One of the primary needs that support human life is water. The film “Chinatown” explores a series of conflicts and disputes in Los Angeles. The Water Department (WD) undertakes different measures to divert water from the existing reservoirs.
This practice is the leading cause of conflicts in the movie. Water is a critical commodity in the film because it motivates every character, causes conflicts, and affects the lives of the ranchers and farmers in the community. The citizens are bitter because the Water Department has evicted them from their lands. The department has attempted to demolish their tanks. It has also been trying to poison their wells.
The audience observes how water is a critical issue throughout the film. Many people in the film want to kill Hollis Mulwray because he is against the idea to create a new water reservoir. The film explains why Mulwray supports the needs of every affected person in the community. The chief engineer works for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
The movie explains why the water demands of the community have increased in the recent past. The situation forces the Water Department to undertake new measures to deal with the problem. One of the malpractices undertaken by the department is to divert huge quantities of water from the existing reservoir. This happens without the knowledge of the public.
Every person who appears to oppose this move faces a lot of trouble. The film also explains why many landowners have lost their properties. The astounding fact is that this change of ownership is suspicious and illegal. The tycoons get these new lands. According to Jakes Gittes, the new landowners must have killed Mr. Mulwray.
They killed Mulwray because he was against their plans. The plan was to irrigate their properties with the newly constructed water reservoir. The individuals completed the deals associated with the new estate surreptitiously. The property would only accommodate a few landowners. The tycoons also evicted the residents. The situation led to Mulwray’s death.
Many people such as Evelyn, Cross, and Mulvihill are at loggerheads because of the issue of water. The viewer also observes that Gittes’ efforts were fruitless. Gittes uncovers the mysterious death of Mulwray. The film goes further to explain why most of the local citizens are against every decision made by the Water Department.
The movie also explores why people continue to lose their lands mysteriously. Water shortage appears to be the leading cause of conflicts and challenges in Chinatown. The situation explains why water is a very important commodity. The natural resource can cause conflicts when society fails to manage it properly.
Towards the end of the movie, Mr. Cross and Escobar encourage Gittes to stop his investigative duties. This scenario explains why Gittes and the government can do nothing about Chinatown. The town has always encountered different conflicts because of water. Water scarcity is the cause of every conflict encountered in the community.
The film also explores why water is the source of motivation for many characters. The society should manage this natural resource efficiently to have a better society. Every person should learn a lot from this film and come up with the best measures to manage water. The practice will make the world more sustainable.