Heartbreak Motel » film noir

The Big Sleep (1946)

John Holmes — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:42:03 +0000

Directed by Howard Hanks
Written by: William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthmann, based on the book The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Ridgely, Martha Vickers,
Photography: Sid Hickox
Music: Max Steiner

114′, B/W, U.S.A, 1946

Adapting Raymond Chandler’s confusing and hardboiled book is not for the faint of heart. Chandler’s novel is known for it’s complexity and particularly grimy atmosphere but Howard Hanks delivers, casting the hot couple of the moment (middle 1940s): Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, who were just married and ‘hot’ in the press.

The script follows the book closely, even in most of the dialogue and setting, and that can be confusing as there are a lot of details in the investigation that are too literal to be translated to the screen. But most of the plot is layered on the film. The obvious enhancement is the Bogart-Bacall romance, emphasized on screen via some great dialogue and chemistry.

The more sordid details of the book, however, are smudged because of the restrictions of the Hays Code, so the more pornographic details are laid out like the nakedness of Carmen, the nymphomaniac daughter of General Sternwood, or the plot involving obscene book trafficking. The ending differs from the book also, providing a more easy resolution than in the novel, wich is a good and bad thing, having read the novel you can’t just miss the thrill of the final pages, because you are fooled the entire time trying to figure out the pieces by yourself. The book’s resolution’s simple, yet more satisfying to this particular story.

Bogart is splendid as Phillip Marlowe, the always-right and morally-aware detective that in the book is more hardboiled and cynical. On the screen, Marlowe is the ladies man, literally every girl in the movie tries to have her way with the gentleman, and Bogart delivers a fine performance including some physical treats that he adds to the character for more realism. Bacall as Vivian, the second Sternwood daughter, is the eternal femme-fatale with her harsh cocktail voice and wide lips that seem to engulf you with every word expelled. It is somewhat obvious the influence her off-the-screen husband has on her, visible in the kissing scene in the car where her wide eyes are as passionate as a woman in love can be.

Hanks cinematography is precise and depicts the gritty San Francisco of the war-era very precisely. The scenes are tight and follow one another without any breathing space, except for the development of the romance between the two leading characters where he allows himself and the actors a bit more spice and time.

Because this is a story about the process of an investigation rather than a film about who is the killer, it may seem confusing but reading the book before and allowing yourself to embrace Chandler’s brilliant and intelligent writing gives you a great advantage to appreciate this noir classic, charged with sexual innuendo and flair.

The most common version of the film was released in 1946, there is a pre-release version made in 1945 that was just released in 1997 with some different scenes and a more relaxed pace. Therefore, the version you’ll likely to found is the later 1946 version. There are numerous stories regarding the production of the movie, like the one involving the identity of one of the killers. When the production contacted Chandler to ask him this important detail, the writer didn’t even know. And it’s better that way – in life some things are better left explained.

The movie was made during the war effort so it features a lot of gimmicks from the era like the slang used at the time, rationing stickers and so on. The studio wanted more war-related films to be released before the war was over so they didn’t loose the momentum so The Big Sleep was screened two years after the end of the conflict.

My advice is to read the book first, since most of the surprise and clever writing are better in a more literary form, then go back and watch the movie and you’ll still enjoy the first story of Phillip Marlowe, private investigator.

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Where to get it:

My DVD copy is the european one, even the menus are in english – odd for a Portuguese branded cover. No extras, but you get the film at a cheaper price, since there are no other versions. Get it:

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They Live by Night (1949)

John Holmes — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:33:35 +0000

Directed by Nicholas Ray
Written by Charles Schnee, based on the book “Thieves Like Us”, Edward Anderson
Cast: Cathy O’Donnell, Farley Granger, Howard da Silva, Jay C. Flippen

Runtime: 95min
USA, 1949

iMDB | AllMovie | Wikipedia

The first feature from one of the romantics of the classic American Cinema, Nicholas Ray, is a human crime drama noir driven by strong leads and classic heartfelt dialogue, delivered in a tight narrative and superb low-light cinematography. A dramatic film noir example that is an absolute classic.

Three convicts escape prison and refugee on a friendly cabin, planning their next assault. Bowie, the youngest of the three (and the soft hearted one), never knew much of love but soon understands it when he meets Keechie, the niece of one of the convicts. Like him, she never knew much about love or kissing, having lived all of her life in an isolated village. The three convicts conduct one more robbery and our Bowie is radiant with his share of the loot; he believes that he can hire an attorney to help him free his conviction. The couple then flees to an isolated region, hoping that they can find piece in love, but the past and the most certain future for Bowie shapes their fatal destiny.

Much more than the typical ‘romance in the dark’ or ‘lovers in sin’ kind of film, They Live by Night is very cautious on the approach to the subject, never failing to give up atmosphere in favor of a pastiche drama. It is tight, and it’s dialogue is incredibly smart. The two lead performances are true classic hollywood – at their best, and the director carefully crafts the scenes in the most human way possible. When the couple is having an argument, for instances, the out-of-focus is used to give importance to the other partner’s reaction, or the character’s intense gloom, never putting any star in relevance. This is also fantastic in the robbery scene, all shot inside the car where our Bowie awaits the return of the two mates. This quick segment is augmented with a tension that elevates the plot to a different, deeper level.

Even in the earliest scenes, when the main characters are introduced, every piece of the action is so carefully rehearsed that makes this film carved in stone, a true classic. Not without its gloomy noir athmosphere, this is no artificial drama. There is real darkness here, the low-light and the despair in the characters eyes, in a poetic sense but also a poetry that is never too overrated, the story itself with its inevitable feeling of a bad ending hanging in every corner, the claustrophobic environments that give us the best feeling of a couple-on-the-run.

And the night. Bowie and Keechie always travel by night to avoid unwanted attention. The darkness is also part of the lover’s relation. But this is no light-paced narrative, not at all. There are twists and turns, there is always something pushing the story forward, much like a good book.

Uncompromisingly, this is an absolute must for every classic hollywood lover or for all the film noir freaks out there, and it will absolutely stay with you long after you watch it.

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Where to Get it:

My DVD edition is a Portugese one, and it features another Nicholas Ray feature: On Dangerous Ground. There is no official European release, except for the Spanish one, neither a single-packaged edition of the film. There is this version that also features another classic, Side Street, from Anthony Mann. Both are great, and feature the same lead characters. Another chance to see the beautiful Cathy O’Donnell.

You can always go back to the Heartbreak Souvenirs Store for all the good stuff.

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