Comparing The Film Noir And The Big Sleep

Film Noir and the Hard-Boiled Detective Genre

"Such a lot of guns around town and so few brains!" is a memorable line of Humphrey Bogart's Philip Marlowe in the 1946 adaptation of Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep (The Big Sleep). That one quote encapsulates the presence of corruption, violence and even class distinction that is characteristic of film noir and the hard-boiled detective genre. The novel and the film both focus on Philip Marlowe, a private detective, during his investigative process. While the main plot remains the same, changes were made regarding the portrayals of characters, including Marlowe, likely in response to consideration of the audience and intent of the film. However, the setting was further developed through the

use of music and sound and effectively demonstrates the characteristics of the genre. Overall, the Howard Hawks's 1946 film adaptation was successful. However, the film placed more emphasis on the setting and complicated detective process, as represented through the complex plot, of the hard-boiled detective novel instead of exploring the corruption of the upper class and sexualization of women to the extent that Raymond Chandler does in the novel. Firstly, the protagonist of hard-boiled detective genre novels and their film adaptations is the detective who acts as a "Knight in Sour Armor" ("Knight in Sour Armor"). Typically this character believes in truth and justice, but the society he lives in does not share those beliefs. In the film adaptation and the novel The Big Sleep, it is clear that Marlowe is the "Knight in Sour Armor" as he is presented as a lower class, private investigator with his own personal a code of honour. Furthermore, the novel uses images of a knight to symbolize chivalry and emphasize that aspect of Marlowe. For example, Marlowe contemplates how he is called upon to play the knight when sees the stained glass window in Sternwood's house window featuring the knight and damsel in distress. The stained glass window is only seen briefly in the film. Later in the novel, moving the knight on the chess board is representative of how he is struggling with how to deal with Carmen in his apartment. In conclusion, the morals that Marlowe possesses distinguish him from the corrupt upper class and act as a guide for his actions. It allows him to "maintain his stance as a man of honour in a false society" (Cawelti 159). However, the extent to which his code of honour moderates his behaviour is different in the film when compared to the novel. For example, in the novel, his moral code causes him to refuse Vivian's advances because he feels it is inappropriate to have a relationship with a client's daughter. The film adaptation, on the other hand, explores a romance between Vivian and Marlowe as they kiss and flirt throughout it. Most notably, the couple had a discussion about horse-racing full of sexual metaphors such as, "a lot depends on who's in the saddle," resulting in an entertaining double entendre (Big Sleep). As a result, the film places less emphasis on Marlowe's moral code through the absence of knight related imagery and his acceptance of Vivian's sexual advances. In addition, female sexuality was represented differently in the film adaptation. Sexuality was no longer reserved for the upper class women or exclusive to the femme fatale. Promiscuity became more casual as the book store employee and taxi driver made sexual advances towards Marlowe as well. Interestingly, Carmen, who was arguably the most sexualized in the novel, was less sexualized in the film. For example, in the novel she is naked when Marlowe found her in Arthur Geiger's house and a couple days later in his apartment. But, in the film she is clothed. However, this may be an issue related to the film rating system as nudity would decrease the audience. Carmen is also portrayed as innocent and cute, sucking her thumb throughout the novel. Also, her animalistic behavior is not revealed in the film because she does not react violently when Marlowe refuses her advances when she is naked in his bed. That scene was critical in the book as Marlowe sees who she really is when her immoral and cruel behaviour is reflected in her appearance. She was described as having dark eyes, "a face like scraped bone" and "artificial lips [that] had to be manipulated with springs" (Chandler 157). As a result, the film does not clearly define the femme fatale, the irresistibly attractive woman who leads men into dangerous situations. However, the novel and film work together in establishing the relationship between corruption and female sexuality. For example, in the film, General Sternwood describes the perfume of the orchid as having "the rotten sweetness of corruption" (Big Sleep). In the novel, the perfume of the orchid was described as having the "rotten sweetness of a prostitute" (Chandler 9). As a result, corruption and prostitutes, a representation of female sexuality, are seen as similar if they can be used interchangeably to describe the scent of an orchid. The plot of the film adaptation stays true to Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep. Overall the movie is about Philip Marlowe who is hired by General Sternwood, the father of Carmen and Vivian, to stop a blackmailer who is blackmailing Carmen. However, when Marlowe discovers the blackmailer has been murdered, additional mysteries present themselves, such as the murder of Sean Regan. Nonetheless, the movies is missing some elements of the original plot. Vivian's was present more in the film than in the novel and this may be due to the fact that Lauren Bacall, a famous Hollywood actress, portrayed that character. This may be the reason behind some further plot changes. For example, Vivian rescues Marlowe from Canino while, in the novel, it was Mona Mars who rescued him. Those plot differences are trivial compared to the fact that the film adaptation changed the ending. The film is lacking the most climatic part of novel in which Carmen points her gun on Marlowe in the abandoned oilfield, where Sean Regan's body had been disposed, and Marlowe confirms that she killed Regan. Instead, in the film, Marlowe tells Eddie Mars that he believes Carmen killed Regan. Marlowe then calls the police and says that Eddie killed Regan. Eddie is then shot by his own men as he leaves the cabin. In both cases, Vivian is allowed to go free to ensure that Carmen receives the help she needs and is institutionalized. Despite the changes, watching the movie added clarity to the rather complex plot.
The plot is difficult to follow due to the fact that Marlowe uncovers so much in such a short amount of time, 5 days to be exact, and the number of characters involved.

For example, Marlowe discovers that Geiger's books store was a smut book racket, the identity of Carmen's blackmailer and his murderer, what really happened to Eddie Mars's wife and the identity of Sean Regan's murderer. Nonetheless, the resulting fast paced plot engages the viewer. Unlike reading a novel, watching a movie involves one's auditory senses. In this case, music was carefully composed and selected to emphasize the confusion and rush. For example, fast paced music creates a feeling of tension and can be used to build suspense. Sound was also used to establish the setting. The story takes place in Los Angeles. The big city setting is a characteristic of the genre to which the film and novel belong. Large, urban cities provide a background upon which corruption can flourish because they are a "hotbed of 'dirty crime' and, by association, 'dirty people' " (Ogdon 76). Additionally, in the novel, it is often raining, lighting or thundering. In fact, the novel begins in mid October with "the sun not shining and a look of hard wet rain in the clearness of the foothills" (Chandler 3). While the sound of rain and thunder can be described in the novel, the film adaptation allowed the setting to come to life through the use of images and the sound of thunder in the background and rain falling on the street. This created the gloomy atmosphere found in the hard-boiled detective genre. In conclusion, the 1946 film adaptation of Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep is a successful adaptation of the novel and representation of the genre. True to the novel, Philip Marlowe is guided by his personal moral code throughout his investigations. The plot follows the basic formula of the detective novel. First the detective, residing in a large city, is introduced and he is presented with a case to

solve. Then, the story follows the detective through the investigative process and solution. In the hard-boiled detective genre, however, the detective makes a personal choice beyond the solution (Cawelti 142). In this case, Marlowe chose to investigate the murder of Regan, but he ultimately let Carmen, the murderer, go free. However, there are some differences between the plot of the novel and how it was adapted in the film. For example, the film chose to create a romance between Vivian and Marlowe instead of sexualizing the female characters of the film. Nevertheless, the film, like most hard-boiled detective novels and film noirs, acts as a critique of the upper class that "[possesses] style without integrity" ("American Hard-boiled and Noir Crime Fiction").