There is a myth about old movies. That they are corny and have no glimpse of real life. There is no more devious a movie (or books) than the Big Sleep. This movie immediately has four great things going for it. Humphrey Bogart, the best (considering who you are) actor to have ever lived is the star. The director is one of the old masters: Howard Hawks. The writers: Raymond Chandler and William Faulkner, two of the best writers of the 20th century. The Big Sleep is a classically appealing story, a private detective is given the run around, encountering dangerous dames and tough guys. The plot is much to complicated to go over here, and it would be far less eloquent than the way it is played out in the film. There is a languor to it, a certain lethargy that is broken apart by the evil of the world. By murder, my flirtatious girls, and cigarette smoke puffing into someone else's face. The Big Sleep is also a great film in the way it indirectly considers insanity. This is expressed in two of the Sternwood girls (who are the clients of Bogart). The Big Sleep looks beautiful, sounds tough and real, and has bits of direction so well done, you are left in shock at it's absolute brilliance.
The Big Sleep: ★★★★
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