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Wow, what a great movie. I liked LAC, but I think Chinatown was the better film. Maybe that's because I'm a fan of the unhappy-ending. I think the real reason Chinatown is better is the element of personal tragedy.
If you liked LAC, you would probably like this movie. The two films also highlight some of the changes Hollywood has gone through since 1974, particularly in dealing with violence. At most, there were about a dozen shots fired in Chinatown, and only 3 people ended up dead. Paltry compared to LAC's hundreds of rounds of ordnance and high body count. Yet, I thought Chinatown was able to maintain a better level of tension and dramatic build-up, making the final bloody scene so much more moving. I think Hollywood tends to equate violence and death with action and drama. Chinatown proves that you don't need that much to have the desired effect.
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