15 Greatest Ending Lines In Film History
1. Forget It, Jake, It's Chinatown - Chinatown (1974)
And here it is: The greatest closing line in movie history.
Chinatown is a tough drama to watch in parts, but it's also one of the best noir crime flicks ever made, following cynical private investigator Jake Gittes as he becomes embroiled in a twisting political mystery and a sick tale of injustice and power.
Having found out his client has spent her life being sexually abused by her wealthy and influential father, even having a child with him, Jake attempts to save both captive women, but is unable to bring either of them the true justice and safety they deserve. His client dies, and her daughter taken back to her abusive (grand)father.
Jake, resigned, is dragged away from the drama by his partner, who states:
“Forget it, Jake, it’s Chinatown.”
Simply put, there's nothing Jake can do, and the best thing for everyone is if he just walks away and lets the case be. No matter how many times you watch this one, it'll always hit like a ton of bricks.