After the war, L.A. private eye Jake Gittes is hired by realtor Jake Berman. He proves the infidelity of Berman's wife Kitty and sets up a way for her to be caught in the act. At the rendezvous, Berman shoots the co-respondent who turns out to be his business partner. Gittes finds himself in the middle of a complicated web, under pressure from all sides for a wire recording of the fatal encounter. He then realises that the land the partners were developing was once an orange grove connected with a case he has never quite got over.

Writer Robert Towne, producer Robert Evans and director Jack Nicholson founded the production company T.E.N. in 1985 just to produce this film. When legal and financial problems occurred, Nicholson finished the project alone.

Jake Gittes:
I'm trying to be a gentleman here. Now, get on your knees, put your ass in the air, and don't move until I say to.

Anachronisms: Set in 1948, Jake strolls past an automatic teller machine.