Customer Reviews

The Big Sleep (1946)

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2 star:		(2)
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They were one of Hollywood's all-time legendary couples, both on screen and off; producing celluloid magic in the four films they made together between 1943 and 1948 as much as by their off-screen romance, which in itself was the stuff that dreams are made of. He was the American Film Insititute's No. 1 star of the 20th century, Hollywood's original noir anti-hero, who in addition to the AFI honors bestowed on his real-life persona also played two of the 20th century's Top 50 film heroes ("Casablanca"'Rick Blaine and this movie's Philip Marlow); epitome of the handsome, cynical and oh-so lonesome wolf, looking unbeatably cool in dinner jacket, trenchcoat and fedora alike, a glass of whiskey in his hand and cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth; and endowed with a legendary aura several times larger than his physical stature. She, despite a 25-year age difference his equal in everything from grit and toughness to mysterious appeal; chillier than bourbon on the rocks, possessing more than just a touch of class whatever her role; and long since a bona fide AFI movie legend in her own right.

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall met on the set of Howard Hawks's 1944 realization of Ernest Hemingway's "To Have and Have Not," where an obvious chemistry quickly developed between 45-year-old veteran Bogart, who had just scored two of film history's greatest-ever hits with "The Maltese Falcon" and "Casablanca" in the two preceding years, and the sassy, exciting 20-year-old newcomer who possessed the maturity and sex-appeal of a woman good and well 10 years her senior. They were reunited two years later for this adaptation of Raymond Chandler's first Philip Marlowe novel "The Big Sleep" (1939), based on a screenplay written, like that of "To Have and Have Not," by William Faulkner and Jules Furthman, together with Leigh Brackett (who had not participated in scripting the Hemingway adaptation). By the time the movie was released in 1946, Bogart and Bacall were married.

Reprising Bogart's noir gumshoe role with a character not unlike Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade in "The Maltese Falcon," the movie "The Big Sleep" is as infamous as Chandler's literary original for its labyrinthine plot, which reportedly even the author himself couldn't completely untangle (nor did he care to). The plot is essentially faithful to Chandler's novel, from which it takes much of its dialogue; albeit streamlined and with some changes made to fit Bogart's physical characteristics, and eliminating or softening a few scenes considered unfit for display to a moviegoing audience in the 1940s. The story begins when Marlowe is hired by wealthy old General Sternwood to handle a blackmailing attempt involving gambling debts incurred by Sternwood's younger daughter Carmen (Martha Vickers) (whom the detective has already met when she literally threw herself into his arms upon his entry into the house, sucking her thumb and coyly telling him "you're cute"). After his interview with the dying general in the latter's hot and humid orchid house, a disheveled Marlowe is summoned to the rooms of the general's older daughter Vivian (Lauren Bacall), who tries to worm out of him the purpose of his engagement and who, as Marlowe quickly concludes, has more than a minor hidden agenda of her own. Soon the detective is up to his ears in the classical film noir brew of murder, damsels in distress, shady characters and a world where nothing is what it appears to be, and where he'll be able to consider himself lucky if he gets out alive - yet, he is determined to see the case through and will neither be bought off by money nor by sweetness and seduction.

Looking back at the movie and its stars' almost mythical fame, it is difficult to imagine that, produced at the height of the studio system era, it was originally just one of the roughly 50 movies released by Warner Brothers over the course of one year. But mass production didn't equal low quality; on the contrary, the great care given to all production values, from script-writing to camera work, editing, score (Max Steiner) and the stars' presentation in the movie itself and in its trailer was at least partly responsible for its lasting success. Indeed, the release of "The Big Sleep" was delayed for an entire year - and not only because its first version was completed around the end of WWII and Warner Brothers wanted to get their still-unreleased war movies into theaters first, but also, and significantly, because Lauren Bacall's agent convinced studio boss Jack Warner and director Howard Hawks to reshoot several scenes to better highlight the sassy, mysterious new star Bacall had become after "To Have and Have Not." And it certainly paid off: "The Big Sleep" firmly established then-22-year-old Lauren Bacall as one of Hollywood's new leading ladies, and even more than her first film with Humphrey Bogart laid the foundation for the couple's mythical relationship.

Bogart and Bacall would star together two more times after "The Big Sleep": In "Dark Passage" (1947) and "Key Largo" (1948). But of their four collaborations, the first two - and in particular, "The Big Sleep" - remain unparalleled for their secretive, shadowy aura, tight scripting, snappy dialogue, cynicism and underlying seductiveness; due in equal parts to the story crafted by Raymond Chandler, its adaptation by Faulkner, Furthman and Brackett, Howard Hawks's masterful direction and its starring couple's irresistible chemistry. After three failed marriages, after having produced on-screen magic with Mary Astor in "The Maltese Falcon" and, even more so, with Ingrid Bergman in "Casablanca" (and although he would go on to star in such memorable pairings as next to Katherine Hepburn in "The African Queen" and Audrey Hepburn in "Sabrina"), Humphrey Bogart had finally met his match - and while his and Bacall's marriage was painfully cut short by the cancer to which he succumbed in 1957, the magnetism they created on screen will live on, and nowhere more brilliantly than in "The Big Sleep."

As with many film noirs, the opening sequence sets up the mood and alliances of the movie -- white knight private dick Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart; and nobody does it better) lights femme fatale Vivan Sternwood's (Lauren Bacall) cigarette for her, and they share an ash tray.

I can't help but evoke the cliche that this is classic Bogey and Bacall, because unlike the characters in the movie, it's hard to shy away from the truth. Their lines and scenes together are dynamite, and the William Faulkner interpretation of Raymond Chandler is sharp and snappy. Of course, the story is convuluted and has more twists than Mulholland Drive. And of course, it still lacks a few knockout punches that the novel daringly throws. Still, the film loses nothing by not being long enough to include a few more loops of evil.

The steam, the cigarette smoke, the exoticism of pornography are executed to perfection.

THE BIG SLEEP has a reputation for being a film that gets lost in its own complexity and which fails to clearly identify all the perpetrators of all the murders that litter its scenes. There is a certain truth to this: like the Raymond Chandler novel on which it is based, the plot is extremely complicated, and it requires the viewer to mentally track an unexpected number of characters--including two characters that never appear on screen, a pivotal character who doesn't actually have any lines, and a character who is frequently mentioned but doesn't appear until near the film's conclusion. There is not, however, as much truth to the accusation that the film never exposes all the killers: only one killer is not specifically identified, but even so his identity is very clearly implied.

All this having been said, THE BIG SLEEP is one helluva movie. In general, the story concerns the wealthy Sternwood family, which consists of an aging father and two "pretty and pretty wild" daughters--one of whom, Carmen, is being victimized by a blackmailer. P.I. Philip Marlowe is hired to get rid of the blackmailer, but an unexpected murder complicates matters... and touches off a series of killings by a number of parties who have covert interests in the Sternwood family. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the film is that you don't actually have to pick apart the complicated story in order to enjoy it. The script is famous for its witty lines and sleek sexual innuendo--much of it lifted directly from Chandler's novel--and the cast is a dream come true. Philip Marlowe would be played by a great many actors, but none of them ever bested Humphrey Bogart, who splendidly captures the feel of Chandler's original creation; with the role of Vivien Sternwood Lauren Bacall gives what might be the finest performance of her screen career; and the chemistry between the two is everything you've ever heard. The supporting cast is superlative, all the way from Martha Vickers' neurotic turn as Carmen Sternwood to Bob Steele's purring hitman Canino. There's simply not a false note to be found anywhere. Although the film really pre-dates the film noir movement the entire look of THE BIG SLEEP anticipates noir to a remarkable degree--it would be tremendously influential--and director Hawks gives everything a sharp edge from start to finish.

Two versions of THE BIG SLEEP are included on the DVD: the film as it was originally shot and the film as it was released to theatres in 1946. The actual differences between the two are fairly slight, but they prove significant. Although the original version is somewhat easier to follow in terms of story, it lacks the flash that makes the theatrical version such a memorable experience; it is easy to see why Hawks elected to rescript and reshoot several key scenes as well as add new ones, and both newcomers and old fans will have fun comparing the two. The DVD also includes an enjoyable documentary on the differences between the films and the motivations behind them. I don't usually comment on picture quality unless there is a glaring issue, but several reviewers have noted portions of this print have a flicker or seem a bit washed out. I noticed these problems, but I can't say that they in any way distracted from my enjoyment of the film, and they certainly don't prevent me from recommending it--be it on video or this DVD. And I recommend it very, very strongly indeed.

My mum recommenended the Chandler books for me to read when I was bored. I am so glad I took her advice. I loved them so she recommended the humphrey bogart Marlowe films to me . THE BIG SLEEP ROCKS ETERNALLY. I cannot express how much I love this film. O.K I'm 14 and it's not the kind of thing most teenagers watch. But Humphrey Bogart is smooth (if a little small) and Lauren Bacall is the best actress ever, I want to be her. After watching this film for the upteenth time I realised how dreadfully girly girly her lines were but she makes Vivian Sternwood really spunky. The plot is groovy the characters fantastic and I honestly can't think of anyway it could be improved. After being a fan of the books I coudn't see how this could be as good- It is just as wonderful. I am really bugged that I can't get hold of "To Have and Have Not" -just because I live in the U.K.
I WILL NEVER GET OVER IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you are an adult get this for your kids. Why should we lose out on this kinda stuff? Just because it was filmed a few(ahhum)years ago.

Humphrey Bogart's most famous roles are as Sam Spade and Rick Blaine, a pair of callous wise-guys. But he played a softer-hearted tough guy in "The Big Sleep," adapted from Raymond Chandler's novel by the legendary Howard Hawks -- a fast, witty, tough-fisted thriller, with excellent acting and sizzling chemistry.

Private "shamus" Philip Marlowe (Bogart) is hired by the decrepit General Sternwood to hunt down a man who's blackmailing his creepy, childlike daughter Carmen (Martha Vickers). It seems like a straightforward case -- but when he manages to track down the blackmailer, he finds him shot dead in a porn studio -- and a drugged Carmen sitting nearby.

Marlowe drags her home, and orders her fiery sister Vivian (Lauren Bacall) to say nothing of where she's been. Now the investigation is more serious, and Marlowe finds himself walking a tightrope of blackmail, pornography, gambling, mobs and other charming illegalities -- and at the heart of it is the location of one of Sternwood's employees.

"The Big Sleep" was a confusing book -- even Raymond Chandler couldn't follow all the threads, and wasn't able to pin one of the murders on anyone. So it's not surprising that the movie adaptation is similarly befuddling, even with some plot elements smoothed out to simplify the story. It still takes three or four viewings to even start figuring it out.

But it is really enjoyable. Hawks captures the taut, slightly humorous tone of Chandler's writing. That's especially hard, considering everybody except Marlowe and the General are double or triple-crossing somebody else, and the plotlines are murky enough that even at the end, you can't tell what's going on.

But Hawks fills it with classic lines ("What's wrong with you?" "Nothing you can't fix.") and tight action scenes, such as when Bogart sends a man out the door to be shot by his own men. There are moments of humor too, such as when Vivian and Marlowe play a prank call to a policeman ("I can do what? Where? Oh, I wouldn't like that, and neither would my daughter!").

Marlowe's a more likable character than Rick or Spade -- he may be rough and wise-cracking, but he also has soft spots and a likable sense of humor ("I don't like [my manners] myself. They are pretty bad. I grieve over them on long winter evenings"). And he has sparking chemistry with real-life wife Bacall, who plays a hardened rich girl who is desperate to protect her dad and sister, even to the point of framing herself.

"The Big Sleep" is a classic for good reasons -- it may be murky to the point of imcomprehensibility, but it's also wickedly funny, taut and tightly directed. Definitely a must-see.

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)

This movie should be stated in the Oxford English Dictionary next to the word "awesome." The plot is amazingly built, the atmosphere is cool to a point where you wonder if anything cooler has ever existed, and then when you see Bogart and Bacall, you realize that, in fact, those two actors are the personification of the word cool. I've seen quite a few films noirs and The Big Sleep is definitely right up there among my favorites. Bogart is an icon of the genre and he definitely puts in a good argument in his own favor in this movie. The dialogues are quirky and lightning fast, lining up the cool one-liners like there's no tomorow. And the camera is gorgeous, the very essence of what a film noir should look like: a mix of classy and nitty-gritty.

The Big Sleep is a great movie from a more civilized age - a must-see for anyone calling himself a cinema buff.

I have already written a review on this video but after reading some other reviewers comments I feel moved to add 2 more points.
1.Lauren Bacall is so briliant- not 'quite good' and is definatly better than Martha Vickers and even Humphrey Bogart comes no where near her.
2.The plot makes sense and I am only 14 I can't see how other people think it doesn't.

This film is absolutely mesmerizing, a masterpiece full of sharp dialog and a plot so complex not even Raymond Chandler could tell you who commited one of the murders. Bogart is Detective Philip Marlowe and from the moment he arrives to talk to General Sternwood and gets mixed up with his daughters this is a film classic.

Bacall is the sultry older sister, but it is sexy and thumb sucking little sister Martha Vickers he meets first. As he tells Sternwood, "Yeah, we met. She tried to sit in my lap and I was standing up". This is all about gambling debts and murder, all of which leads to Eddie Mars and Carmen (Vickers). But there are more twist and turns here than a rollercoaster, and it moves just about as fast. If you blink, you better rewind this tape and start over.

Howard Hawks made a masterpiece here. It is the finest straightforward detective novel ever put on celluloid. William Faulkner adapted Raymond Chandler's greatest literary achievement for Hawks and the whole thing is filmed as a fast moving dream of dialog and images hard to forget. One critic likened it to a huge hangover. That is a perfect description of this film.

Bogart's Marlowe has his hands full trying to keep Carmen out of trouble she may already be in to deep to get out of, and the sparks between he and Bacall may just ignite if he can figure out a way to keep the fast rising body count from getting any higher while keeping himself alive. Bacall has never been more beautiful or inviting than when she is slumped down in the seat of Bogart's car, just waiting for him to kiss her.

You have to see this film to really appreciate it. You'll never see anything else like it in American cinema. Pick up this one as soon as you can.

This is one of the all-time classics featuring Bogie & Bacall. Technically not film noir, rather a witty, stylized and romanticized treatment of a rather hard-boiled detective story from Raymond Chandler. It's everything others here have so eloquently stated: the plot is a bit convoluted (but it's not the point), Bogie was never cooler, the dialog is simply a joy and just about every scene is a gem unto itself. And there is a beautiful dame lurking around every corner!

I got this DVD as part of the Humphrey Bogart collection (which also included Casablanca, Key Largo, The Maltese Falcon). Imagine my surprise to find this DVD contained BOTH the pre-release and post-WWII versions on one disc! Also a good documentary comparing the two. I would highly recommend purchasing this movie on DVD if you appreciate great classic movies--or just great movies period. If like me you are a Bogart fan, get the collection. I'm hoping if more people buy these DVDs the studios will start to release some of the other great Bogart classics on DVD, like To Have And Have Not (Bogie/Bacall debut), Treasure of the Sierra Madre ("Badges?"), High Sierra, etc.