Jack Nicholson: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

2. Jake Gittes - Chinatown

Chinatown, often regarded as one of the best films of all-time, is often been lauded for Roman Polanski's dreamy direction and Robert Towne's flawless screenplay, but have we really given enough credit to the movie's leading man, who carries us through the events of this complex picture with all the right levels of confidence, charisma, sleaze and tragedy?

Yes, as private eye Jake Gittes, Jack Nicholson offers one of his more rounded performances. It also happens to be one of his most subtle, restrained turns, further adding to its power.

So Chinatown works as both a deconstruction and as a post-modern take on the noir genre; as Nicholson's detective becomes more muddled as the case begins to unfolds, piece by piece, we feel emotionally connected to his plight, despite a few ill-judged decisions. It's interesting to note that Nicholson appears in every single scene in the movie, no small feat for any actor, but holds his presence throughout.

This isn't a shouty or hammy turn, though - here, you watch a master performer stay immersed until that immortal final line: "Forget it, Jake... it's Chinatown."