The film is a loose interpretation of the LA water wars. The neighborhood of Chinatown in downtown LA had nothing to do with Mulholland's water theft. Chinatown writer Robert Towne said his stepfather was a beat cop in Chinatown who always said he never knew if they were "stopping or starting crimes" since they didn't speak Chinese. As a result, they refrained from policing the area. Towne felt this idea informed the spirit of his screenplay, hence the title of the film.