Chinatown is a 1974 American neo-noir mystery film directed by Roman Polanski. It stars Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. The film was inspired by the California water wars, a series of disputes over southern California water rights at the beginning of the 20th century. A sequel, The Two Jakes, was released in 1990, again starring Nicholson, with Robert Towne returning to write the screenplay.