The hard boiled detective subgenre has spawned many a film to have come out of Hollywood. Following a basic formula, the genre lives up to the expectations of the audience, while using the themes of crime and consequent justice. Unlike many hard boiled detective films of the noir persuasion, Chinatown isn't afraid to play with its constructed conventions. The story takes place in Los Angeles, California during the 1930's. The mood of the film is …showed first 75 words of 847 total…

…showed last 75 words of 847 total…ntrivances often associated with hard boiled genre, right down to the dark and unexpected conclusion. Chinatown points out to the audience how the presence of a greater evil causes our hero along with the traditional myths of Hollywood to crumble. Bibliography Cawelti, J. (1986) 'Chinatown and Generic Transformation in Recent American Films', from Film Genre reader, ed. Barry Keith Grant, Austin: U of Texas Press. Pgs: 95-104 Eaton, M. Chinatown: BFI Modern Classics. [excerpt] Pgs: 91-94