The Lies Los Angeles Was Built Upon
Chinatown is about the secret history of how Los Angeles became a paradise—but it offers a warning for the city’s future.
![Jack Nicholson in “Chinatown”](https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/Zv-pc4tniMIOdqhPSIbWNpi47Ec=/0x130:2160x2290/80x80/media/img/mt/2024/06/Chinatown_final_r3-1/original.jpg)
Chinatown is about the secret history of how Los Angeles became a paradise—but it offers a warning for the city’s future.