Jake Gittes is a private investigator hired to look into an alleged affair of Hollis Mulwray. He discovers the case was a setup and Mulwray is later found dead. Gittes investigates further and learns of a water scandal involving Mulwray and Noah Cross, the wealthy and powerful father of Evelyn Mulwray. Evelyn hires Gittes to find her husband's killers. Gittes' investigation uncovers corruption and that Evelyn and her sister Katharine were victims of incest by Noah Cross. In the climactic ending, Evelyn is shot dead while trying to escape with Katharine from Noah and Gittes is left feeling responsible.

1. Character Summary
Character Protagnist/Antagonist/Relationship Characterization Motivation
Jake Gittes
Evelyn Mulwray
Noah Cross
Lou Escobar
Mulvihill
Protagonist
Protagonist Love Interest
Antagonist
Secondary Antagonist, Skeptic –
Former Colleaue
Contagonist – Former Colleague
Obsessed, Cynical, Morally Correct,
Honest, hardboiled detective
Victim, Weak, Protective,
Mysterious Woman, Femme Fatale
Powerful and Rich,
Businessman/Corporate Executive
Powerful, Corrupt
Corrupt, Cynic Henchman
To find the people behind Hollis’s
death, to put people, involved in
dam and drought scandal, behind
the bars to gain integrity.
To protect Katharine from Noah
Cross.
Wants to annexe Orange County
Valley in LA, Wants Katharine’s
Possession
Restore Status quo, To bring things
back to normal
To settle ties with Jake Gittes

2. Plot Summary
Beginning Middle End
Main Plot :Jake Gittes – Mulwray Case
 Jake Gittes is hired by Fake Mrs. Mulwray
 Jake photographs Hollis and Katharine
together
 Evelyn Mulwray visits Jake’s office, Jake
was set up.
 Hollis Mulwray is murdered.
Gittes is hired by Evelyn Mulwray to solve the
case
 “I want the big boys”
 Evelyn hires Gittes to find the murderers
 Noah Cross hires Jake to find Katharine
 Orange Grove County, Mulwray was
murdered because of the water scandal
 MAR Vista rest house and fake owners
 Jake’s backstory. Katharine and Evelyn
are sisters
 Jake is fooled by Bifocals, thinks Evelyn
murdered Mr. Mulwray
Foreget it, Jake… it’s Chinatown
 Evelyn is ready to leave for Mexico
 Jake calls Escobar
 Evelyn is shot dead, Noah goes away
with Katharine
Character Plot : Change in Evelyn’s Character
 Confident, bold, rich and upper class lady
 Against Gittes
Evelyn must protect Katharine and avenge
Hollis’s murderer
 Afraid, protective of Katharine
 Allies with Gittes and saves his life
 Hides Katharine’s identity and tells a lie
Evelyn tries to escape with Katharine
 Reveals she was victimised
 Tries to escape Shoots at her father,
Noah Cross
Love Story Plot : Jake and Evelyn
 Evelyn sues Gittes
 Evelyn drops the case like Hot potato
 Gittes convinces her that Hollis was
murdered
Interest Develops, Love-Hate relationship
 Evelyn hires Gittes to solve the murder
 Evelyn saves Gittes life
 They make love
 Gittes accuses her of keeping Katharine
tied up. He leaves her.
 Calls Escobar about her whereabouts.
 Gittes slaps her she reveals Katherine is
her “sister and daughter”. Feels sorry.
Gittes loses Evelyn
 Gittes helps her in escaping.
 Evelyn is shot dead by Loach

3. Evelyn Mulwray and her father, Noah
She had to live in Mexico for 15 years
because of her father. Hires Gittes to find
Hollis’ murderers.
Father is a tormentor
Tells Jake that her father and Hollis had a
dispute over building of a dam. Her
father might be responsible for her
husband’s death. She was raped by her
father.
Shoots at her father.
Ida Sessions
Hired by Noah Cross to find the girl, fakes herself
as Mrs. Mulwray.
Feels responsible for Hollis’ death, hints Jake
about fake owners and land buying.
Murdered.
Fake Owners
 Most of the valley has been sold to new
owners. Jake rips the page from a record
book.
Oange Grove County
Farmers think Gittes work with Water
department, knock him out and call Evelyn.
Gittes deciphers, Hollis was murdered because
he found out that dam was a con job.
MAR VISTA
Jaspar Lamar Crabb’s name in obituary column
hints MAR VISTA. Jake visits the rest home with
Evelyn. Old people are owners, The Albacore club
takes care of them.
Gittes, Escobar and the Hidden Facts
They worked together in Chinatown. Lou is
lieutenant now and is investigating on Mulwray’s
death case. He reports his death as an accident.
Luo accuses Jake of hiding the facts and reveals
salt water was found in Mulwray’s body. Jake
reveals the scandal behind Mulwray’s death. Luo
doesn’t believe him and asks to bring Evelyn to
his office. Jake is fooled by bifocals and salt water
pond at Evelyn house. He calls Escobar
Jake realises his mistake and fools Escobar to
help Evelyn in escaping. Escobar’s assistant
shoots Evelyn.
Escobar
“Take it easy, take it easy it was an accident”
Mulvihill and Jake Gittes
They have a backstory. They worked in
Chinatown. Mulvihill is a corrupt official.
Mulvihill and man with knife slits open Gittes’s
nose to drop the investigation.
Gittes gets even with Mulvihill outside MAR
VISTA.

4. Sequence Summary
Time Beginning Middle End
0-16 mins ACT 1
Sequence 1 – Jake Gittes Discreet
Investigator
Jake Gittes is introduced as discreet
investigator, he is hired by socialite
Mrs. Mulwray to investigate her
husband’s extra marital affair.
Jake follows Mr. Mulwray in council sessions
and to reservoirs. Mr. Mulwray is speaking
with a Mexican Boy at the reservoir. He later
takes Mr. Mulwray’s photographs with a
young girl in Westlake park and a private
apartment.
Mr. Mulwray is seen opposing the
construction of dam and Walsh has taken his
photographs in a heated argument with
another man.
Case is resolved, photos are published in
the news paper.
16-31 mins Sequence 2 – Where is Hollis?
Evelyn Mulwray arrives and sues
Gittes. He comes to know that he was
set up by fake Mrs. Mulwray.
Jake tries to set-up meeting with Mr.
Mulwray. He visits his office and sees corrupt
ex-sheriff hired by water department. He goes
to Mulwray estate. He spots something in the
pond. Mrs Mulwray arrives and drops the case
against him.
Jake goes to Oak Pass Reservoir to meet Mr.
Mulwray. Mr. Mulwray is dead. Luo Escobar
is handling the case.
31-40 mins ACT 2
Sequence 3 – Dry as Bone
Evelyn is questioned by Luo Escobar,
they believe it’s an accident. Jake
suspects murder.
Jake visits Sunset Boulevard for investigation
where he meets Mexican Boy who reveals
that the river receives water in different parts
at different times.
Jake is confronted by Mulvihill and smaller
man at the reservoir. He’s threatened to
remain out of the case.
40- 62 mins Sequence 4 – Bad Boys
Ida Sessions calls and hints that Mr.
Mulwray was murdered. Jake suspects
He comes to know about Noah Cross, Evelyn’s
father. The secretary informs Jake about Noah
Jake goes to meet Noah Cross at Albacore
Club. Gittes suspects Noah for his

5. it’s a big scandal which involves rich
socialites.
and Hollis’s partnership. Yellburton tells that
they irrigate farmers’ lands at night.
Evelyn reveals that Noah Cross is her father
and her husband’s previous business partner.
She hires Jake for the investigation.
involvement in Mulwray’s murder and
raises some uncomfortable questions.
Noah Cross offers him $10000 for finding
the girl who was seen with Mr. Mulwray.
62 – 68 mins Sequence 5 – Orange County
Jake goes to Hall of Records, comes to
know that the large amount of land in
valley has been purchased recently.
Visits Orange county, attacked by farmers.
Evelyn is called by Farmers as she’s his
employer.
Farmers tells him that they are facing
draught and water department poisoned
their wells.
68 – 75 mins Sequence 6 – MAR VISTA
Jaspar Lamar Crabb’s name hints them
to visit MAR VISTA rest house.
All the owners are fake. Jaspar Lamar Crabb
died a week before the property was bought.
Albacore Club take care of the old people
living at MAR VISTA.
Mulvihill tries to corner Jake. Jake escapes
with the help of Evelyn.
75 – 90 mins Sequence 7 – Who is the girl?
Evelyn brings him home and asks
about Chinatown. They make love and
she goes away because of an
important call.
Jake follows her. She’s with a young girl. She
tells that she’s Katharine, her sister.
Jake leaves her.
90 – 102 mins ACT 3
Sequence 8 – Bad For Glass
Ida Sessions is murdered. Escobar tells
that Mr. Mulwray’s was drowned in
Ocean or salt water. Escobar suspects
Evelyn for Mr. Mulwray’s murder.
Jake visits Mulwray estate, all the things are
packed. He goes to the pond and spots
bifocals in it. Gardener informs that the water
in the pond is salty.
Jake believes Evelyn murdered Mr.
Mulwray. Calls Noah Cross.

6. 102 – 109 mins Sequence 9 – Daughter & Sister
Jake accuses Evelyn of Mr. Mulwray’s
murder. He believes that she has tied
up Katharine as she had seen her
killing Mr. Mulwray.
Jake calls Escobar or getting her arrested. He
slaps Evelyn. She tells him the truth for the
first time that she was raped by her father.
Bifocals didn’t belong to Mr. Mulwray. He
realises he was wrong and tells her to
escape with Katharine.
109 – 125 mins Sequence 10 - Chinatown
Luo Escobar arrests Jake. Jake fools
him to escape. He arranges for Evelyn
to flee.
Noah Cross visits him tells him that he is
responsible for everything. Takes him to
Chinatown on gunpoint.
Noah spots Katharine. Evelyn shoots at
Noah. Evelyn tries to escape but is shot
dead by Loach. Jake considers himself
responsible for it.
Akshay Bijawat