Chinatown, Roman Polanski’s 1974 neo- noir, has survived through the decades for its timeless characters and suspenseful plot. On the surface, the film contains an entertaining combination of lusty romance, family secrets, and the demons that haunt Private Investigator Jake “J.J.” Gittes, making him the ideal antihero in a thrilling and well-rounded tale. Looking closer, however, we can see threads of social commentary in Chinatown’s presentation of the city. There are obvious political arguments throughout the story, such as the city’s resource distribution to its dwellers and an imbalanced social power structure that exists in the city. Perhaps less obvious, however, is Polanski’s ability to incorporate a discussion concerning the growing epidemic of Los Angeles' urban sprawl into his work. By examining the last scene of the film, we can see symbolic filmic representations of Chinatown’s argument opposing the city’s diffusion into the suburbs.