HERBST HUMANIITIES
Dr. Fredrickmseyer
Chinatown
and its Associations with Oedipus the King
A. BACKGROUND
1.
Who was William Mulholland, and what made him famous (including a
possible scandal)?
2.
What traumatic event did the director of Chinatown, Roman Polanski, suffer
before making this film? What role does Polanski play in the film? Identify
some awards he has received.
3.
a. What is the literal meaning of the term film noir?
b. With what decades is the genre of film noir most associated?
c. What are some of its most noted examples in literature and film. Name some
early noir authors, books, and films, and then some more recent films often
described as neo-noir. (A total of approximately 10 items.)
d. Identify some of the conventions of the noir genre, including its visual
characteristics (e.g., black and white or color, camera angles, etc.), plot, typical
qualities of its protagonist, and his female counterpart, the femme fatale? What is
the literal meaning of the term femme fatale?
e. Is Eve a conventional femme fatale?
4.
a. In what year was Chinatown released?
b. In the decade leading up to the making of Chinatown, what controversial
military conflict was the US involved in? What scandal involving President
Nixon occurred? How does Chinatown play on the American skepticism toward
power that resulted from these events?
B. CHINATOWN
1.
In what year does Chinatown take place? (Clue: look for a famous horse.)
2.
a. Whose perspective does the camera most frequently show? Identify
some specific scenes.
b. How does this reinforce the film’s illusion of reality? Explain your answer.
c. How do close-up shots reinforce the film’s sense of individual alienation and
isolation?
d. Identify dialogue that stresses human isolation?
3.
Do any of the film’s characters have significant or meaningful names?
4.
Chinatown is considered by many film critics to be the best screenplay ever
written. Its cinematography and soundtrack are also admired. With reference to
specific dialogue, scenes, and so on, please suggest some reasons why many film
critics have offered such praise. (Of course, whether you personally like the film
or not, is another question. An individual’s like or dislike of any work of art is
arguably subjective.)
C. CHINATOWN AND OEDIPUS REX (OR)
1.
In an article titled “The Wasteland Motif,” the scholar Wayne Henderson
identifies parallels between the settings of Oedipus Rex and Chinatown. What do
you think is meant by the title of this article, and what parallels (if any) would
you draw between the settings of the two works?
2.
What essentially epistemological role do Oedipus and Jake share?
3.
What about their pasts makes Oedipus and Jake so certain that they correctly
understand their situations, and that they can successfully complete their
investigations?
4.
Do the transgressions in Chinatown and Oedipus the King involve the private
and/or public spheres?
5.
a. Consider what Jake’s nose wound might symbolize with respect to his
epistemological skills. Does Oedipus have any physical handicaps that serve to
underscore his inability to detect the truth?
6.
Consider how Chinatown echoes the opposition in Oedipus Rex of literal and
figurative sight. First, rank the four main characters (Jake, Eve, Hollis, and
Noah) in terms of how much they know about the two central crimes of the story
at the beginning of the film. Next, rank them according to the quality of their
literal sight or by whether they have some ocular flaw. (In answering this
question, think of Jake’s use of specular technology as an aspect of his literal
sight.)
7.
Suggest how aspects of the dialogue and plot invite us to understand the section
of L.A. called "Chinatown" to symbolize fate, especially with respect to Jake and
Eve. What aspects of Oedipus the King do these aspects of the film iterate?
8.
Your answer to question 7 notwithstanding, do you understand Jake to exercise
free will or to be entirely a victim of fate? How about Eve?