Never one of my favorite actors, Humphrey Bogart has always been a little rough for me. I prefer the polish of Cary Grant or the fatherly calm that Jimmy Stewart provides. Recently though I have been trying to catch more Bogart films and I must admit the guy has been growing on me. I think that the hardest part to take with Bogart is that many of his films seem dated to audiences today. As my movie palate has matured, so to has my acceptance of his work. So when I see a classic such as The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946) I am constantly amazed at how much I enjoy these films. And I find myself having less trepidation when it comes to watching the lesser known classics.
To me, The Big Sleep is all about three things. There is the pairing of Bogart and Bacall, some stellar writing and dialogue and with that, an attendant narrative that is very confusing and long.
Often times after watching a film I have never seen, particularly a classic, I instantly go to Wikipedia and read up on it's stars or even the production. I like to read what I don't know. The pairing of Bogart and Bacall is one of Hollywood royalty, yet other than Key Largo (John Huston, 1948) I had never seen their films. In fact, other than Key Largo and How To Marry A Millionaire (Jean Negulesco, 1953) I realized I hadn't seen Bacall in anything. What a revelation to me that Bacall is in this film. Overshadowed (to me) in Millionaire, in this film she shines. Utterly gorgeous and alluring as hell, she is at times sultry and seductive yet at others completely unpredictable and dangerous. I found myself wanting Bogart to 'get wise and leave this dame alone'. But the chemistry between the two is undeniable and on film they are mesmerizing.
Another undeniable fact is that the writing is smart and witty with dialogue that cracks off the screen but also provides a narrative that is too long and confusing at times. The writing fits the era perfectly, as well as Bogart's screen persona. He has plenty of wicked quick comebacks, opportunity to rattle off lines in rapid succession and dialogue that is incredible. The dialogue is eminently quotable, sexual in tone and daring down to it's core. While watching I had to tweet three times the lines I just heard on screen, that's how good they are. And the sexual undertones in the film are in abundance. It seems as if half the lines spoken by Bogie and Bacall to each other are about them wanting to have sex with each other. But as good as that dialogue is, the narrative is too long and confusing.
In Hitchcock's films he often employed a MacGuffin, a device used to throw the viewer off the trail of what the film truly was about. I'd like to say that Hawks did something similar in The Big Sleep, but I don't think this is the case. Halfway through the film the original crime is solved, but then the film continues for another 45 minutes. This is because the narrative is overly long, trying to fit too many twists and turns into it's structure. It just serves to confuse the viewer. To be honest, I'm still not sure who the killer really was. I think I know, but then again, I may be wrong.
If you're into classics or if you haven't seen this film, definitely watch it. If your stuck with someone who is into classics and you aren't, take everything in the context of the time this film was made and it'll be much easier to watch. For those people like me, with an appetite for classics, this type of film is pure joy.
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