Chinatown
- R
- Year:
- 1974
- 130 min
- 866,800 Views
FADE IN:
FULL SCREEN PHOTOGRAPH
Grainy but unmistakably a man and woman making love.
Photograph shakes. SOUND of a man MOANING in anguish. The
photograph is dropped, REVEALING ANOTHER, MORE compromising
one. Then another, and another. More moans.
CURLY'S VOICE
(crying out)
Oh, no.
INT. GITTES' OFFICE
CURLY drops the photos on Gittes' desk. Curly towers over
GITTES and sweats heavily through his workman's clothes, his
breathing progressively more labored. A drop plunks on Gittes'
shiny desk top.
Gittes notes it. A fan whiffs overhead. Gittes glances up at
it. He looks cool and brisk in a white linen suit despite
the heat. Never taking his eyes off Curly, he lights a
cigarette using a lighter with a "nail" on his desk.
Curly, with another anguished sob, turns and rams his fist
into the wall, kicking the wastebasket as he does. He starts
to sob again, slides along the wall where his fist has left
a noticeable dent and its impact has sent the signed photos
of several movie stars askew.
Curly slides on into the blinds and sinks to his knees. He
is weeping heavily now, and is in such pain that he actually
bites into the blinds.
Gittes doesn't move from his chair.
GITTES:
All right, enough is enough -you
can't eat the Venetian blinds,
Curly. I just had 'em installed on
Wednesday.
Curly responds slowly, rising to his feet, crying. Gittes
reaches into his desk and pulls out a shot glass, quickly
selects a cheaper bottle of bourbon from several fifths of
more expensive whiskeys.
Gittes pours a large shot. He shoves the glass across his
desk toward Curly.
GITTES:
-- Down the hatch.
Curly stares dumbly at it. Then picks it up, and drains it.
He sinks back into the chair opposite Gittes, begins to cry
quietly.
2.
CURLY:
(drinking, relaxing a
little)
She's just no good.
GITTES:
What can I tell you, Kid?
You're right. When you're right,
you're right, and you're right.
CURLY:
-- Ain't worth thinking about.
Gittes leaves the bottle with Curly.
GITTES:
You're absolutely right, I wouldn't
give her another thought.
CURLY:
(pouring himself)
You know, you're okay, Mr. Gittes.
I know it's your job, but you're
okay.
GITTES:
(settling back,
breathing a little
easier)
Thanks, Curly. Call me Jake.
CURLY:
Thanks. You know something, Jake?
GITTES:
What's that, Curly?
CURLY:
I think I'll kill her.
INT. DUFFY & WALSH'S OFFICE
noticeably less plush than Gitte's. A well-groomed, dark-
haired WOMAN sits nervously between their two desks, fiddling
with the veil on her pillbox hat.
WOMAN:
-- I was hoping Mr. Gittes could see
to this personally -
WALSH:
(almost the manner of
someone comforting
the bereaved)
-- If you'll allow us to complete
our preliminary questioning, by then
he'll be free.
3.
There is the SOUND of ANOTHER MOAN coming from Gittes' Office -something
made of glass shatters. The Woman grows more edgy.
INT. GITTES' OFFICE - GITTES & CURLY
Gittes and Curly stand in front of the desk, Gittes staring
contemptuously at the heavy breathing hulk towering over
him. Gittes takes a handkerchief and wipes away the plunk of
perspiration on his desk.
CURLY:
(crying)
They don't kill a guy for that.
GITTES:
Oh they don't?
CURLY:
Not for your wife. That's the
unwritten law.
Gittes pounds the photos on the desk, shouting;
GITTES:
I'll tell you the unwritten law, you
dumb son of a b*tch, you gotta be
rich to kill somebody, anybody and
get away with it. You think you got
that kind of dough, you think you
got that kind of class?
Curly shrinks back a little.
CURLY:
... No...
GITTES:
You bet your ass you don't. You can't
even pay me off.
This seems to upset Curly even more.
CURLY:
I'll pay the rest next trip -we
only caught sixty ton of skipjack
around San Benedict. We hit a
chubasco, they don't pay you for
skipjack the way they do for tuna or
albacore -
GITTES:
(easing him out of
his office)
Forget it. I only mention it to
illustrate a point...
4.
INT. OFFICE RECEPTION
He's now walking him past SOPHIE who pointedly averts her
gaze. He opens the door where on the pebbled glass can be
read:
J. J. GITTES and Associates - DISCREET INVESTIGATION.GITTES:
I don't want your last dime.
He throws an arm around Curly and flashes a dazzling smile.
GITTES:
(continuing)
What kind of guy do you think I am?
CURLY:
Thanks, Mr. Gittes.
GITTES:
Call me Jake. Careful driving home,
Curly.
He shuts the door on him and the smile disappears. He shakes
his head, starting to swear under his breath.
SOPHIE:
-- A Mrs. Mulwray is waiting for
you, with Mr. Walsh and Mr. Duffy.
Gittes nods, walks on in.
INT. DUFFY AND WALSH'S OFFICE
Walsh rises when Gittes enters.
WALSH:
Mrs. Mulwray, may I present Mr.
Gittes?
Gittes walks over to her and again flashes a warm, sympathetic
smile.
GITTES:
How do you do, Mrs. Mulwray?
MRS. MULWRAY
Mr. Gittes...
GITTES:
Now, Mrs. Mulwray, what seems to be
the problem?
She holds her breath. The revelation isn't easy for her.
MRS. MULWRAY
My husband, I believe, is seeing
another woman.
5.
Gittes looks mildly shocked. He turns for confirmation to
his two partners.
GITTES:
(gravely)
No, really?
MRS. MULWRAY
I'm afraid so.
GITTES:
I am sorry.
Gittes pulls up a chair sitting next to Mrs. Mulwray -between
Duffy and Walsh. Duffy cracks his gum. Gittes gives
him an irritated glance. Duffy stops chewing.
MRS. MULWRAY
Can't we talk about this alone, Mr.
Gittes?
GITTES:
I'm afraid not, Mrs. Mulwray.
These men are my operatives and at
some point they're going to assist
me. I can't do everything myself.
MRS. MULWRAY
Of course not.
GITTES:
Now -- what makes you certain he is
involved with someone?
Mrs. Mulwray hesitates. She seems uncommonly nervous at the
question.
MRS. MULWRAY
-- a wife can tell.
Gittes sighs.
GITTES:
Mrs. Mulwray, do you love your
husband?
MRS. MULWRAY
(shocked)
... Yes of course.
GITTES:
(deliberately)
Then go home and forget about it.
MRS. MULWRAY
-- but...
6.
GITTES:
(staring intently at
her)
I'm sure he loves you, too. You know
the expression, let sleeping dogs
lie? You're better off not knowing.
MRS. MULWRAY
(with some real anxiety)
But I have to know.
Her intensity is genuine. Gittes looks to his two partners.
GITTES:
All right, what's your husband's
first name?
MRS. MULWRAY
Hollis. Hollis Mulwray.
GITTES:
(visibly surprised)
-- Water and Power?
Mrs. Mulwray nods, almost shyly. Gittes is now casually but
carefully checking out the detailing of Mrs. Mulwray's dress -her
handbag, shoes, etc.
MRS. MULWRAY
-- he's the Chief Engineer.
DUFFY:
(a little eagerly)
-- Chief Engineer?
Gittes' glance tells Duffy Gittes wants to do the questioning.
Mrs. Mulwray nods.
GITTES:
(confidentially)
This type of investigation can be
hard on your pocketbook, Mrs.
Mulwray. It takes time.
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"Chinatown" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/chinatown_73>.
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