Criterion ChannelPrivate Investigator Philip Marlowe is hired by wealthy General Sternwood regarding a matter involving his youngest daughter Carmen. Before the complex case is over, Marlowe sees murder, blackmail, deception, and what might be love.
Indeed, The Big Sleep uses many components of the common visual vocabulary of traditional noir. Throughout, the lighting is stark and dramatic, creating the effect of chiaroscuro. Chiaroscuro is a term from the Renaissance that signifies a high contrast between dark and light, and it is a common feature of film noir.While The Big Sleep is one of the quintessential American film noirs, and is considered one of the best, it is also known for being unbelievably confusing, complicated, even convoluted. The plot throughout is dense and driven by constant surprises.
The Big Sleep is a 1946 film noir directed by Howard Hawks, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Raymond Chandler. The movie stars Humphrey Bogart as Chandler's iconic hero-detective Philip Marlowe and Lauren Bacall as Vivian Rutledge. The Big Sleep is notable for its complicated plot, its use of many film noir conventions, and the undeniably star-making chemistry between "Bogie and Bacall," a couple whose romance extended into real life as well.
