The Big Sleep
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Movie Reviews of The Big Sleep
Movie Review: "The Big Sleep (1946) ... Bogart & Bacall ... Howard Hawks (Director) (2006)"
Summary: 5 Stars
Warner Bros. Pictures presents "THE BIG SLEEP" (1946) (114 min/B&W) -- Starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Martha Vickers, Regis Toomey & Dorothy Malone
Directed by Howard Hawks
Classic mystery thriller from Raymond Chandler's first novel : Private-eye Philip Marlowe is hired to keep an eye on General Sternwood's youngest daughter, Carmen, who has fallen into bad company and is likely to do some damage to herself and her family before long. He soon finds himself falling in love with her older sister, Vivien, who initially takes a deep dislike to Mr Marlowe. However, the plot thickens when murder follows murder.
So convoluted even Chandler didn't know who committed one murder (the Sternwood chauffeur) but so incredibly entertaining that no-one has ever cared. Combines powerhouse direction with unforgettable dialogue.
It was the only time he played Marlowe, but it stuck. Bogart as Marlowe is a rock of logic in a carousel of shady characters with clear psychological motivations for only partially explained actions. This was the film in which Bogart became Marlowe for all time.
The second of four films made by real life couple and later husband and wife Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. This film follows Bacall's debut in To Have and Have Not (1944), during which their romance was first kindled on set. Following this film, the couple teamed up twice more, for Dark Passage (1947) and Key Largo (1948).
BIOS:
1. Howard Hawks [aka: Howard Winchester Hawks]
Date of Birth: 30 May 1896, Goshen, Indiana
Date of Death: 26 December 1977, Palm Springs, California
2. Humphrey Bogart [aka: Humphrey DeForest Bogart]
Date of Birth: 25 December 1899 - New York City, New York
Date of Death: 14 January 1957 - Los Angeles, California
3. Lauren Bacall [aka: Betty Joan Perske]
Date of Birth: 16 September 1924 - New York City, New York
Date of Death: Still Living
Mr. Jim's Ratings:
Quality of Picture & Sound: 5 Stars
Performance: 5 Stars
Story & Screenplay: 5 Stars
Overall: 5 Stars [Original Music, Cinematography & Film Editing]
Total Time: 114 min on DVD ~ Warner Bros. Pictures ~ (07/25/2006)
Movie Review: A Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
With one of the greatest directors of all time at the helm of the picture, as well as one of the screens greatest actors and his wife..."The Big Sleep" should be a surefire hit. And it is. In fact, it's one of the strongest moments in Humphrey Bogart's career and we all know he had quite a few strong moments under his belt. In this film (directed by Howard Hawks), Bogart plays Philip Marlowe; A Private Detective created by writer Raymond Chandler. The film itself has a kind of confusing plot, but that doesn't matter. This is one of those films where the plot takes the backseat; The film is completely fueled by the performances and especially the dialogue. This is the first film I've seen with Bogart and Bacall together and it's not hard to see why they ended up falling in love in real life. Their chemistry onscreen is so great. I'm not going to both explaining the plot, instead I'll quote Roger Ebert on it. "The process follows private eye Philip Marlowe as he finds his way through the jungle of gamblers, pornographers, killers, and blackmailers who have attached themselves to [a] rich old general (Charles Waldron) and his two randy daughters (Bacall and Martha Vickers). Some bad guys get killed and others get arrested, and we don't much care-because the real result is that Bogart and Bacall end up in each other's arms. The Big Sleep is a lust story with a plot about a lot of other things." Whenever I'm asked "what movie contains my favorite pieces of dialogue?" I immediately cite Pulp Fiction.
For me, that film has so many quoteable, perfectly written dialogue that it rivals most other films. "The Big Sleep" has just as many great lines. As in this scene:
Vickers (to Bogart): You're not very tall are you?
Bogart: I try to be.
Another when Bogart is talking about Vickers;
"She tried to sit in my lap while I was standing up."
I think a lot of the dialogue here rivals some of Bogart's more famous lines like "Here's lookin' at you kid" and "The stuff that dreams are made of."
Anyway; As a crime film this ranks right up there with "The Maltese Falcon."
GRADE: A
Movie Review: Fantastic movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Ordinarily I don't care for mystery or detective movies or TV shows. The rhythms and conventions of the genre are unfamiliar to me, so I usually miss the shorthand in such films, and get lost in the plots. "The Big Sleep," however, has the amazing quality that it is at once supremely convoluted and simply direct. Perhaps that's because it's a great Chandler novel adapted for the screen by Leigh Brackett (writer of "The Empire Strikes Back," the best of the "Star Wars" movies) and William Faulkner (!). With writers like that, how can you go wrong? The special features note that the two of them wrote the film in 8 days, each writing half. That does explain the fact that something like an ending happens halfway through this movie. Hey, I said it was convoluted.
The stars aligned for this film, with fantastic performances all around, a great screenplay, and the trademark Howard Hawks direction of fast dialogue with no surplusage. Of course, Bogart and Bacall have their usual magic - perhaps because they were married by the time the film was done shooting. The special features on this DVD are not extensive, but they are interesting and worthwhile.
Even people who are not film noir mavens or devotees of all films black and white, but who just enjoy good film, will like this movie. "The Big Sleep" is at least worth a rent.
Movie Review: JUST A TERRIFIC FILM
Summary: 5 Stars
I had probably watched this 10 times and never could figure out the murders. I finally read the story and figured it out(I think). After reading the story I find it hard to believe that anecdote about Hawks calling Chandler about a murder and Chandler not knowing who committed it. It seems very clear in the story. I'll list them here. Comment on this review if you think I'm wrong.
Arthur Gwynn Geiger murdered by Owen Taylor(Sternwood's chauffeur) because he loved Carmen Sternwood and was upset with her treatment by Geiger.
Owen Taylor murdered by Carol Lundgren(a man and Geiger's lover) for revenge. I believe this is where the anecdote applies.
Joe Brody murdered by Carol Lundgren for revenge. Lungren thought Brody was involved in Geiger's death or conned Geiger or moved too fast on Geiger's operation. I not too clear why Lundgren killed Brody because he works with him in parts of the movie.
Eddie Mars killed by his own men because of a trick by Marlowe.
Sean Regan murdered by Carmen Sternwood because he rebuffed her advances.
Lash Canino killed by Marlowe in self defense.
Movie Review: Bogart's best film -- pure excellence!
Summary: 5 Stars
Where can I possibly begin to comment ?!? There's so much to say. Well, first I'll mention that this DVD has TWO SIDES, yielding two slightly differing versions of the film, so THAT is certainly a big bonus. I don't detect that one is greater than the other but I can say that both are magnificent. This is one film that I watch over and over, never tiring of it -- clearly it's counted in my top 10-rated films. The original story was also Raymond Chandler's premiere mystery, in my personal opinion, so it becomes a double-double whammy. There are so many details in this film that it's almost mandatory to watch it six or eight times just to hone in on all of them. The casting, cinematography, story-line, and locations are all better than brilliant. If I have a complaint with this film, it's that it's not shot in letterbox format -- I think that The Big Sleep might pre-date that particular technology, though, so my gripe is anachronistic and really not a legitimate one. Still, all-around, it's an absolute killer. Collector or not, buy this spectacular old Black and White classic and you'll not regret it once you've watched it for the first time.