The Real Inspiration Behind “Chinatown”

Set in 1937 Los Angeles, Nicholson plays Jake Gittes, a private detective specializing in matrimonial cases, hired by Dunaway’s character to track the movements of her husband, Hollis Mulwray. However, when the chief engineer of the Los Angeles Water Department is found dead, Gittes finds himself embroiled in a web of conspiracies and deception, inspired by the California water wars of the early 20th century.

While the conflict over California’s water certainly inspired the film’s narrative, there is a real-life character that forms the basis of Hollis Mulwray’s character. According to his granddaughter, Irish immigrant and later superintendent and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power William Mulholland inspired Mulwray.

During his tenure at LADWP, Mulholland made California city history by overseeing the construction of the aqueduct that carries water from the Owens Valley. Without the 230 miles of engineering genius, Los Angeles simply would not be viable as a city, even though it has led to a series of controversies and scandals.

The city of Los Angeles was limited by the Los Angeles River, and without expansion into the Owens Valley, the City of Angels as we know it today would have been extremely limited. After passing through and destroying a number of farming communities in the Owens Valley, several disputes arose and some individuals attempted to sabotage the construction of the aqueduct.

In Chinese district, Mulholland is mirrored by Hollis Mulwray, and although he is found dead near the beginning of the film, many facets of his life seem analogous to those of William Mulholland. Polanski’s film is not a biopic at all, however, and a number of creative liberties were taken with Mulholland’s life, as well as the fact that it takes place several decades after he was head of the LADWP.

Played by Darrell Zwerling, Hollis Mulwray is a controversial engineer in Chinese districtalthough he appears to have an ethical code of conduct that moves away from political and economic corruption, away from the type of underhanded dealings that dominate the film’s version of Los Angeles, a code that also highlights the difficulty of maintaining power and appease the inhabitants. communities.

Another allusion to Mulholland comes from Mulwray’s opposition to the construction of a new dam, referring to an earlier mistake he had made. Mulholland had, after all, been involved in the St. Francis Dam disaster of 1928, which caused the deaths of more than 400 people and subsequently saw Mulholland’s career come to an abrupt end.

Not only is it Chinese district a landmark achievement in neo-noir cinema, but it’s a film that draws on the rich history of its Los Angeles setting and delivers a fascinating tale of conspiracy and corruption. However, this might not have been possible without the visionary actions, as well as accidental misdeeds, of William Mulholland.

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