"Chinatown"

Roman Polanski's 1974 movie "Chinatown" (starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway) ranks among the best movies ever made. Fast forward 33 years later, and I finally got down to watching this film classic on DVD recently. And all the while, through all the twists and turns in the plot, I thought to myself, "they don't make movies like this anymore".

But there was something else that I enjoyed just as much as the movie itself - the soundtrack composed by the late Jerry Goldsmith. The jazz tracks peppered here and there were enchanting, but in particular, it was the main theme "Love Theme from Chinatown" that truly mesmerised me. Short as it was (the track is only two minutes long), the haunting yet sultry melody puts you right there... on a street in the city at night, illuminated by a solitary street-lamp, with your lover in your arms and warm embrace.

Listen to the piece once... and better still, listen it as you watch this great movie. And just for those two minutes, you will feel yourself sent faraway to a world of romance like no other.