The Big Sleep: Howard Hawks Sets the Stage for Lynch

The Big Sleep is a surreal fever-dream, reflecting a nightmare landscape of a Los Angeles underworld, surely an inspiration for the likes of David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, and many others.

The outcome of the case is unimportant, the details leading nowhere. It's full of rich mahogany mansions, blind dark alleys, and illicit gambling houses, as any good noir film should be.

What makes this a quintessential, proto-noir piece is the fact that it's not about the outcome, it's about the process of investigation.

It doesn't help that the 1946 release version, with re-shuffled and re-shot scenes is somehow even MORE incomprehensible than the original 1945 version - which by the way sat in the Warner Bros. vault for a year and a half.

When asked by director Howard Hawks who shot a particular character, writer Raymond Chandler famously replied that he had no idea.

Every time Bogey tugs on his ear the story veers off in a wildly different direction. I think, after many viewings of this film, I have finally discovered the key to the story. When Bogart rubs his ear it's not just a character affectation; it's a signal that the plot is changing direction.

Each scene is so well-written in its own right, the dialogue so crisp and tight that it's entertaining simply as a collection of vaguely connected moments. Usually this would be a mark against a film but in this case, it elevates the material.

One does not watch The Big Sleep and attempt to follow the plot; that is impossible. Therefore one can only watch it and enjoy the ride. Also, realizing there is no spoon also helps.

And what a ride it is!