Classic 40s Movie: “The Big Sleep”
September was Classic 40s Movie month. Today’s guest post comes from Ipsita Barik.
Title: The Big Sleep
Year: 1946
Writers: Screenplay by William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett and Jules Furthman, Novel by Raymond Chandler
Lead Actors: Humphrey DeForest Bogart, Lauren Bacall
Director: Howard Hawks
Plot Summary: Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a rich family. Before the complex case is over, he’s seen murder, blackmail, and what might be love.
Why I Think this is a Classic 40s Movie
The Big Sleep ended up with two versions. Most of us watch the 1946 version where the studio inserted scenes in the movie to heat up the romance between the Bogart and Bacall. The movie is considered a cult in film noir. Roger Ebert describes the effects in the movie, “a black and white symphony, a tone of voice that keeps its distance and yet is wry and humorous and cares.” This noir is not action driven. The dialogues are the centerpiece of the classic. “The characters talk and talk, it’s as if there’s a competition to see who has the most verbal style.” [Ebert]
The movie has a running theme of darker hues. It seems the whole movie happens either in the evening or at night. Noir is never better than when unfolding in the dark. There is a gambling den, night shootings, dark alleys, a detour at the highway, a hot-car drop garage and paint shop, and the works. The movie plays at all levels of noir, including the interplay of light and shade on the streets. Or for that matter the number of guns that pop out in every other scene. Marlowe comments on it, “My, my, my! Such a lot of guns around town and so few brains! You know, you’re the second guy I’ve met today that seems to think a gat in the hand means the world by the tail.”
The final shootout, when Marlowe tricks Eddie Mars’ men to shoot their own boss, by firing dummy shots at Mars, is cinematically brilliant. Marlowe’s relationship with his Cop friend, Bernie, has an underlying element of trust and suspicion. By the end of the movie Marlowe pays off the trust by getting Bernie “some more red points”.
Marlowe’s conversational wit is fabulous. When a lady cab driver helps him tail a car, Marlowe doesn’t waste his chance of flirting.
Cab Driver: If you can use me again sometime, call this number
Marlowe: Day and night?
Cab Driver: Uh, night’s better. I work during the day.
Or when Miss Carmen Sternwood falls into the arms of Marlowe, at their first meet! The light banter that follows, is absolutely top notch.
Carmen Sternwood: You aren’t very tall are you
Marlowe: Well I try to be
Carmen: Not bad looking .. though you probably know it.
Marlowe: Thank you.
My Favorite Moment in the Movie
All the times when Marlowe flirts in the movie. Am sure it leaves the ladies absolutely seduced. It sure did it for me! The classic moment between Marlowe and the lady cab driver, is my favorite.
Marlowe: Around the corner and then take it easy
Cab Driver: Where are we going
Marlowe: Follow a car. a tail job.
Cab Driver: I’m your girl, bud
Marlowe: It wouldn’t be bad!
My Favorite Dialogue in the Movie:
The horse racing scene/dialogues was included in the 1946 version to emphasize the romance between Bogart-Bacall. Many claim the scene to be a great example of how one outstanding scene can completely transform the narrative. Roger Ebert says, “one of the most daring examples of double entendre in any movie up until that time. The new scenes add a charge to the film that was missing in the 1945 version; this is a case where “studio interference” was exactly the right thing.”
Vivian: Speaking of horses, I like to play them myself. But I like to see them workout a little first, see if they’re front runners or come from behind, find out what their whole 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 little lead, take a little breather in the backstretch, 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 I don’t know how, how far you can go.
Vivian: A lot depends on who’s in the saddle.
Key things you should look for when watching this movie
The intricate plot of the movie makes this noir quite the head spinner. Roger Ebert in his review highlights the convoluted story, “Two names mentioned often in The Big Sleep are Owen Taylor and Sean Regan. Neither is seen alive. Were they murdered? And does it even matter, since there are five other murders in the film!” Ebert goes on to quote a famous incident from the sets. When Howard Hawks sent a telegram to Raymond asking him as to who killed Owen Taylor, the chauffeur? Raymond replied, ”Dammit I didn’t know either”.
The conversations that happen between Bogart & Bacall. The underlying blend of tension and attraction is so evident; it leaves you with goosebumps.
Thanks, Ipsita! To show our gratitude for your guest post, here’s a dash of creative juju for you. Whoosh!
We already have a set of classic 50s movies, 60s Movies, 70s movies, 80s Movies and 90s Movies. This month, we’re working on 40s movies. And thanks to the GITS community, we’ve got 30 movies in the works, one for each day of the month!
Thanks to everyone who steps up for this ongoing project!
For the original post explaining the series, go here.
For all of the 40s movies featured in the series, go here.
Click REPLY and see you in comments about today’s classic 40s movie!