Movie Review: The Big Sleep

[Vish]

I own this movie, and for some reason I've never been able to get through it. I always fall asleep less than halfway through. I tried it for maybe the 6th or 7th time today, and loved it.

Humphrey Bogart is the man in this movie. He's his usual "You're-a-hot-chick-but-I-don't-give-a-[censored]" self. Every single woman in this movie is hot: including librarians, cab drivers, book store girls, etc--and every one wants Bogart's nuts, it's fantastic. Hell, I'm not sure I didn't want Bogart's nuts after this movie.

I didn't follow the story the first half dozen times either because I'm stupid or it's hard to follow--I don't know which. I kinda got it this time. It's a film noir detective story that's so quintessential of the genre that it's hilarious. It's full of great lines, it's got humor, drama, romance, and hot chicks (including Lauren Bacall--God damn, I love Lauren Bacall). Watch it if you get a chance.

[imported_The Vibesman]

This might come as a shock; but I've seen this movie.

It's a fantastic movie, a fine adaptation of Raymond Chandler's excellent novel. Anyone who enjoys noir should read the works of Chandler, following his private detective Philip Marlowe. It so happens that The Big Sleep is the first of those novels.

My only problem with the picture is actually the bit where Lauren Bacall sings in the club. It's out of character, I thought, and probably went in at the studio's insistence.

The plotline isn't the easiest to follow; it's pretty convoluted, actually. This was Chandler's first novel, and he fell prey to the trappings of the genre pretty easily (if you're unsure what to do, have someone come through the door with a gun, or have your hero discover a corpse.) Here's a fun exercise, try and figure out who killed chauffer Owen Taylor.

The version I have on DVD actually has two versions, the director's original cut, and the version that was released, with some extra scenes added to beef up the romance between Bogart and Bacall.

[Vish]

I actually liked Bacall's singing, but for an unrelated reason. She sang in To Have and Have Not (which is one of my favorite two movies) and I was wondering if that was her own voice. This movie confirmed that it was.

There were a lot of guns and corpses, but it was nice how Bogart kept joking about it. That was one of the elements that showed that the movie wasn't taking itself too seriously.

I'm not sure which version I saw (it was side A on the DVD). I'll watch the other next time.

[12ozLongneck]

[ QUOTE ]
Here's a fun exercise, try and figure out who killed chauffer Owen Taylor.

[/ QUOTE ]

Didn't Chandler say that he didn't know who killed him?

[imported_The Vibesman]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Here's a fun exercise, try and figure out who killed chauffer Owen Taylor.

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Didn't Chandler say that he didn't know who killed him?

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Hawks said he called Chandler late at night and asked him who it was, and Chandler paused for a long time, finally said, "Damned if I know," and hung up. The book doesn't even make it clear that it was definitely murder, although the cops think it might have been. I used to think it was Joe Brody, but now I'm not sure.

That's a great list you've got up there. And Dominic brought up Double Indemnity, the screenplay for that was co-written by Chandler, it's another fantastic movie.

[Dominic]

"The Big Sleep" is awesome. One of the all-time greats.

The plot is also almost completely incomprehensible. It's famous for being so. The plot machinations are so complicated, Howard Hawks actually hadto call Raymond Chandler to as him who killed the driver - Chandler didn't know!

What makes it great is Bogart, Bacall, Dorothy Malone, Martha Vickers and all the wonderful back-and-forth dialogue by Chandler and William Faulkner. It's the most quoatable movie this side of "Casablanca:"

VIVIAN: Tell me, what do you usually do when you're not working?

MARLOWE: Oh, play the horses, fool around.

VIVIAN: No women?

MARLOWE: I'm generally working on something most of the time.

VIVIAN: Could that be stretched to include me?

MARLOWE: Well I like you. I've told you that before.

VIVIAN: I like hearing you say it. But you didn't do much about it.

MARLOWE: Well, neither did you.

VIVIAN: Well, speaking of horses, I like to play them myself. But I like to see them work out a little first, see if they're front-runners or come from behind, find out what their hole-card is. What makes them run.

MARLOWE: Find out mine?

VIVIAN: I think so.

MARLOWE: Go ahead.

VIVIAN: I'd say you don't like to be rated. You like to get out in front, open up a lead, take a little breather in the back stretch, and then come home free.

MARLOWE: You don't like to be rated yourself.

VIVIAN: I haven't met anyone yet that can do it. Any suggestions?

MARLOWE: Well, I can't tell till I've seen you over a distance of ground. You've got a touch of class, but, uh...I don't know how-how far you can go.

VIVIAN: A lot depends on who's in the saddle. Go ahead Marlowe, I like the way you work. In case you don't know it, you're doing all right.

MARLOWE: There's one thing I can't figure out.

VIVIAN: What makes me run?

MARLOWE: Uh huh.

VIVIAN: I'll give you a little hint. Sugar won't work. It's been tried.


I'm sorry, but that HAS to be the sexiest bit of dialogue in any movie.

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]

I'm sorry, but that HAS to be the sexiest bit of dialogue in any movie.

[/ QUOTE ]

Close, but not the winner. Lauren Bacall in "To Have and Have Not":

"You know you don't have to act with me, Steve. You don't have to say anything, and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and... blow."

[imported_The Vibesman]

This is a great bit, and actually wasn't in Hawks' original version of the movie. It's one of the scenes added at the studio's behest to add heat to the Bogart-Bacall pairing. And add heat it does.
Other than that bit, a good amount of the dialogue is directly from Chandler's novel, with a few subtle changes every once in a while. One of my favorites is in the beginning, when Carmen first meets Marlowe at the mansion. In the book she comments on how tall he is, but Bogart isn't tall, so in the movie it goes like this:

Carmen: "You're not very tall, are you?"
Philip: "Well, I try to be."

One of my favorite bits that is in the book, Marlowe to Vivian:
Vivian: "..and I don't like your manners!"
Marlowe: "I'm not wild about yours. I didn't ask to see you. I don't mind you not liking my manners, they're pretty bad. I grieve over them long winter evenings. I don't mind you showing me your legs. They're swell legs, and it's a pleasure to make their acquaintance. I don't mind you ritzing me or drinking your lunch out of a Scotch bottle. But don't waste your time trying to cross-examine me."

Well, the line about the legs isn't actually in the movie but the rest is. In the movie she's wearing pants, not a dressing gown.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
This is a great bit, and actually wasn't in Hawks' original version of the movie. It's one of the scenes added at the studio's behest to add heat to the Bogart-Bacall pairing. And add heat it does.
Other than that bit, a good amount of the dialogue is directly from Chandler's novel, with a few subtle changes every once in a while. One of my favorites is in the beginning, when Carmen first meets Marlowe at the mansion. In the book she comments on how tall he is, but Bogart isn't tall, so in the movie it goes like this:

Carmen: "You're not very tall, are you?"
Philip: "Well, I try to be."

One of my favorite bits that is in the book, Marlowe to Vivian:
Vivian: "..and I don't like your manners!"
Marlowe: "I'm not wild about yours. I didn't ask to see you. I don't mind you not liking my manners, they're pretty bad. I grieve over them long winter evenings. I don't mind you showing me your legs. They're swell legs, and it's a pleasure to make their acquaintance. I don't mind you ritzing me or drinking your lunch out of a Scotch bottle. But don't waste your time trying to cross-examine me."

Well, the line about the legs isn't actually in the movie but the rest is. In the movie she's wearing pants, not a dressing gown.

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah, that business about the legs is a great one and adds a lot. Too bad that was dropped.

[Vish]

That was a fantastic scene. I remember gaping and thinking to myself, "Did she just SAY that?" I don't think I've ever seen so much sexual tension between two actors than was in that scene.