I wasn't exactly known for my class participation, but his statement needed refuting, so I raised my hand for only the second or third time in the history of my formal education. Of course, I asked, "What about Chinatown?"

His answer: "Well, that's different."

Indeed. Roman Polanski's masterpiece, now 25 years young, broke-or just plain ignored-a lot of rules. It's a film noir in color. Its femme fatale is actually the heroine. Its taboo plot twist dismayed even freewheelin' seventies audiences. And, yes, star Jack Nicholson spends about two-thirds of the movie with a bandage taped to his nose. ("Does it hurt?" he is asked. "Only when I breathe.")

Nicholson's Jake ("J.J.") Gittes is a most complex creation, a not necessarily ethical private dick who sees nobility in his spy jobs. While getting a shave and a haircut, Gittes condemns the work of a mortgage collector: "You hurt families!" he wails. The moment is thick with irony, as most of Jake's clients want to expose their adulterous spouses--his famously incriminating photos have no doubt put a crimp in many marriages.

Jake's no saint, but he does live by a moral code. He gets embarrassed when he curses in front of a woman and will repeat a dirty joke only once all the ladies are out of the room--it's his version of chivalry. We also learn early on in Chinatown that Jake doesn't nickel and dime his clients. There is little virtue in his cause, but it's the thought that counts. A persuasive Nicholson keeps us captivated by Jake, even in the silent snoop scenes. (Not that his trademark cadence goes unmissed.)

In the film, a routine infidelity case for Gittes turns ugly. One Evelyn Mulwray wants Hollis, her cheating husband (and the chief engineer of Los Angeles Water & Power) tailed. Jake's findings land on the front page of the Times, prompting the real Mrs. Mulwray (Faye Dunaway in her finest hour), to come forward with threats of litigation against the detective. But when Hollis' corpse is discovered floating in a reservoir, the victim of a suspicious drowning, Evelyn does an about-face, hiring Jake to investigate her impostor. Was Hollis' death directly linked to L.A.'s diminishing water supply?

Robert Towne's dense, intricate, fascinating plot should not be spoiled any further. Director John Huston turns up as Noah Cross, the villain of the piece, and his artificial sincerity is the creepiest element of the film's disturbing conclusion. Polanski, who suffered Nazi terror as a boy and Charles Manson as an adult, torpedoed the bittersweet finish that Towne had originally devised, and I suspect Chinatown has yet to fade from public memory because of that revision.

Gittes, who left his position with the D.A. in Chinatown because he couldn't tell the good guys apart from the bad, discovers, at story's end, that the rest of the world might be equally corrupt. Unlike its wimpy nineties equivalent, L.A. Confidential (which is similarly about solecism), Chinatown has the courage of its convictions. That is both its legacy and its final rule-breaker.

Chinatown's theatrical release is commemorated on an anniversary edition DVD from Paramount. I was somewhat disappointed by the picture quality: the 2.35:1, 16x9-enhanced image is only marginally better than that of the letterboxed LaserDisc, which I've owned for a couple of years now. John A. Alonzo's glorious widescreen compositions appear lacking in shadow detail. Shots often look softer than is generally acceptable (and I'm not referring to Dunaway's intentionally gauzy close-ups). Daylight exteriors fare best in this transfer, and colours and flesh tones are pleasing, though I recalled more sepia in the opening credits sequence than is present. At least the print elements were in good shape.

The audio is another story. Remastered in 5.1 Dolby Digital, the difference is immediately noticeable in the first few bars of Jerry Goldsmith's memorably plaintive trumpet and piano score, which has a convincing surround presence. Music aside, the rears haven't much to do except during a car chase at an orange grove, at which point the LFE channel becomes active as well. Dialogue sounds terrific. Overall, the remix is a bit too quiet; I recommend cranking the volume above reference level. For purists, a 2-channel version of the original mono soundtrack is included, and it has terrific dynamic range.

The Special Features menu encompasses an awkward trailer from 1974 and a 13-minute video featuring retrospective interviews from Chinatown's three principal crew members: Polanski, Towne, and gravel-voiced producer Robert Evans (who is lit and photographed in the manner of an old-fashioned movie star). (Aside: navigating the scene selections menu is confusing. Aside #2: Chinatown includes what is only the third or fourth animated menu from Paramount, and its accompanying music is in 5.1.) Each player admits to behind-the-scenes strife, but the supplement isn't thorough enough to flesh out the inception of a masterpiece. "Premiere Magazine" provided a much more comprehensive "Making of Chinatown" in a recent issue. (I wish Paramount had greenlighted Polanski and Towne's original proposition to interview one another since the two hated each other by production's end.)-Bill Chambers