Chinatown & The Many Faces of Evelyn Mulwray by Ian Messner

Much could be said about 1974’s Chinatown, and there is, in fact, already a large collection of fantastic videos, special features, books, etc., covering every aspect of this LA Noir Classic. I try to consume as much of this collection as I can, as Chinatown has long been a favorite film of mine and the one I hold responsible for causing a major change in the lens through which I saw (and see) films.

At 16 years old, I was aware of Chinatown’s existence but knew little about it - maybe like Nicholson’s Jake Gittes. So I decided I should start crossing some ‘classics’ off my list and found a copy of the film on DVD at my local Target. What I remember most from that first viewing in my bedroom was the absolute gut-punch I felt when Jerry Goldsmith’s “Love Theme from Chinatown (End Title)” plays as the camera rises into the sky. True or not, my memory tells me that even an hour or two (or three) after finishing the film, this haze of depression and emptiness the ending left me with hung in the air like the smoke from Jake’s cigarette in the iconic poster. I couldn’t shake myself loose.

For a long while after that, this was a Jack Nicholson picture to me. I mean, how many better marriages have there been between character and actor? Robert Towne wrote it specifically for his pal Nicholson, and it ends up a match made in heaven. But this is also a film that lends something new to its audience with each repeat viewing. And in my most recent rewatches (and crucially, a Network rewatch), I’ve started to fully digest just how completely and unbelievably spectacular Faye Dunaway’s performance is. Nicholson may have been the one to pop to me initially, but wow - Dunaway is on absolute fire this whole movie. And while it may be John Huston’s despicable Noah Cross whose shadow looms large in the story, it’s the shadow and memory of Dunaway’s Evelyn that truly lingers. 

The character Evelyn Mulwray, by my very professional count, appears in at least six versions and about a hundred facial expressions in only about 35 minutes on screen. The way Dunaway’s face changes in a matter of seconds to convey so many emotions while also restraining so much of the character is simply amazing. How her eyes move - darting away from the prying questions and then darting back when she must protect her secrets - is so incredibly measured and controlled. The dance between the emotions and physicality in her performance is unbelievable. 

But funny enough, we are first introduced to Evelyn Mulwray, played not by Faye Dunaway, but by the wonderful Diane Ladd posing as Evelyn Mulwray. And this version of Evelyn has been dressed up to play the part of a wealthy someone-else. Her costume, compared to Faye Dunaway’s outfits, is ridiculous: the black gloves, the red lips, the pop of jewelry on her wrist, a ludicrous wrapping of fur around her shoulders (in the LA heat?), and the most ridiculous hat in the entire movie. She’s been dressed up to look like someone else. But who is this someone else? Because when we meet the first version of Faye Dunaway’s Evelyn Mulwray, she is, in fact, also dressing herself up to appear to be someone else.

If you know this film and the secrets Evelyn carries, you can see the act she must put on. In her introductory scene, we see a cool, composed, and rigid character. She’s very matter-of-fact, yet restrained. As she exits the scene and glances back at Jake, she tells him, “I don’t get tough with anyone, Mr. Gittes. My lawyer does.” Cold. Great mic drop. But an act.   

When we see Dunaway next, we see the first glimpse of the cracks in her mask. But first, let’s try to straighten this out - Dunaway has to play a woman who is doing her best to basically play another woman, and maintain her secrets and privacy from Jake, the audience, and possibly even from herself. Unfortunately for her, there aren’t many better at wiggling through these cracks than Nicholson as Gittes, and as he does wiggle, the cracks grow. Here we get glimpses of Dunaway’s Evelyn #2 (by full-movie count, this is Evelyn Mulwray #3) as she tries to end the whole investigation. Gittes apologizes to her and tells her that his interest in this case is nothing personal, to which she snaps back, “It’s very personal. It couldn’t be more personal. Is this a business or an obsession with you?” In this moment, Dunaway gives the audience the inclination that something is off about the relationship between her character and the situation. The rigid and restrained Evelyn is now shown sharing space with a version that feels a little more desperate and a little less controlled. We could still believe that her attempts to end the investigation are simply due to unwanted press that her husband may be having an affair, and that makes sense, right? But still, something about the way the character now behaves seems atypical, and it keeps the audience hooked, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. 

After a part of Evelyn seems to realize that she may wish for this all to come to light, she shows another version of herself and lets her guard down (Evelyn Mulwray #4) . Evelyn shows some genuine sweetness with Jake. She’s even willing to play-act with Jake, pretending that “dad” needs to be placed in a home, as they tour a retirement home as part of his investigation. (This lasts only a short sequence, and I will not count it as another Evelyn, but it is worth noting that we do see Evelyn again acting as someone else). She begins to ask Jake questions about his own past, and seems to really care. Then, they have sex (because this is a movie).

But - Evelyn smiles as she looks at Jake in bed and softly brushes her fingers along his chest, and at this point in the film, it’s almost jarring to see her look so comfortable and intimate. I’m not sure if the scene is truly romantic, but there is something truly sweet about these two hurt people starting to find some common ground with one another. That is, however, until reality strikes in the form of a phone call from her butler Kahn. Cut back to Evelyn with a mask. 

The fifth version of Evelyn we are granted is the one that admits her secrets and the truth in an emotional scene wherein Gittes accuses her of being guilty of her husband’s death, and while demanding answers, slaps her and throws her around. He is in a clear position of power here. But when she looks up to Jake and, through tears, says, “My father and I… understand? Or is it too tough for you?” she actually takes all the power from Jake. The dynamic of the scene completely changes. By being completely honest in this moment, she’s flipped the power dynamic. It’s her first scene since Dunaway’s introduction, where she’s in control - yet now she’s done so while baring her soul and secrets instead of pretending. Unfortunately, she’s in it now with Jake, who thinks he’s pretty smart, so his idea of fixing things is what leads us right to Chinatown…

And it’s here in Chinatown (a location screenwriter Robert Towne was adamant they should not show on film, as it was intended to be representative of a state of mind and not a real location) that we see Evelyn, for a moment, break out of the chains that have long held her down. She does everything she thinks she has to to get away and protect Katherine, and Dunaway’s performance is now bigger than it’s been all movie. Everything is at stake, and Dunaway is the center of it all, playing it perfectly. But this is Chinatown.

And so we reach the last version of Evelyn. The tragic character that meets a tragic end. And for Dunaway, an all-time performance culminates in an all-time gut punch.  

Regarding Faye Dunaway’s performance, New York Times Critic Wesley Morris recently stated, “I just think that that is the greatest psychological performance I think I’ve ever seen.” Hard to disagree, but there are plenty of other wonderful performances that could be noted alongside it. But the tones, the secrets, the acts, the despair, and the heartbreak that Dunaway moves in and out of is so beautiful and heartbreaking to me. And Dunaway does it so well that you might almost think she did it with ease. However, if you’ve dug into the large collection of work on what went on behind the scenes, this performance was not easy. Despite the working conditions she was put in at times, she is INCREDIBLE in this movie. This is certainly not just a Jack Nicholson picture, and it is certainly not a Roman Polanski picture. It is a whole team creating something special and beautiful, and as I watch it now, at its heartbeat is a heartbreaking Faye Dunaway.