Storytelling Output Report

for

"Chinatown"

ANALYSIS INFORMATION:

 

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General Storytelling:	Fairly Complete
Act Order Storytelling:	None
Character List:	Major Characters
Build Characters:	None

 

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Author:		Robert Towne
Analysis sources:		Source Material: Film
Genre:		Detective Noir
Setting:		Southern California
Period:		Approximately 1930's/1940's.
Analysis by:		Screenplay Systems

Comments:

"Chinatown" is a wonderful example of storyweaving at its finest. What "seems" to be going on is almost entirely hidden until the very end of the film, and when the proper context is finally provided everything is different than it had appeared. Similar to "Body Heat," "Chinatown" is experienced (by the audience) almost exclusively from the Main Character's point of view. The process of investigation in which Jake is engaged appears to be the Objective Story throughline, when in fact it is only his throughline as explored in terms of the Physics class. The truly objective view of the story reveals the tangled Past that ties all of the major players in the story and is best understood in terms of a state of affairs (situation) that is completely out of balance (Objective Story Domain of Universe).

Brief Synopsis:

A private detective is hired to locate the identity and whereabouts of a young woman. This leads to mistaken identities, murder, and the discovery of a multi-million dollar land grab conspiracy.

Name: Jake Gittes
ID: Main Character
Gender: Male
Description:

Jake is a former cop who retired early and started his own detective agency. He is fairly successful and is in it because he wants to do 'good.'

Role: Private Investigator

Name: Evelyn Mulwray
ID: Impact Character
Gender: Female
Description:

A wealthy, sophisticated woman. She is the wife of Hollis Mulwray and the daughter of Noah Cross. Her deep, dark secret is that she had sex with her father which resulted in pregnancy.

Role: Suspect

Name: Catherine Mulwray
Gender: Female
Description:

Catherine is the byproduct of an incestuous relationship between Noah and Evelyn. Raised in Mexico, she speaks only Spanish and is an innocent pawn in a dangerous game played by Noah and Evelyn over her custody.

Role: Mystery Woman

Name: Hollis Mulwray
Gender: Male
Description:

Hollis is an older man and former pal/business associate of Noah Cross. He is married to Evelyn, acting father of Catherine, and head of the Department of Water and Power.

Role: Head of the D.W.P.

Name: Noah Cross
Gender: Male
Description:

Noah Cross is an aging millionaire who is not beyond engaging in secret, illegal dealings (and murder) to get what he wants. He is Evelyn Mulwray's father, Hollis Mulwray's ex-pal, and Catherine Mulwray's father/grandfather.

Role: Wealthy Grandfather

Nature as it relates to Actual Work:

It seems to Jake that all he needs to do is to do his job well and he will eventually discover the true identity of the young girl.

Essence as it relates to Positive Feel:

Jake appears to be getting closer and closer to the source of the story's troubles.

Tendency as it relates to Unwilling:

Jake is misled into working on the case and subsequently becomes an unwilling pawn in the discovery (and retrieval) of Noah Cross' granddaughter.

Reach as it relates to Both:

Main Character Resolve as it relates to Steadfast:

Never one to leave things open-ended, Jake pursues the 'answer' to his questions relentlessly. Even after Evelyn is killed and Noah takes his granddaughter away, Jake's inclination is to keep on going.

Impact Character Resolve as it relates to Change:

Main Character Growth as it relates to Stop:

Jake is trying to hold out for the inequities in life to end. This is difficult because he is in a business that focuses on people's troubles.

Main Character Approach as it relates to Do-er:

"Act first, pay the consequences later," could easily describe Jake's general approach. When given a choice, he clearly prefers to solve problems by doing something (e.g. jump the fence near the reservoir, tear the page out of the county land registry, trespass on the land in the San Fernando Valley, slap Evelyn to get the truth, etc.).

Main Character Problem-Solving Style as it relates to Logical:

Jake looks for clues to see where they will lead him. Though this helps him locate and identify Evelyn's daughter/Noah's granddaughter, he misses the big picture (the intermingled relationships) that a person using female mental sex problem solving techniques might have picked up.

Story Driver as it relates to Decision:

Noah's decision to use Jake to find his granddaughter forces the subsequent actions to take place; Hollis' decision to oppose Noah leads to the breakup of their friendship and to Hollis' eventual murder; Evelyn's decision to trust Jake with the truth leads to her death; etc.

Story Limit as it relates to Optionlock:

There are only a limited number of clues from which Jake can determine what is going on.

Story Outcome as it relates to Success:

Jake discovers the identity and location of Noah Cross' granddaughter.

Story Judgment as it relates to Bad:

Jake remains clueless as to why events turned out so badly for him--"Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."

Overall Story Name: "Land Grab Conspiracy"

Throughline Synopsis:

A rich man, Noah Cross, hires a private investigator, Jake Gittes, to get compromising pictures of his son-in-law Hollis Mulwray (who was a former friend and business ally and is now a business opponent) with his granddaughter. The pictures are leaked to the press with the intention of creating a scandal for Mulwray and thus diminish his potential for thwarting Cross' dubious land dealings. Things go sour. Mulwray is murdered. It's up to the private investigator to find out what went wrong and why.

Backstory:

Throughline as it relates to Situation:

Many years ago, Noah Cross had relations with his daughter, Evelyn, and got her pregnant. To protect Evelyn from scandal (and because he was a caring person), Cross' business pal, Hollis Mulwray, took Evelyn to Mexico where she had her baby. Hollis eventually married Evelyn. Now, Hollis and Evelyn are back in Los Angeles where Hollis is the head of the Department of Water and Power. His interests (and those of the Angelenos) is in direct conflict with Noah Cross' plans for making lots of money by buying up the San Fernando Valley and then annexing it to L.A. County to get cheap water for irrigation. The family troubles become intertwined with the business troubles and it is left up to a private investigator to sort the mess out.

Concern as it relates to The Past:

Noah Cross, Hollis and Evelyn Mulwray, and the mysterious young girl are all connected by the scandalous, incestuous past; Jake Gittes and the police have a long past together; Jake had past interactions with Chinatown as a detective; etc.

Issue as it relates to Interdiction :

Noah Cross' predictions of the San Fernando Valley as a gold mine for him are in conflict with Hollis' (and others) efforts to stop the building of the dam that will make it possible; Jake's efforts to intercede on Evelyn's behalf conflict with the predictable, tragic end that past events foreshadow; etc.

Counterpoint as it relates to Prediction :

Thematic Conflict as it relates to Interdiction vs. Prediction:

Problem as it relates to Desire:

Noah's desire for his daughter led to her getting pregnant by him which estranged his business buddy, Hollis; Jake and Evelyn's desire for each other creates conflict of interest troubles for them; Noah's desire for more wealth (it's certainly not needed because he already has more than he knows what to do with) drives the entire water/land grab conflict; etc.

Solution as it relates to Ability:

Jake's abilities as a private investigator allow him to find and properly identify the "mysterious girl"; Noah's money buys all the people with abilities that he needs to get custody of his granddaughter--including the police; etc.

Symptom as it relates to Inequity:

While the source of the real troubles in "Chinatown" are familial, most all of the characters' attentions are drawn to the shady dealings surrounding what is going on in the San Fernando Valley concerning water.

Response as it relates to Equity:

Hollis, aware that something is going on, tries to identify the wrongdoings in an effort to set the course straight; as a private investigator hired under false pretenses, Jake tries to find out the truth and set things right; the police (with a few exceptions) try to uphold the law by bringing the bad guys to justice; etc.

Catalyst as it relates to Destiny:

Jake is destined to repeat his past errors, and his struggles to avoid that destiny push the investigation forward at a faster pace; Noah's convictions that it is his granddaughter's inevitable path to live with him drives the man to take more aggressive actions which eventually exposes his illegal dealings; etc.

Inhibitor as it relates to Interpretation:

Misinterpretations constantly slow the progress of the investigation: Jake's inaccurate assessment of the first "Mrs. Mulwray"; the farmers in the San Fernando Valley think Jake is one of Noah's men that has been harassing them and almost kill Jake (which slows him down); the misinterpretation of what the salt water in Hollis' lungs means; and most importantly, the misinterpretation of the Mulwray's gardener's comment, "Bad for glass," which really meant, "Bad for GRASS." Had the gardener's comment been properly interpreted, the investigation would have moved along at a much greater pace.

Benchmark as it relates to The Future:

The future of the San Fernando Valley and the future of the "mysterious girl" are the two standards by which progress is measured in the objective story throughline in "Chinatown."

Goal as it relates to The Past:

There is one event from the past that ties Noah, Hollis, Evelyn, and Catherine together that explains the current situation.

Consequence as it relates to Memories:

Should Evelyn successfully escape with her daughter, Noah will be left only with the painful memories of his estrangement from his daughter and the shameful incest that produced Catherine.

Cost as it relates to Developing a Plan:

Dividend as it relates to Understanding:

Requirements as it relates to The Future:

In order for the relationships between Noah, Hollis, Evelyn, and the mysterious girl to be discovered, the investigation must uncover the plans for the future of the San Fernando Valley annexation.

Prerequisites as it relates to Innermost Desires:

Jake must discover why Hollis is so driven to oppose the building of the dam; Noah uses Jake's drive to right apparent wrongs to get the pictures of Hollis with Catherine; the "Love Nest" scandal is created to divert attention from Noah's real motivation to kill Hollis; etc.

Preconditions as it relates to Changing One's Nature:

IN NOAH'S EYES: Noah must become "grandfatherly" and protective of his granddaughter; Evelyn must become "dead" to him--metaphorically ("I've lost her") if not literally; Hollis must become literally dead; Jake must become irrelevant; etc.

Forewarnings as it relates to Obtaining:

Noah is buying up all of the land in the San Fernando Valley. This is being done quietly, and illegally. Jake, however, slowly picks up clues as to the goings-on and should he blow the whistle on the land deal and the identity of Noah's granddaughter too early, Noah might not get either.

Main vs. Impact Story Name: "Jake Investigates Evelyn"

Throughline Synopsis:

Jake, a man looking for answers, and Evelyn, a woman with secrets, become romantically involved against both of their better judgment.

Backstory:

Throughline as it relates to Fixed Attitude:

The general area of conflict between Jake and Evelyn comes from the difference between Evelyn's firm belief that she has been wronged (by Jake and Noah) but is otherwise innocent, and Jake's belief that people like Evelyn are always guilty of something.

Concern as it relates to Memories:

Jake and Evelyn come into conflict over Evelyn's recollections of the events that transpired around the time of her husband's death, and later about her recollections of the intermingled relationships between Hollis, Noah, and herself.

Issue as it relates to Suspicion :

Though Jake collects evidence that indicates Evelyn's innocence in her husband's death, he becomes increasingly suspicious of her motives and alibis. All evidence indicates she is a good person, but there is something very suspicious about her behavior that hints at some sort of duplicity.

Counterpoint as it relates to Evidence :

Thematic Conflict as it relates to Suspicion vs. Evidence:

Problem as it relates to Speculation:

Speculations made about Jake and Evelyn's relationship creates friction between them--even before any relationship exists. From the introduction of the "fake" Mrs. Mulwray, to the introduction of the real Mrs. Mulwray ("Do you know this woman?" "No."), clear through to the famous "Sister...daughter" slapping scene, the conjecturing about their relationship causes tremendous friction between Jake and Evelyn.

Solution as it relates to Projection:

If at any time Jake or Evelyn extrapolated where their relationship would likely lead (meaning probably nowhere beneficial), they would have been able to call it quits and live to tell.

Symptom as it relates to Inequity:

Jake and Evelyn believe their problems grow from the disparity in their social and financial backgrounds: he's middle class, she's upper class; he's crude, she's sophisticated; he's new money, she's old money; etc.

Response as it relates to Equity:

Jake and Evelyn work to create parity between them to develop their relationship.

Catalyst as it relates to Falsehood:

Lies and deceptions draw Jake and Evelyn tighter together: their introduction was the result of the "fake" Mrs. Mulwray's claims and actions; Jake and Evelyn begin working together when Evelyn lies to the police and tells them that Jake is in her employ; Evelyn's attempts to dodge Jake's investigation of HER involvement in her husband's murder draws the two of them together resulting in romantic entanglements; Evelyn's attempts to mislead Jake as to the identity of the "mysterious girl" and, more importantly, Evelyn's "relations" with her own father, move the relationship irrevocably to its doomed end.

Inhibitor as it relates to Circumstances:

Evelyn's recent bereavement (and change of marital status) reduce friction between she and Jake. Under those circumstances, Jake is a little more willing to cut Evelyn some slack.

Benchmark as it relates to Innermost Desires:

The degree to which Jake and Evelyn succumb to their basic drives and desires (libido) indicates the growth in their unfortunate relationship.

Role: Private Investigator

Description:

Jake is a former cop who retired early and started his own detective agency. He is fairly successful and is in it because he wants to do 'good.'

Throughline Synopsis:

Jake Gittes, a former member of the L.A.P.D., is a relatively successful private investigator. He sees injustices, great and small, all around him and he feels it is his duty to do what he can to bring a little balance back into the world. The world is a mystery to him, however, a mystery that he feels compelled to try and understand.

Backstory:

Throughline as it relates to Activity:

Jake is an investigator--he investigates. It is just this kind of activity that leads him into hot water.

Concern as it relates to Understanding:

Jake wants to understand how everything fits together: why he was set up; what is going on with the water in L.A. County; why Hollis Mulwray was murdered; what the relationships are between Hollis, Evelyn, Noah Cross, and the mysterious girl; and most importantly to him, why bad things happen even when everything possible is done to prevent them from happening. He never gets his understanding in this story. All he is left with is a recommendation to ignore his ignorance, "Forget it, Jake. It's Chinatown."

Issue as it relates to Interpretation :

Jake's personal truths are drawn from the conflicts he finds between what he sees in the world around him, and what it all means. He is sensitive to flaws and imperfections (Evelyn's eye, for example), but frequently assigns meaning to these objects where no meaning exists. This consistently sets him up for disappointment and failure.

Counterpoint as it relates to Senses :

Thematic Conflict as it relates to Interpretation vs. Senses:

Problem as it relates to Chaos:

Jake tries to make sense from the senseless which always gets him into trouble. In his past, he tried to save a woman which contributed to her death. His job as a private investigator is motivated by a need to create order (and understanding) in situations that are naturally chaotic (family troubles, missing persons, etc.).

Solution as it relates to Order:

If Jake was willing to identify (and accept) the clearly defined social/political/financial organizations that exist in his world, he would be able to recognize that corruption and inequities come part and parcel with them and could then learn how to work successfully within the system. Instead, Jake refuses to see patterns in the way society is set up and ultimately fails to resolve his personal issues.

Symptom as it relates to Inequity:

Jake's attention is focused on how unfair life can be. He tries to help those people to whom life has not given a fair break. Jake has little tolerance for privileged people like Noah Cross and Evelyn Mulwray.

Response as it relates to Equity:

As a private investigator, Jake tries to right the wrongs that go on or are done to people.

Unique Ability as it relates to Conditioning:

Jake has a lot of experience investigating crime and crimes of passion in Los Angeles. When his instincts tell him that he is in serious peril and that he should stop pursuing, his conditioning keeps him calm and hot on the trail of the case. This eventually leads him to setting up Evelyn and her daughter which was Noah's goal from the beginning. Jake's conditioning, however, also makes Jake be as straight as possible with the police (except for the sin of omission), which ultimately leads to his own personal failure.

Critical Flaw as it relates to Interdiction:

Jake's attempts to intercede on other people's behalf consistently undermines his efforts. Trying to help the "fake" Mrs. Mulwray ends up creating a scandal and almost gets him sued by the real Evelyn Mulwray; trying to intercede on Evelyn's escape by calling in the police to protect her gets her killed; and even the "ghost" (woman) in Jake's past died as the result of his attempts to intercede on her part. In each case, Jake's efforts to prevent the inevitable caused the inevitable to happen.

Benchmark as it relates to Obtaining:

The more evidence Jake collects, the greater we see his concern for understanding what is truly going on.

Role: Suspect

Description:

A wealthy, sophisticated woman. She is the wife of Hollis Mulwray and the daughter of Noah Cross. Her deep, dark secret is that she had sex with her father which resulted in pregnancy.

Throughline Synopsis:

Evelyn is desperately trying to get her sister/daughter away from the clutches of Noah. Because of the time in which this story is set and the scandal it would create, however, it is imperative that nobody find out the true identity of the "mysterious woman" (her sister/daughter).

Backstory:

Throughline as it relates to Manipulation:

Evelyn's primary modus operandi is through manipulation. She "play acts" the role of the cool sophisticate ignorant of any reasons why her husband might have been murdered, while deep down she is a desperate mother trying to protect her child from the clutches of Noah.

Concern as it relates to Developing a Plan:

Evelyn knows that she must get Catherine (her daughter) away from Noah, but she doesn't know how. Evelyn's chief concern is to formulate a plan that would keep them safely away from Noah while still being able to provide for food and shelter. This becomes increasingly difficult after her husband is murdered (by Noah) and Evelyn becomes a prime suspect.

Issue as it relates to Circumstances :

Evelyn's station in life as an aristocrat, and the moral superiority that is associated with that social class, is in direct conflict with the scandalous immorality of her dark secret (incest).

Counterpoint as it relates to Situation :

Thematic Conflict as it relates to Circumstances vs. Situation:

Problem as it relates to Desire:

Desire for her father got Evelyn pregnant and ostracized to years in Mexico. Desire for Jake destroys her plans to save her daughter from Noah. Desire for her daughter's safety drives Evelyn to attempt to escape from the police which gets Evelyn killed.

Solution as it relates to Ability:

If Evelyn was given the ability to provide for her daughter on her own, she would be able to escape her father's reach and live a life free of fear. Unfortunately, Evelyn never looks to her own abilities to provide for her daughter and eventually fails.

Symptom as it relates to Speculation:

Evelyn initially refuses to speculate as to who or why someone would want to impersonate her and create a scandal for her husband. When her husband is murdered, there are many speculations made about Evelyn's possible involvement and what her motivations might have been. Her lack of effort in dispelling these speculations ends up drawing Jake further into the mystery, casts greater doubts on her character, and makes it difficult for her to carry on with her secret plans for escape from Noah. Additionally, Evelyn's lack of speculation as to the extent Noah might be willing to get his granddaughter back sets her up for an eventual downfall.

Response as it relates to Projection:

As a suspect in her husband's murder, Evelyn anticipates how the investigation might prevent her secret plans to disappear with her daughter. She hires Jake to find the murderer which should, from her point of view, take the heat off of her (she IS innocent of THAT crime) and create a diversion sufficient to hide her exit.

Unique Ability as it relates to Sense of Self:

Though Evelyn acts superior and she is quite attractive, she actually has a very low self-esteem, primarily due to her incestuous activities in her past. This poor sense-of-self is just the type of thing for which Jake is a sucker. He's a rescuer and she's in need of being rescued. It is this quality that makes Evelyn uniquely able to impact Jake.

Critical Flaw as it relates to Suspicion:

Evelyn's efforts to save her daughter from Noah and social ridicule are completely undermined when she comes under suspicion of murder. Additionally, her impact on Jake is impaired by her suspicious behavior and his suspicions that she isn't being completely honest with him.

Benchmark as it relates to Changing One's Nature:

Evelyn starts out as a cool, controlled, sophisticated woman of means and becomes an increasingly shaken, fearful, desperate mother as the story progresses. This change in her persona is directly tied to her failing efforts to conceptualize a viable escape with her daughter.