Narrative Structure of Chinatown

The overall narrative structure of Chinatown is filled with plenty of thriller signifiers, and consists of a beginning, middle, a twist, climax and the end.
For starters, in the beginning of the film, we’re introduced to the main character Gittes who is hired to spy on Hollis Mulwray, the chief engineer of the city’s water department. This is a typical introductory into a thriller film, as we already know the basis of the plot. The mise-en-scene at the beginning of this film is filled with thriller signifiers. We’re introduced to dark intense rooms, which are filled with symbols such as slatted blinds which create shadows, which as we know can be quite deceiving. The darks shadows are also mixed with bright lights which contrast of each other. Also, the character of Gittes is a typical male protagonist, who is quite a flawed hero. He smokes, drinks and is quite sexists towards women. The main female lead at the beginning is Evelyn Mulwray, (Mr Mulwrays wife) who is a character associated with sexuality and danger.
However, as the film progresses, we later discover in one of the films spiralling and twisting narratives that an actress was actually hired to play the part of Evelyn, but as this point we as the audience don’t know why. This is quite an interesting twist in the story, as the plot begins to reveal itself. A sinister of threatening atmosphere occurs when Gittes “runs into” a thug whose security of the water department and ends up getting his nose slashed, and at this point we’re in the middle of the film. Gittes becomes quite an intense character, as you see him lurking behind shadows and spying on people. Another one of the twists is also that Gittes and Evelyn sleep together, which is quite a typical thing to happen in a thriller film. This is because quite often the main lead guy and women often start an in-appropriate relationship, which adds to the intensity of the film. To add the atmosphere, plenty of diagetic sound is played which switched between growing louder and quieter. We also witness uses of vanishing points, for instance uses of zooming shots are used to give the effect of a corridor gradually becoming distant. There’s also feeling of claustrophobia in the film, as Evelyn feels both physically, yet psychologically enclosed with all the lies and pressure.
The climax of the story is when we discover that Katherine is both Evelyn’s daughter and sister, and Mr Mulwray is discovered with salt water in his lungs, even though his body was found in a freshwater reservoir. This shows that the film Chinatown is filled with plenty of twisting narratives. We also as the audience discover all the secrets of the story. Gittes also chooses to help Evelyn and Katherine escape to Mexico, after he finds out that she had an “un-natural” relationship with her father.
The end of the story is very dramatic, as Gittes arranges a hiding place in Chinatown to meet Evelyn and Catherine, although by the time he arrives there, he is greeted by the police who are about to arrest him. “Cross” approaches Katherine trying to claim custody of her, and a typical thriller signifier happens when Evelyn shoots her father in the arm, although as she drives of with Katherine, she is unfortunately shot dead by the police. This contains themes of destruction and corruption, and is a very dramatic way to end a thriller.