Movie Review: The Big Sleep (1946)

[swede123]

"Old movies are so cheesy." That was the complaint I got from my wife when I suggested we'd watch The Big Sleep the other night. Of course I didn't let her off that easy and 116 minutes later she readily admitted how wrong she'd been in her assumptions, at least regarding this old movie.

The Big Sleep is an adaptation of Raymond Chandler's 1939 novel, starring the legendary Humphrey Bogart as the equally legendary shamus (private detective) Phillip Marlowe. The film was originally made in 1944 but wasn't actually released until 1946, after director Howard Hawks had a chance to re-work the story and re-shoot a number of scenes, particularly those between Bogart and his female lead (as well as wife at the time), Lauren Bacall.

While I haven't had a chance to see the original version myself by all accounts the final product is far superior, and indeed it is a great movie. The constant banter between Marlowe and others is simply brilliant, and even more so when considering the movie is 60 years old. One of my favorite lines features Marlowe responding to someone who doesn't like his manners. "I don't mind if you don't like my manners. I don't like them myself. They're pretty bad. I grieve over them on long winter evenings." If most people uttered things like this you'd just laugh at them, but with Bogart it comes across as completely natural.

The movie begins as Marlowe is hired by an old general in bad health who has two daughters, as beautiful as they are difficult to handle. Initially he's hired to get to the bottom of a blackmailing scheme involving the younger daughter, but the story soon gets more intricate and dark as Marlowe is faced with murderers, pornogrophers, gamblers and more. The Big Sleep is known as one of the more convoluted and twisty stories in movie history; but understanding all the inns and outs of who shot whom and why is not nearly as important as immersing oneself in Marlowe's world.

From a technical point of view The Big Sleep is rather simple Every scene appears to be filmed on a soundstage, and the little action there is can only be described, to quote my wife, as cheesy. But if it falls short compared to modern action scenes it feels remarkably fresh in its storytelling and racy dialogue, which I can imagine caused quite an upproar back in the 40s.

All in all, The Big Sleep manages to age exceptionally well. Upon seeing it I have a very hard time imagining anyone else as Phillip Marlowe than Bogart. I specifically recommend it to film noir fans, or movie lovers in general. I am curious if anyone has seen both versions of The Big Sleep, and what your feelings are regarding the differences.

Swede