The Big Sleep (1946): Before We Watch
What Is Even Happening
Friends, get ready for the ride. The Big Sleep isn’t only about Philip Marlowe’s (Humphrey Bogart) short ties and adorable pajamas. Or only about the heat between Bogie and Lauren Bacall practically burning through reams of celluloid. It’s also about a lot of stuff that many viewers and reviewers couldn’t quite follow.
Many a commentary on the film, both contemporary and subsequent, has ruminated on its convoluted plot. As James Agee’s 1946 review proclaims, “The Big Sleep (Warner) is wakeful fare for folks who don’t care what is going on, or why, so long as the talk is hard and the action harder.” Just a heads-up, before you watch.
Anyway, hello, welcome, and thank you for stopping by. For new visitors, here’s what this situation is all about:
With Savor the View , we’ll watch, think, and talk about movies and the things that matter. A special welcome and thanks to our regular crew!
Each Monday, I share brief, spoiler-free remarks and questions to frame viewing a movie on our own.
Each Thursday, I share post-viewing questions to poke at the issues, ideas, quandaries, inspirations…whatever…that movie might have summoned (spoilers, ahoy!).
