The Long Goodbye (1973)

Philip Marlowe: Nobody cares but me.
Terry Lennox: Well that's you, Marlowe. You'll never learn, you're a born loser.
Philip Marlowe: Yeah, I even lost my cat.

Philip Marlowe.  To those who do not know film noir, Philip Marlowe first appeared in the 1939 novel “The Big Sleep”, written by Raymond Chandler, and was subsequently played by Humphrey Bogart in the 1946 movie of the same name (remade in 1976 starring Robert Mitchum).  Some other novels written by Chandler with Marlowe as the main character was Farewell, My Lovely, Lady in the Lake and The Long Goodbye all of which have also been made into movies.  However, looking at the above poster would make you think that this was not a serious crime caper and in a way you would be right.  It can be classified as neo-noir, part comedy and crime flick all in one with a good dose of drama.  Quite unlike The Big Sleep, Lady in the Lake or Farewell, My Lovely.

One song you will hear throughout the film is “The Long Goodbye” written by John Williams and Johnny Mercer but in a variety of styles.  The very start of the film is playing a song (Hooray for Hollywood) in an old 40’s or 50’s style and then suddenly changes to a more modern version of The Long Goodbye as we see Marlowe for the first time almost giving the idea that the main character has suddenly shifted from the 40’s to the present day, being the 70’s.  Then as the film moves to another character the style of the theme song changes again to something more upbeat or modern for that 70’s era giving the idea that others around Marlowe are in the right time era but Marlowe, an old school detective, is somehow trapped in an era that is not his own which is further reinforced by his house and the car he drives.  Yes, it sounds like a bizarre idea but it works especially for those who have watched and know film noir in particular, the Marlowe films.  He is an odd character who talks to himself a lot, makes wise cracks that few seem to find funny yet has some solid principals that those around him do not seem to share.  The funny thing about this version of Marlowe is that things don’t seem to work out for him like they did in the older movies.  For instance, his cat has run away yet he, a detective, is unable to find it, then later in the film he chases after the girl but is unable to get her attention and she drives off without him.  Different from the norm ☺

Philip Marlowe (Elliot Gould) gets a visit late one night by his friend Terry Lennox (Jim Bouton) who appears to be on the run and asks Marlowe to drive him to the Mexican border.  After he is dropped off, Marlowe gets a visit from crime boss Marty Augustine (Mark Rydell) and his thugs demanding to know where Terry is because he was carrying $350,000 that belonged to Augustine.  The crime gang soon leaves after a nasty little incident which gave Marlowe a warning as to what might happen to him if the money does not turn up.  Soon after, Marlowe receives a message to call Eileen Wade (Nina van Pallandt) who is very concerned about her husband Roger Wade (Sterling Hayden – one of my favourite noir actors who also adds credibility to this Marlowe being in a different era cause Haydn has grown older in looks but Marlowe is still young comparably).  Marlowe locates Roger in a temporary mental home run by Dr. Verringer (Henry Gibson) and returns him to his wife.  But as always, the plot thickens as many of these characters have links and things are not always as they appear.  It can be hard to follow but those who have seen The Big Sleep can probably rest easy knowing that it’s not as deep as that ☺

This is a movie that grows on you the more you watch it as you tend to pick up little details and also how much work went into it.  The idea that Director Robert Altman (also directed MASH, McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Nashville) had was brought to life realistically and intelligently in this film.  It was a bold move that, as stated above, makes you unsure whether to take it as noir, comedy or a crime/heist drama but as you get to the end of the film you realise its all of the above and is filmed and pieced together very well which is no doubt why it has now been received as a cult classic.  First time actor Jim Bouton does not appear very convincing however the rest come across well in the portrayal of their characters.  Speaking of characters, keep an eye out for the security guard who does a few impersonations of some old noir actors which is another wonderful touch.  We also see Arnold Schwarzenegger in his younger years as one of the thugs but he has no speaking lines.
There is a bit of nudity in the film from Marlowe’s neighbours so keep that in mind if there are kids watching.

The Bluray reviewed here is the “Arrow Academy” imported from the UK.  Arrow are well known and respected for bringing out well thought out titles usually with some nice extras and a solid visual presentation, much like the UK’s Eureka Masters of Cinema and USA’s Criterion.  As it is from the UK it is a Region B disc so it will work in Australian players unlike Criterion which are region A locked.  The image may come over as a bit washed out to many but that is the way it was filmed, or rather the process in which it was filmed.  So putting that aside, the image quality is pretty much the best you will see it unless a full 4K restoration is done.  Contrast is usually good, though blacks will not always be super black because of the way it was filmed, sharpness is quite good though not as good as many other films from the era, but acceptable.  Sound is passed to our ears via an uncompressed PCM mono soundtrack and sounds quite nice and voices are quite clear along with the music.  The Bluray also includes the following extras:

• Isolated Music and Effects soundtrack
• Rip Van Marlowe: an interview with director Robert Altman and star Elliot Gould
• Giggle and Give In (documentary about Robert Altman)
• Interviews with Vilmos Zsigmond (cinematographer), Elliot Gould (about The Long Goodbye), David Thompson (on Robert Altman), Tom Williams (on Raymond Chandler) and Maxim Jakubowski (on Hard Boiled Fiction)
• Theatrical Trailer
• Radio Spots

There is a DVD available which can be purchased for about $10 from eBay and two other Blurays, one being Region A (from Kino) which is not recommended due to the region coding making it unplayable in Australian Bluray players.

Overall, it’s a movie that can be hard to watch due to the complex plot or if you are expecting a full on crime movie, but it grows on you and is enjoyable especially if you appreciate noir films.  It is not the best movie out there but it is very well made and has gained its following because of that.  Recommended especially for noir fans!

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