Out of Their Depth: Chinatown (15)

Out of Their Depth: Corruption, Scandal and Lies in the New Hollywood

Following the cultural upheaval and racial tensions of the 1960s, the early 1970s saw America increasingly in social and political turmoil.

Opposition to the Vietnam War grew more violent following revelations of the brutality of American forces, meanwhile, at home, the full scale of the Watergate scandal was beginning to be revealed. The certainties of modern American values were not only tarnished they were found to be mired in corruption, scandal and lies.

This heightened unease in the mainstream American psyche was reflected in films from the New Hollywood, the period where the traditional male hero of the classic studio era was replaced by a protagonist who, whilst they thought they were in control, found themselves increasingly out of their depth.

This season is curated by Cinema Rediscovered Founder Mark Cosgrove.