Altman's THE LONG GOODBYE (1973)

[Dewey1960]

I know there are countless film noir fans out there, rabid purists of "old school" private eye fiction, who are appalled by Robert Altman's revisionist take on Raymond Chandler's classic 1953 novel. But for me, THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) is much truer to the heart and the poetry of Chandler's writing than most of the films based on his novels that were produced back in the 1940s. (The credited screenwriter, Leigh Brackett, was one of the writers of the 1946 film version of THE BIG SLEEP and her brilliant touch is evident throughout.) The fact that the film jettisons Philip Marlowe into the 1970s matters not at all in the great scheme of things: he is still the beleaguered knight in rusty armor, more interested in the truth than in a dollar.

The film is ripe with fascinating perofrmances: Sterling Hayden, remarkable as Roger Wade, the failed alcoholic writer; baseball star Jim Bouton as Terry Lennox, Marlowe's glib buddy who drags him into a case of murder; Mark Rydell as the vicious mobster Marty Augustine who thinks nothing of smashing a coke bottle into his girl friend's face just to prove a point; nutty little Arte Johnson as the sinister Dr. Varringer; and Nina Van Pallandt as Roger Wade's sultry and deceptive wife Eileen Wade. And of course, Elliott Gould as Marlowe (the Marlboro Man!), a somnambulstic hero for the stoned 70s generation.

THE LONG GOODBYE is also full of the little "Altmanesque" touches that make the experience of this movie so rewarding. Such as John Williams' intoxicating title song, "The Long Goodbye," which is used in at least a dozen different musical contexts and arrangements, each to suit the moment that is required of it. Brilliant. The thing with the cat at the beginning of the story; sharing a jail cell with David Carradine; those kooky girls next door and their pot brownies. "It's ok with me, lady!" Vilmos Zsigmond's astonishing cinematography helps turn sun-bleached Los Angeles into the decadent post-card playground that it had become by the early 1970s.

As a long time diehard Raymond Chandler fan (the novel THE LONG GOODBYE is my favorite of his books) I find this film to be extraordinary on every level. I've probably seen it 15 or 20 times at least and it never disappoints. If we can accept the fact that there is such a thing as neo-noir--sunlit stories of murder and deception in candy color hues and wide-screen grandeur, then THE LONG GOODBYE is at the top of that god-forsaken list.

It turns up fairly often on the Starz network lineup (Mystery Channel, Retroplex, etc) in a pan & scan version. But anyone with a serious interest in seeing this remarkable film in its original, dazzling wide-screen aspect ratio is urged to rent or buy the DVD.

[Mr. Arkadin]

I revisted the film recently. I picked it up recently, gave it to my brother to watch and he was absolutely blown away.

He said: "So you've seen this?"

Me: "Yeah. A long time ago."

Him: "How come you never showed this to me before?"

Me: "I didn't have it then"

Him: "When did you see this?"

Me: "When I was around 16 or so."

Him: "You are watching this with me right now!"

So we did and I've gotta say I never knew what I was missing all these years. It's wonderfully shot and has beautiful images, but probably the greatest thing about it is the "business" that all the actors do. Little things that give us insights to who their characters really are.

It's the personal touches that make this film different from most Noir or crime films which many times adhere to formula. None of that is here.

Thanks for championing the film in earlier threads Dewey, even my brother is a fan of yours now.

[Dewey1960]

Hey Mr. A:
Thanks for the nice words! It's always a great pleasure bringing people and films together.

Here's a little something I thought I'd leave you with...

THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) original theatrical trailer:
[youtube][/youtube]


Give my best to your brother!
-Dewey