact authenticity as possible. There are certainly some gory scenes, even by current cinema standards, and the final battle between Macbeth and his sworn enemy Macduff is far from some of the choreographed sword fights in Hollywood movies. The spare landscape and ancient castles add to the atmosphere--for interior scenes, light is used very sparingly, to add to the mood and sense of foreboding.
The scenes with the three witches are creepy and effective.

I do have one question. The credits indicate that the script was written by Polanski and noted drama critic, Kenneth Tynan. Doesn't William Shakespeare deserve a little credit here ? Those soliloquies sound awfully familiar !

The DVD exhibits a decent, occasionally hazy, colour wide-screen picture. I was concerned at first when I noticed a vertical line on the right of the picture, but it disappeared, and the rest of the print seemed fine.

There have been numerous versions of this classic play, and I'm sure there will be more. How long before Kenneth Branagh decides that we need a new version on film ? In the mean time, Polanski's "Macbeth" gives us a totally engrossing, if bleak, cinematic experience.

A Great Performance For A Great Play
If reading the play wasn't enough, this movie kept me asking for more. Roman Polanski brilliantly executed what I had envisioned while reading the script for the play. The dark of the night at Macbeth's, to the special effects which were quite good for their time. I especially enjoyed the scene with the dagger, it was exactly as I had imagined it.

Truly Inspiring
I can't recommend this enough. I teach Shakespeare to 6th and 8th graders, and this movie absolutely engrosses kids of this age. Polanski makes every nuance of the play clear, and the acting is superb. We read a little of the play, work with it, then I show just that part of the DVD. (I have to leave out very few scenes because I teach in a public school, so no nudity allowed.) I wish Polanski would tackle other of Shakespeare's plays. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

Excellent film, shoddy DVD treatment
"Frantic" was released in 1988 and quickly disappeared from theaters, which is a shame because it's a great little film. Acclaimed director Roman Polanski has crafted a wonderful mystery/thriller. Unfortunately, Warner Brothers doesn't seem to care much about giving this movie the treatment it deserves. It's not widescreen, there are absolutely no extras (not even the requisite trailer) and it doesn't look like there was any effort in restoring the picture. The price is quite good compared to the average DVD, but you get what you pay for here.

Harrison Ford stars as an American surgeon in Paris for a convention and brings along his wife (Betty Buckley, who played the mom on the TV show "Eight is Enough") in order to make the trip something of a second honeymoon. They barely have time to settle into their hotel room when the wife mysteriously disappears. A "frantic" Ford spends the rest of the film looking for her and along the way he encounters mysterious Arabs, inept U.S. embassy bureaucrats, missing luggage, a dead drug dealer, and a young female party animal who ends up being his main source of assistance in tracking down his wife. It's an engaging thriller that gets a little contrived toward the end, but still a fun ride.

This is not a masterpiece on par with Polanski's "Chinatown" or "Rosemary's Baby," but still quite enjoyable. Unfortunately, the DVD is basically VHS quality. Shame on Warners. Still, if you want to pick up a disc cheap and don't mind sub-par quality, this is nice one to get.

Polanski does Hitchcock
In Frantic, Harrison Ford plays a doctor who travels to Paris for a medical convention, but his plans change when, upon stepping out of his hotel shower, he finds his wife (Betty Buckley) gone. Receiving no help from the local police or American representatives, the good Dr. Walker goes on searching for her himself, and with the help of the beautiful and mysterious Michelle (Emmanuelle Signer) the search drags him into a world of crime, drugs, mistaken identities and international intrigue.

Of course, in the hands of the master Roman Polanski, Frantic is fantastically made and brilliantly directed. Even Harrison Ford, by far not one of my favorite actors (to me, Ford's career begins and ends with three classic characters: Han Solo, Indiana Jones and Rick Deckard. Everything he's done since 'Temple Of Doom' is just the same old character over and over again) turns in a respectable and believable performance. The trouble is Frantic lacks the depth we've come to expect from Polanski classics like Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby or Tess. It actually looks more like a Hitchcock than a Polanski - and that goes for more than just the plot, which is probably an intentional Hitchcock homage. The whole thing looks - unlike other Polanski films - not like an intricate and finely crafted piece of cinema which took two or three years to make, but like a simple story with simple schematic characters which is told in an intricate and clever way by a director who makes two or three movies a year, like Hitchcock. The only character in the movie that is structured and complete is Ford's; Michelle is quite intriguing (not to mention extremely attractive) but fails to make an impression and leaves as abruptly as she appears. As for Mrs. Walker, she serves more as a houseplant than as a human character. The rest of the characters are nothing more than aids or obstacles in Walker's frantic chase, though most of them are portrayed by talented actor who hand in satisfactory performances in their small parts.

Aside from all that, Frantic is quite an entertaining movie, if your expectations aren't TOO high; don't expect this to be another Chinatown. It's a well made, well built schematic thriller that treads familiar grounds and does what it's meant to do, which is thrill, suspend and entertain. As such, it's a fantastic thriller with great acting and directing, good suspense and a good share of comic relief. Not essential for Polanski fans, but worth the watch.

Much too sophisticated for average filmgoers.
This film is a Cornell Woolrich, entirely American style of thriller set in Paris in the mid-80s. It never veers from its exceedingly well-written premise and is peopled with a fantastic cast that makes this uprooted American genre work perfectly in new environs. Ford has never been better, and although Singer isn't going to win any awards her situation is quite believable. This is a rare and unique film, a thoroughly modernized Hitchcock piece that I feel outdoes a lot of the "master's" films. It reminds me of another maligned film, Snake Eyes, in that it has been totally misinterpreted by modern audiences seeking explosions and mind-numbing action scenes. This is a classic thriller. Really fun. And for anyone who has been to Paris, it's wonderful to see all of the locations and the portrayal of the underside of the city. Polanski is a magnificent director and plays every scene perfectly. LOVE IT.

Ahhh Paris...
Frantic is one of my all-time favorite sleeper Ford films. Frantic received anywhere from mixed reviews to a luke warm reception when it premiered back in 1987. Audiences and critics could not understand if it was meant to be a high octane action thriller or a throwback to the era of psychological drama a la Hitchcock with Parisian settings. It is actually a little of both but leaning more towards a slowly culminating subtle action feel. There are no huge pyro-technic explosions or violent gore. Just a few car chase scenes and ricocheting bullets...In the end, in my book, Frantic to me is more of a cult status Polanski/Ford Flick classic. From the opening movie credits rolling in the tradition of the way ending credits normally close a film, Frantic contained that eccentric yet highly artistic Roman Polanski touch. It also introduced Polanski's beautiful young French model/actress wife Emmanuelle Seigner (European Brooke Shields or Mariel Hemingway). While she provided much candy for the eye, her acting ability saw some room for improvement. Polanski's keen eye for directing is awesome;Particularly the way he does the rooftop scene with Ford's character and the French girl Michelle. If you were afraid of heights or suffer from vertigo, then this is your nightmare scene. Also, the scene where Walker awakes to see the huge Statue of Liberty is brilliant (you will know what I mean if you see this) !

Frantic is the tale of a happy married couple having their 20th Anniversary celebrated in The City of Lights while also combining a medical convention Dr. Walker (Ford) must attend. All is disrupted by an accidental switching of identical suitcases. One case contains the clothing articles of his wife Sondra ( Broadway actress/singer and 70's Eight Is Enough step mom Betty Buckley) and the other, well, you will have to find out by watching the dvd, an item the bad guys want. In an attempt of desperation to retrieve this suitcase and its contents they kidnap Sondra and hold her in exchange for the case with it's valuable contents. Dr. Walker must now rescue his wife with the aid of a street smart French gal named Michelle (Emmanuelle Seigner) who is also entangled in this dangerous web of intrigue and may possess the key to the entire mystery...

What will mystify some viewers is something that a critic pointed out years ago. Here it is...If the bad guys knew what the suitcase looked like containing the merchandise, then why didn't they just run into the hotel room and snatch it? Instead, they left the suitcase behind but take the wife...Thought to ponder. But, then, again, such a quick and witty resolve on the part of the bad guys would have resulted in an extremely short film !

Moody and somewhat atmospheric is the way to describe Frantic. Moody and atmospheric also applies to the soundtrack performed by Ennio Morricone. A soundtrack which harkens back to the 70's detective t.v. series like Streets of San Francisco or Mannix but with a contemporary feel (use of orchestration with horns and electric guitar or bass). Throughout the film a song by Grace Jones entitled "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)" is ominously used to add to Frantic's feel.Frantic also possesses an 80's dated quality in music and fashion in quite a few club scenes but with that Parisian or European panache (in a good 80's way, er, ah, if that is at all possible). So, if you are looking for a Ford film with a bit of cinematic scenic style, a somber yet catchy soundtrack, Parisian setting, a hankering for reliving the 80's then Frantic is the ticket !

Harrison-Polanski duet
"Frantic is one of the best thrillers with Harrison Ford and there are two reasons for it: 1. Directed by Roman Polanski; 2. Filmed in Paris. I think Harrison Ford and Roman Polanski is one of the unreplacable duets in a film industry. I do also hope to see Harrison Ford and an actress Emanuel Seigler together on a screen again, because you can feel the chemistry between them, which does not always happened between the leading actors, and they do not even play lovers. If Harrison Ford plays in the movie, you don't even need to know anything else about the film - watch it!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

One of Roman Polanski's more overt comedies, this 1966 monster spectacle stars Jack MacGowran and Polanski as a clunky but heroic pair of vampire killers. Called upon to rescue the beautiful and buxom daughter (Sharon Tate) of an innkeeper from a Draculalike bloodsucker, the duo muddle through all sorts of scrapes, the most intense being a scene in which a room full of dancing vampires realize the human interlopers are the only ones in the room who are reflected in a mirror. Scary and funny, the film has some unforgettable set pieces, a terrific score, one of the few records of Tate's extraordinary beauty, and vibrant performances. Not exactly Polanski in a relaxed mode, but clear evidence of his estimable skills as a director of both brilliance and polish. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (60)

First Class Entertainment
I first watched this film on the television at Christmas in about 1982 (under the title "Dance Of The Vampires"), and even then, as a 12 year-old, was impressed by this superior vampire 'caper'. The film starts with a beautifully haunting score (by the late Christopher Komeda) and the arrival of a pair of intrepid vampire killers to a Transylvanian Inn. Throughout the film, the viewer is treated to a visual and musical feast, enhanced by brilliant acting from the likes of Ferdy Mayne, Jack MacGowran, Alfie Bass, and of course, Iain Quarrier as the token gay vampire! The enchanting qualities of Sharon Tate as the inn-keeper's young daughter, Sara, add to the overall enjoyment of the film; which, in my opinion, is easily the best vampire and/or Polanski movie to date.

A Comedic Rendition of Bram Stoker's "Dracula"
"The Fearless Vampire Killers" is producer/director/screenwriter/actor Roman Polanski's comedic rendition of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" legend. The bumbling Professor and his timid assistant Alfred (played by Roman Polanski) travel to Transylvania to study vampires. The Professor and Alfred rest at an inn festooned with garlic. That evening, the innkeeper's daughter (played by the *stunningly beautiful* Sharon Tate) is kidnapped by the Count (played with a characterization combining elements of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing). The distraught innkeeper (played with a Zero Mostel characterization) runs out into the night to rescue his kidnapped daughter and never returns alive. The Professor and Alfred seek the Count's castle. The Count invites the Professor and Alfred to stay at his castle and to study in his library. The Professor and Alfred agree, they learn that the Count and his flock are planning a formal dress ball, and the real fun begins ...

This film's scenic vistas and its theatrical sets are impressive -- they are complex, ornate, and convey a somber atmosphere. And Sharon Tate's beauty is impressive -- previously an unknown actress, this film gave general public recognition to Sharon Tate. Roman Polanski was involved in *all* aspects of this film's production, and his quality touch is visible throughout the film.

It is ironic that this film's plot revolves around Sharon Tate's kidnapping by the Count and his flock. After this film was released, Sharon Tate and her real life friends were murdered in their home by members of the Charles Manson family.

Not his best
... when u compare it with Rosemary`s Baby, Repulsion and Frantic. But it DOES have its moments... What really saves this film is the music by Komeda, choreography by Norwegian Tutte Lemkow, the scenary, the make-up, the off-key characters, Sharon Tate and the costumes... Too often u find yourself wondering what-the-heck this is all about and why doesn`t Polanski move a bit faster into the action??? Still; it`s watchable and I`m glad that so many have found it to their hearts:-)

A Timeless Classic
This is one of my all-time favorite films. I first saw this movie as a young girl and never forgot it. I was thrilled when I found it on VHS years later and am now excited about owning the DVD. This film is a mixture of an early silent film and a Laurel & Hardy-type comedy. Our "fearless vampire killers" keep getting themselves into tight spots and then must work to get themselves out again. The sets are terrific, especially the castle. You can get wrapped up in this film, it won't bore you for a minute. It's a subtle spoof of a vampire movie keeping the thrills while adding comic relief. A must-see and a must-have.

A Vampire Classic
Late one night many years ago I had the pleasure of watching the great Roman Polanski vampire film. Now, many years later, I have added the complete and uncut edition to my collection.

This tongue-in-cheek begins with Professor Abronsius and his assistant (Polanski) arriving in Transylvania. The professor, who has one of the silliest mustaches of all time, is researching the legends of vampires. He is convinced that they really exist and that he can eliminate them. Shortly after their arrival it becomes apparent that there are indeed strange creatures about. All of the evidence convinces the professor that his suspicions are correct.

When the inn they are staying in is hit by a vampire the two journey to a bleak castle. There they encounter the local lord, who is a vampire. The lord and the professor hit it off quite well as both are men (ahem) of learning. During the day the professor and his assistant search for the vampires tomb. They find it but are unable to dispatch the creatures and wind up losing all of their tools in the process. Then night falls.

With the fall of night the two become targets and must avoid their vampiric hosts. then they make a startling discovery. There are more vampires in the castle than just the lord and his son. There is a graveyard filled with generations of bloodsuckers. As the vampires hold an annual ball at which they will feast on a number of locals, the professor and his protégée manage to make off with one of the victims and successfully flee into the night pursued by a hunchback sledding in a coffin.

The film then ends with a very dark note. The woman they have saved makes the complete transition to vampire while they are fleeing and she bites the young assistant. It is in this way that the bumbling Professor Abronsius enabled vampirism to spread out of Transylvania into the rest of the world.

This edition restores the twenty minutes that were cut out when the film was first released in America. This is an unusual film in that much is communicated through action. The dialogue is rather sparse throughout. But with the almost exaggerated actions of a silent film combined with a haunting score result in a richer movie than had it been full of dialogue. The special effects, what few there are, are quite effective and possibly more effective than current effects. In one scene the vampire killers and the woman they are trying to rescue are leading a dance at the ball. The procession advances towards a mirror and only the three are reflected although dozens are in direct line. Spectacular. The rest of the film uses small dashes of comedy to season an otherwise dark story. This is a true classic among vampire films. If you have not seen it you should. ... Read more

Reviews (130)

Takes classic film noir detective story to new heights
This 1974 film takes the classic film noir detective movie to new heights. Yes, there is murder, scandal and lots of lies. But yet Jack Nicholson, cast as a private eye, is a sympathetic character. There's one scene in which the director, Roman Polanski, playing a bit part as a thug, rips open Nicholson's nose with a knife. This is the kind of wound that makes the audience grimace every time someone refers to it in the film. Faye Dunaway is cast as the femme fatale. She's beautiful, of course, and it's hard to take our eyes off of her. She's a woman of mystery, but little by little we glimpse her humanity. And by the time her secret is revealed, she's won everyone's heart.

Based on a real life scandal in Los Angeles in 1908, another underlying theme is about water and power in this desert city. The action takes place in the 1930s, and the details of that period of time are well portrayed, right down to Faye Dunaway's shaved and penciled eyebrows. The screenplay won an Academy Award and I can understand why. It was tightly written and revealed details that moved the plot forward at just the right pace. I sat there fascinated, not wanting to take my eyes off the screen, trying to figure out what would happen next and constantly surprised by the next twist and turn. John Huston is cast in the role of a wealthy landowner with a huge secret of his own. He's a fine actor and his presence on the screen added depth to the whole production.

The DVD has a special interview with the writer, Robert Towne, as well as Roman Polanski. This added to my enjoyment of the film and provided further insight about its production. Definitely recommended.

Transcendent Film Noir
I've seen very few "greatest film" lists that don't have Chinatown among the top 10, or even top 5. It's deserving. It's done in the style of a '50's film noir, but transcends the genre.

There are great performances here by Jack Nicholson and John Huston. Nicholson plays a jaded but heroically decent private investigator in the mold of Humphrey Bogart. He's much less the tough guy than Bogart, though, and you get the impression that he'd rather being doing something less seedy for a living. It's a very subtle portrayal. Huston, on the other hand, plays a tycoon whose mere presence on the screen can make your skin crawl.

The film stands out in just about every respect. The sets are wonderful and the cinematography beautiful to look at. Even the score is exceptional.

The DVD is a little short of extras, but they really aren't missed. The transfer is very high quality in all respects.

To the brainiac above who doesn't understand why the water is being dumped in the ocean: they're trying to create a drought to drive the farmers out of business. That's pretty much the key point of the plot. And, yes, a .38 snubnose is perfectly capable of hitting someone at 50 yards. Guns & Ammo tests them to that distance all the time. Get a clue!

A Master Screenplay, A Perfect Film
Many writers consider Robert Towne's screenplay for 'Chinatown' as the perfect screenplay. It is, and is also in fact the example of how important good writing is in the art of cinema. It is perfection and in the hands of Roman Polanski it became a film masterpiece. But it all goes back to the writing. Robert Towne has taken the true story of how Los Angeles stole water to grow and wound around it the fictional story of Jake Gittes, Evelyn Mulwray, and Noah Cross and made them major participants in an ugly little tale of lust and greed. Towne's screenplay is layered like a decaying Dahlia with twisting mysteries and taught suspense. There is not a loose end in sight and a few well placed red herrings are added to the mix to delight any fan of this type of story.
The attention to detail from vintage cars, sets, real L.A. streets and alleys to the excellent score by Jerry Goldsmith and the golden cinematography of John A. Alonzo contribute to all the aspects of this classic of the post 60's film noir.
Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Mulwray is at the top of her game creating a neurotic exotic hothouse flower that carries death within the heart of her dark and dirty secret. Lacquered and veiled in the most perfect black widow getup of the genre she is superbly brittle and vulnerable at the same time. She is fascinating to watch as she slowly unravels along with the mystery until she is naked in the horror of what her past and present prison is. This is a great performance by a great artist.
As Evelyn's father Noah Cross, John Huston is the debauched cancerous center of evil and greed captured within the crumbling casing of a seemingly charming old man. He too gives the performance of a lifetime and his soliloquy on what a man is capable of is chilling.
The center of this masterwork is Jack Nicholson who became a star with this, the best of his early work. His J. J. Gittes is hardboiled and ruthless in getting to the bottom of why he is being used to take the fall for a murder. He embodies the soul of Bogart and the heart of a romantic fighting to stay tuff in a rotten world. He is drawn with such skill that he seems not to be acting but simply existing the real world of L.A. in the late 1930's.
"Chinatown" is seminal in its place in film history. It bridged and old and forgotten genre with a new Hollywood in its post studio infancy and laid the groundwork for later films of equal ambition such as "Mullholland Falls" and "L.A. Confidential".
This is one of the best film ever made and a must have for any serious film collector.

I cut my nose shaving
Not since Otto Preminger's LAURA had filmgoers the pleasure of watching a classic film noir, until Polanski's CHINATOWN. The plot and characters are complex but chillingly believeable. I can't find anything wrong with this film. It is well-paced for a fairly long movie. The lighting, cinematography, setting, costumes... everything is as should be. The performances by John Huston and Faye Dunaway are eerie and tragic, respectively. Then of course there's Nicholson. Mad Jack was already firmly established on the Hollywood map having already won acclaim for EASY RIDER, THE LAST DETAIL, and FIVE EASY PIECES. This film however fixed him permanently in the constellation of Hollywood stars. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST would soon follow. In any event, his portrayal of an aloof, world-weary gumshoe who stumbles in over his head into an intrigue involving crooked politicians and the money-slobbering wealthy still holds up 30 years later. This is an incredible film.

THIS IS WHAT FILM IS SUPPOSED TO BE
The mid-1970s saw a spate of "government conspiracy" films, all with liberal themes that emanated from Watergate. None of them were about Kennedy stealing the 1960 election. Hmm.
"Chinatown" (1974) may be the best screenplay ever written. A historical look at 1930s Los Angeles, it actually condensed events from the 1900s with events that, uh, never happened but made for good drama. Written by L.A. native Robert Towne, directed by Roman Polanski, produced by Evans and starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunnaway and famed director John Huston, it told the story of how Los Angeles became a metropolis. In Towne's version, Huston "owns" the L.A. Department of Water & Power with a character based on actual L.A. City engineer William Mulholland. Mulholland had orchestrated the political deal which built the aqueduct that brought water from the Owens Valley into the L.A. Basin, allowing millions of Southern Californians to keep their lawns green to this day.
The Mulholland character is "sacrificed" at the altar of greed, embodied by Huston, who secretly buys the San Fernando Valley, knowing that once the water deal is set, it will be incorporated into the city, making him a gazillionaire. It is rather cynical, although nobody suggests the L.A. "city fathers" were boy scouts. The same old theme is that capitalism and American political power are corrupt. To make sure the audience is convinced the corruption is beyond redemption, Huston is in the end found out be an insatiable, incestual monster. He plays the role so well it brings up minds-eye imagery of his real daughter, Angelica. The film is utterly beyond any criticism, regardless of political colorization. For decades, film students and screenwriters have studied it. It spawned an artistic quest to lace the screen with symbols, metaphors, backstory, and twists.
"Chinatown" seems to be the apex of the American film period, the mid-1970s. The period from 1960 to 1979 is unparalleled, but the backstory of the people who created these classics is a telling tale of why the genre leans to the Left. In the 1960s, film schools became popular. Four schools emerged, and have held their place as the place to learn the craft. In Los Angeles there was the USC School of Cinema-Television. Their first big alumnus was "Star Wars" director George Lucas. UCLA combined their film school with their drama program, so as to bring actors, writers, directors and producers together. Coppola went to UCLA along with a future rock star named Jim Morrison, who would form The Doors with another UCLA film alumnus, keyboardist Ray Manzarek.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM ... Read more

Reviews (130)

Takes classic film noir detective story to new heights
This 1974 film takes the classic film noir detective movie to new heights. Yes, there is murder, scandal and lots of lies. But yet Jack Nicholson, cast as a private eye, is a sympathetic character. There's one scene in which the director, Roman Polanski, playing a bit part as a thug, rips open Nicholson's nose with a knife. This is the kind of wound that makes the audience grimace every time someone refers to it in the film. Faye Dunaway is cast as the femme fatale. She's beautiful, of course, and it's hard to take our eyes off of her. She's a woman of mystery, but little by little we glimpse her humanity. And by the time her secret is revealed, she's won everyone's heart.

Based on a real life scandal in Los Angeles in 1908, another underlying theme is about water and power in this desert city. The action takes place in the 1930s, and the details of that period of time are well portrayed, right down to Faye Dunaway's shaved and penciled eyebrows. The screenplay won an Academy Award and I can understand why. It was tightly written and revealed details that moved the plot forward at just the right pace. I sat there fascinated, not wanting to take my eyes off the screen, trying to figure out what would happen next and constantly surprised by the next twist and turn. John Huston is cast in the role of a wealthy landowner with a huge secret of his own. He's a fine actor and his presence on the screen added depth to the whole production.

The DVD has a special interview with the writer, Robert Towne, as well as Roman Polanski. This added to my enjoyment of the film and provided further insight about its production. Definitely recommended.

Transcendent Film Noir
I've seen very few "greatest film" lists that don't have Chinatown among the top 10, or even top 5. It's deserving. It's done in the style of a '50's film noir, but transcends the genre.

There are great performances here by Jack Nicholson and John Huston. Nicholson plays a jaded but heroically decent private investigator in the mold of Humphrey Bogart. He's much less the tough guy than Bogart, though, and you get the impression that he'd rather being doing something less seedy for a living. It's a very subtle portrayal. Huston, on the other hand, plays a tycoon whose mere presence on the screen can make your skin crawl.

The film stands out in just about every respect. The sets are wonderful and the cinematography beautiful to look at. Even the score is exceptional.

The DVD is a little short of extras, but they really aren't missed. The transfer is very high quality in all respects.

To the brainiac above who doesn't understand why the water is being dumped in the ocean: they're trying to create a drought to drive the farmers out of business. That's pretty much the key point of the plot. And, yes, a .38 snubnose is perfectly capable of hitting someone at 50 yards. Guns & Ammo tests them to that distance all the time. Get a clue!

A Master Screenplay, A Perfect Film
Many writers consider Robert Towne's screenplay for 'Chinatown' as the perfect screenplay. It is, and is also in fact the example of how important good writing is in the art of cinema. It is perfection and in the hands of Roman Polanski it became a film masterpiece. But it all goes back to the writing. Robert Towne has taken the true story of how Los Angeles stole water to grow and wound around it the fictional story of Jake Gittes, Evelyn Mulwray, and Noah Cross and made them major participants in an ugly little tale of lust and greed. Towne's screenplay is layered like a decaying Dahlia with twisting mysteries and taught suspense. There is not a loose end in sight and a few well placed red herrings are added to the mix to delight any fan of this type of story.
The attention to detail from vintage cars, sets, real L.A. streets and alleys to the excellent score by Jerry Goldsmith and the golden cinematography of John A. Alonzo contribute to all the aspects of this classic of the post 60's film noir.
Faye Dunaway as Evelyn Mulwray is at the top of her game creating a neurotic exotic hothouse flower that carries death within the heart of her dark and dirty secret. Lacquered and veiled in the most perfect black widow getup of the genre she is superbly brittle and vulnerable at the same time. She is fascinating to watch as she slowly unravels along with the mystery until she is naked in the horror of what her past and present prison is. This is a great performance by a great artist.
As Evelyn's father Noah Cross, John Huston is the debauched cancerous center of evil and greed captured within the crumbling casing of a seemingly charming old man. He too gives the performance of a lifetime and his soliloquy on what a man is capable of is chilling.
The center of this masterwork is Jack Nicholson who became a star with this, the best of his early work. His J. J. Gittes is hardboiled and ruthless in getting to the bottom of why he is being used to take the fall for a murder. He embodies the soul of Bogart and the heart of a romantic fighting to stay tuff in a rotten world. He is drawn with such skill that he seems not to be acting but simply existing the real world of L.A. in the late 1930's.
"Chinatown" is seminal in its place in film history. It bridged and old and forgotten genre with a new Hollywood in its post studio infancy and laid the groundwork for later films of equal ambition such as "Mullholland Falls" and "L.A. Confidential".
This is one of the best film ever made and a must have for any serious film collector.

I cut my nose shaving
Not since Otto Preminger's LAURA had filmgoers the pleasure of watching a classic film noir, until Polanski's CHINATOWN. The plot and characters are complex but chillingly believeable. I can't find anything wrong with this film. It is well-paced for a fairly long movie. The lighting, cinematography, setting, costumes... everything is as should be. The performances by John Huston and Faye Dunaway are eerie and tragic, respectively. Then of course there's Nicholson. Mad Jack was already firmly established on the Hollywood map having already won acclaim for EASY RIDER, THE LAST DETAIL, and FIVE EASY PIECES. This film however fixed him permanently in the constellation of Hollywood stars. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST would soon follow. In any event, his portrayal of an aloof, world-weary gumshoe who stumbles in over his head into an intrigue involving crooked politicians and the money-slobbering wealthy still holds up 30 years later. This is an incredible film.

THIS IS WHAT FILM IS SUPPOSED TO BE
The mid-1970s saw a spate of "government conspiracy" films, all with liberal themes that emanated from Watergate. None of them were about Kennedy stealing the 1960 election. Hmm.
"Chinatown" (1974) may be the best screenplay ever written. A historical look at 1930s Los Angeles, it actually condensed events from the 1900s with events that, uh, never happened but made for good drama. Written by L.A. native Robert Towne, directed by Roman Polanski, produced by Evans and starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunnaway and famed director John Huston, it told the story of how Los Angeles became a metropolis. In Towne's version, Huston "owns" the L.A. Department of Water & Power with a character based on actual L.A. City engineer William Mulholland. Mulholland had orchestrated the political deal which built the aqueduct that brought water from the Owens Valley into the L.A. Basin, allowing millions of Southern Californians to keep their lawns green to this day.
The Mulholland character is "sacrificed" at the altar of greed, embodied by Huston, who secretly buys the San Fernando Valley, knowing that once the water deal is set, it will be incorporated into the city, making him a gazillionaire. It is rather cynical, although nobody suggests the L.A. "city fathers" were boy scouts. The same old theme is that capitalism and American political power are corrupt. To make sure the audience is convinced the corruption is beyond redemption, Huston is in the end found out be an insatiable, incestual monster. He plays the role so well it brings up minds-eye imagery of his real daughter, Angelica. The film is utterly beyond any criticism, regardless of political colorization. For decades, film students and screenwriters have studied it. It spawned an artistic quest to lace the screen with symbols, metaphors, backstory, and twists.
"Chinatown" seems to be the apex of the American film period, the mid-1970s. The period from 1960 to 1979 is unparalleled, but the backstory of the people who created these classics is a telling tale of why the genre leans to the Left. In the 1960s, film schools became popular. Four schools emerged, and have held their place as the place to learn the craft. In Los Angeles there was the USC School of Cinema-Television. Their first big alumnus was "Star Wars" director George Lucas. UCLA combined their film school with their drama program, so as to bring actors, writers, directors and producers together. Coppola went to UCLA along with a future rock star named Jim Morrison, who would form The Doors with another UCLA film alumnus, keyboardist Ray Manzarek.

STEVEN TRAVERS
AUTHOR OF "BARRY BONDS: BASEBALL'S SUPERMAN"
STWRITES@AOL.COM ... Read more

Reviews (162)

"Pray for Rosemary's Baby"
This is the greatest horror film, and one of the greatest films ever, period.

Everything in it works. From that terrific tag line to the creepy poster art, to that off kilter lullaby Mia Farrow croons, to every single performance, line of dialogue and scene. The cast is perfection. The terror is palpable. The extras set the movie in its time, but the movie has surpased its time and become, like all true classics, for the ages. The Bramley will never be razed for a parking lot. Ira Levin's superb novel was blessed by Roman Polanski's film. Both are landmarks touched with more than a little genius.

The movie is wickedly funny, deliciously entrancing, groundbreakingly "real" because it's horror is set in present day New York; also, the elderly couple next door, who are the coven leaders, are played to the hilt by nosey Ruth Gordon and the intriguing Sidney Blackmer; therefore, it's easy to come under their spell. Blackmer especially gives an almost noble performance that is rich and wise. The entire cast is at the top of their game.

Maurice Evan's Hutch is the hope and comfort of the film, the logical reality against what is inexorably happening, while Ralph Bellamy's Dr. Saperstein (he was on "Open End," you know)is that soft spoken easygoing evil that you just know hides a little below the surface of most of his ilk. It's also fun seeing Hope Summers (Clara Edwards of "The Andy Griffith Show") as a Satanist. Not out of character here, really. Did Aunt Bea ever find out?

It's ironic that the movie probably could not be made today. The current crop of puritans would rail against it; odd, since the bare bones of the plot hew to what they say they believe. But while those lame Left Behind movies and the others artlessly propound beating foolish stuff into its audiences heads, "Rosemary's Baby" plays knowingly with fiction, with what ifs, with the paranoia come true, all in a twisty gripping eerie exciting film, produced by the great William Castle, who has just the right cameo that comes with the chill first, then the laughter.

Mia Farrow's heart wrenching Rosemary Woodhouse leads us into her terror and pain, then into her first goosebumpy nightmare come true reaction to her son, propelling into that final reaction, maybe even scarier, as the camera wisely pans to the window and the outside of the Bramley. There are some fine character actors as well, always dependable Elisha Cook, Jr. Philip Leeds and Patsy Kelly.

John Cassavetes, as Guy Woodhouse, also creeps us out as he sells himself and Rosemary, and I guess, their baby, and the world, to Satan, to further his acting career. Being in bit parts in "Luther" and "Nobody Loves an Albatross" can only take an actor just so far. Priorities, after all. So settle down with some "plain old Lipton Tea," a bowl of "chocolate mouse" and a Vodkda Blush, and watch a classic again or for the first time. Watch out for mouse bites, though.

CLASSIC TERROR
Roman Polanski concocted a devilish, stylish witches' brew of paranoia and real terror with this movie -- the movie is literally soaked with detail and imagination. Yet the terrors are mostly psychological, pulled off in the most amazing way, filling you, along with Rosemary, with absolute dread. Ira Levin's story, which reads significantly more outlandish in its terrors, is given a 60's pop art/New York look, what with its fabulous use of the Dakota as the ominous Bram, and Mia's delightful costumes. The dream sequences actually further the plot, and are spectacular visualizations of the narrative, providing insight into her strictly circa-late 60s Catholic upbringing. Mia Farrow is sensational as Rosemary, with her big eyes and winning sweetness; her transformation is riveting. Ruth Gordon provides more than enough creepiness all on her own, and John Cassavettes is absolutely perfect as Rosemary's ambitious, cunning husband. The wildly provocative premise places the son of the devil in Manhattan -- and as the movie cast its spell, you descend into madness with Rosemary, who, after all, simply wants the dream of motherhood in her pretty apartment. The bookend lullaby will continue to haunt you for days.

ROMAN AND MIA`S BEST
With all-star-performances from Mia, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer and John Cassavetes, Polish-director Roman Polanski offers his BEST film.... The seduction-scenes with the Devil - and Rosemary`s nightmares were based on LSD-trips and discussions between Roman and his wife, Sharon Tate. Sharon can be seen briefly in the "making of" and supposedly as an extra when Rosemary is having a party. The film is still disturbing and watchable. Rosemary`s humming is indeed by Mia Farrow.

ROSEMARYS BABY DVD- MIA FARROW
A BRILLIANT MOVIE!! A DEFINITE CLASSIC TO HAVE IN YOUR COLLECTION.ONE OF THE SCARIEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME. MIA FARROW IS EXCELLENT IN HER POTRAYAL OF ROSEMARY AS WELL AS RUTH GORDON AS THE NOSY,WITCH NEXT DOOR. DONT MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DR. SAPERSTEIN!!!! ALSO,SEE A VERY YOUNG CHARLES GRODIN. THE BEGINNING SEQUENCE IS CLASSIC AS THEY SHOW ALL SHOTS OF THE DAKOTA FROM ALL ANGLES. A MOVIE YOU WILL LOVE.

"What have you done to his eyes?"
The cast of Rosemary's Baby really help bring the wonderful characters of the novel to life. Mia Farrow is perfectly cast as Rosemary, as is John Cassevetes as her husband Guy. I could not imagine anyone other than Ruth Gordon playing Minnie Castevet, the annoying neighbor with a dark secret. Sidney Blackmer as her husband is truly memorable. The supporting cast is equally terrific and the story is suspenseful and chilling, brilliantly written for the screen by Roman Polanski. I have not seen a more faithful adaptation of a novel yet, and it works wonderfully, conveying Rosemary's turmoil and madness effectively. Mia Farrow plays her to perfection, vulnerable yet brave. The ending is truly memorable and creepy. I just wish the tone of the film was darker, but perhaps the subject matter was controversial enough in 1968. Perhaps a darker remake is in order? That would be great! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Roman Polanski adapted Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles and came up with this moody, haunting film starring Nastassia Kinski as the farm girl who is misused by the aristocrat for whom she works and who is then caught in a marriage where her initial happiness soon turns to grief. Fans of the novel may feel unpersuaded by Polanski's effort to marry Hardy's Dorset vision with his own fascination with psychosexual impulses toward survival, but the film is an often stunning thing to see, and Kinski's sensitive, intelligent performance lingers in the memory. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Loyal to the novel (for the most part)
Warning: Spoilers.
The one major complaint I have about this movie is its tendency to drag on. Many scenes were slow-as-life, showing Tess walking through a field or thoughtfully gazing off into space. Although I felt that the film was moving unnecessarily slow, I was certainly never bored. My attention was kept, I believe, by the fact that I had read Hardy's novel prior to watching the movie. For the most part, Polanski stayed true to Hardy's story and intentions with the exception of two major themes. First, I felt that Polanski didn't make it clear that Tess felt an extreme responsibility to work for her family as a result of her accident that killed their horse, Prince. The fact that they had lost their horse was mentioned in the film, but I felt that an integral reason for Tess's leaving home to work for the D'Urbervilles was because she felt responsible for her family's financial woes. The second major departure from the book was the fact that Tess submitted to Alec in the woods. Hardy made it abundantly clear that Tess was disgusted with the man. In the film, Tess willingly kissed Alec back for a long while before he took advantage of her, thus leading to her misfortune throughout the rest of the story.
As a high school student, I realize that many students watch the film versions of novels before writing a paper. I must strongly recommend against this. While the film follows the plot of the novel almost exactly, there are many elements presented in the book that even the most masterful filmmaker could not be able to incorporate, such as Tess's helplessness, Angel's self-confidence, and Alec's wild lust. All of these characteristics are magnified much greater in the novel.
As a whole, I am impressed with Polanski's ability to stay relatively true to the classic novel. If you have read the novel and can get past the two major flaws that I mentioned, you should enjoy the movie because it is a decent stand alone film.

Where's the DVD?
Tess is one of my all-time favourite films for a number of reasons. One, is that it is beautifully, and thoughtfully told by Roman Polanski; two, it is one of Nastassja's Kinski's finest performances in a varied (and underrated) career; and finally, it's one of the most stunningly photographed films ever. Which begs the question...why has there been no DVD release?

I saw a version of Tess on a French station in Quebec recently, and it was shown in widescreen, and it looked fantastic! The colors were vibrant and the film had never looked better.

I imagine there are probably some issues over rights to this film and that is why it is being delayed from a DVD release, but I hope they can work it out (or whatever it is that is preventing its DVD release).

Still, worth seeing on VHS though.

Polanski at his best...
Polanski finally won the Oscar! All of his great films are on DVD...why not this one? "Rosemary's Baby", "Chinatown", etc.Where's the DVD for "Tess", winner of many awards, and a brilliant debut for Nastassia Kinski? I want this DVD a lot.

If you think something like this can't happen to you, think.
I have seen this movie when it came out. I have seen it several times since then. I hadn't watched it for many years now because I knew that it could happen to anyone even more so today. I went into a trend of watching only "upbeat" movies. I now, with age, realized that this is an UPBEAT movie if you watch it with wisdom and not with snob. If you are arrogant enough to think that Polanski just shoots films that reminds him of Tate and Manson then you don't know enough about Polanski or just don't want to accept that "things" can get so wrong that you don't prepare for it with humor, passion, and love for yourself and others. In every homeless person's life there is a Tess story. If you wish to think in religious terms this is the Story of Job. Anybody is just an illness, a disaster away from Tess: Once it happens you will see how dignity is the only way out BUT you must get on your feet again BEFORE society chastises you as a bum.

Hardy onto Film
This film was an extraordinary adaptation of Tess of the D'Urbervilles onto film. Roman Polanski took great pains, I'm sure, in keeping the integrity of Hardy's novel when writing/directing the screenplay. The thing that fascinated me most was the fact that the film was completely true to the book. Not a single detail was altered in the screenplay. I truly admire Polanski's ambition in keeping the movie so similar to the book. But, I feel that the movie itself is a bit cumbersome. The movie is 190 minutes in length! I appreciate the fact that Hardy's ideas weren't tampered with, but as a viewer, it is difficult to watch the entire film. I was forced to watch the film in increments because of its sheer length, but I would suggest watching the film in one sitting, so that the momentum of plot isn't lost.
Nastassja Kinski was an incredible asset to the film. Her acting was superb. Her appearance is so intense and her voice is clear; she is very easy to focus on. When I read the novel, I felt differently about Tess than when I watched Kinski play Tess. My original impression of Tess after reading the novel was that she was meek and submissive. I felt her family, Alec, and Angel easily controlled her. Kinski brought to the role an element of independence and determination that I didn't pick up on in the novel. Kinski portrayed the character Tess with such conviction and artistry. She had a fiery spirit and made Tess seem much more capable than the Tess I had picked up on in the novel. Kinski's Tess was very abrupt with Alec when he came onto her. She was also short with Angel when he came back from Brazil and wanted to be her husband again. Although the content of the plot is the same in the book, I felt that Kinski really made Tess's spirit come alive.
I would recommend this film to anyone who has read Tess of the D'Urbervilles. It is obvious that Polanski has great respect for Hardy because he kept the film true to the novel. For this reason, I think the film adaptation is superb and is worthy of viewing. ... Read more