Review of The Big Sleep (1946) by Alan L — 01 Feb 2008
Lauren Bacall acts as if she's about 40, has an MBA and a PhD in ballbreaking, even though this is her third film and she's barely 22. The movie starts, exactly like the book, with a strange, mocking, cynical dialogue between Bogie a Bacall, do they hate being cramped into a PI noir, or are they eating every moment of it? This is Chandler's famously most confusing/twisted mystery, you hardly remember that the lesson in the end is beware nympho exhibitionists.
Considering Falkner's screenwriting, I can't tell what he added to the script, did they pay him to copy word for word, moment for moment? I rate this sixth or seventh in great noir mysteries, still a very memorable outing, but not the most powerful Chandler adaptation.
This review of The Big Sleep (1946) was written by Alan L on 01 Feb 2008.
The Big Sleep has generally received very positive reviews.
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