The Big Sleep

I always like it when a director has range, and can do a good movie regardless of genre. I knew Hawks could do comedy from Bringing Up Baby, and now I know he can do serious film noir, in probably the best example I've ever seen. The Big Sleep is a complex story with lots of twists and intricacies, and can be sort of hard to follow, especially after they apparently reshot and reedited it after it was delayed by the war to focus less on the plot and more on the relationship between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, who were married off screen. I saw the original cut though, with helpful expository scenes intact. It's not that the movie is completely impenetrable without the scenes that help make all the obscure connections, it's just that having them makes for a more satisfying experience.

The movie completely thrives on its dialogue and acting, which is good because as with any film from the era its attempts at portraying violence are pathetic. If it were remade today, it would probably be half as witty and twice as bloody. Anyone who's seen Casablanca knows Bogart can deliver a line, and the words he's given here allow for some terribly clever banter with everyone he meets. He's definitely the star of the show, as he bounces around gathering information, getting beat up, and winning the heart of most girls he meets. I thought the movie took a little too long to get to the real meat of what was behind it all after the initial conflict is seemingly wrapped up, but otherwise it's exactly what I want out of a movie like this.