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List Price: $19.98 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 1957
Released: July 25, 2006 |
| Our Price: $5.78 |
| Used Price: $4.80 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
L.A. private eye Phillip Marlowe takes on a blackmail case...and a trail peopled with murderers, porographers, nightclub rogues, the spoiled rich and more. Humphrey Boart plays Raymond Chandlers' legendary gumshoe and director Howard Hawkes serves up snappy character encounters (particularly involving Lauren Bacall), brisk pace and atmosphere galore in the certified classic.
Description of The Big Sleep:
Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall made screen history together more than once, but they were never more popular than in this 1946 adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel, directed by Howard Hawks (To Have and Have Not). Bogart plays private eye Philip Marlowe, who is hired by a wealthy socialite (Bacall) to look into troubles stirred up by her wild, young sister (Martha Vickers). Legendarily complicated (so much so that even Chandler had trouble following the plot), the film is nonetheless hugely entertaining and atmospheric, an electrifying plunge into the exotica of detective fiction. William Faulkner wrote the screenplay. --Tom Keogh
The Big Sleep Reviews:
The Big Sleep DVD 
2009-11-30 - I was very satisfied with the quality of this DVD. I would highly recommend ordering DVDs from Amazon because of the quality, price and prompt delivery of these items.
"You're trying to find out what your father hired me to find out, and I'm trying to find out why you want to find out..."
2009-11-28 - The Big Sleep is certainly an excellent film; but I would be mighty impressed if you could follow one hundred percent of that plot with all those characters getting murdered by the second! Please don't misunderstand; just as others have noted this will be very interesting and even entertaining for you; it's truly one of the better films I've ever seen. The acting is uniformly superb and very convincing; the casting was great; the script is well written with plenty of lines that have more than one meaning; and the choreography shines bright right along with the cinematography. However, the plot meanders quite a bit and so when you watch this just relax and enjoy it without trying too hard to worry exactly who's after whom and why.
When the action starts (and believe me, you're going see a LOT of action), we quickly meet private investigator Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) who is hired by the elderly General Sternwood (Charles Waldron) because a man is blackmailing Carmen (Martha Vickers), one of his two rather pretty and somewhat loose daughters. The General wants Philip to get this guy off Carmen's back so that the family will not be disgraced publicly; Philip also meets the General's other daughter who's already a divorcee, Vivian (Lauren Bacall); and they don't exactly hit it off.
Now of course it all be neat and clean if that was the bulk of the plot; but it isn't. We eventually find out why that man wanted money from Carmen; and we also see the connection between Eddie Mars (John Ridgely) and Carmen as well as Vivian. There is much to speculate about along the way--it isn't all just murder after murder--why are so many people involved in this scenario, all of them trying to get a piece of the action (as in "money") for themselves. We get great performances by Elisha Cook Jr. as small time crook Harry Jones who follows Philip Marlowe in his car; Louis Jean Heydt as Joe Brody, another small time gangster who's in on at least part of the deal; and Sonia Darrin does just great as Agnes Lowzier who is also mixed up in all this.
The DVD comes with two versions of the film: we get the original version of the film and we get the version of the film that was released to mass audiences in 1946. There were changes in the script to enhance Lauren Bacall's character as well as a few other things. There's also a terrific documentary that illustrates the differences between the two versions of the film.
The Big Sleep may have a plot that is rather complicated to follow, but the magic is that it all works anyway and it has some incredibly fine acting with magical chemistry between Bogart and Bacall. I highly recommend this film for fans of the actors in this movie; and people who enjoy film noir will not be disappointed.
Classic film noir... 
2009-11-25 - "The Big Sleep" is one of the great film noir films. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall star in this convoluted, and atmospheric, tale of blackmailing and murder. This particular DVD has the 1945 (film noir) and 1946 (movie star/theatrical) versions of the movie on Sides A and B. A year after the film was initially finished it was thought that Lauren Bacall's character could use a little more edge, so before the movie was actually made into prints, scenes with Bacall and Bogart were completely remade. It is believed that these changes have enhanced what was already a great movie. Though a scene, between Marlowe and the Los Angles District Attroney, was also cut out of the theatrical release, which could had aided in the coherence of the story up to that point. Because of a backlog of WWII war films the release of this film was delayed, even though initially it was finished in 1945. The revised film was released in August 1946.
This DVD has an excess of dust spots throughout the entire movie. The film also has diminished contrast on the left side of the frame on numerous scenes of the film. It is surprising that some of these obvious imperfections were not rectified before being released onto DVD.
Murder and Mayhem.
2009-09-11 - This movie features a lot of murders a confusing plot and terrifying gun shot scenes. Thankfully, the stars are Humphrey Bogart who plays a down to the nitty gritty private investigator and Lauren Bacall. Who portrays a well-to-do girl who it turns out is trying to protect her sister. Their chemistry is legendary and deservedly so. Although, Humphrey Bogart as is noted several times in the movie, is not much to look at. Lauren Bacall portrays class with ease. It is intriguing and worth the while.
Bogart and Bacall At Their Best
2009-09-04 - The Big Sleep magically captures all the legendary magic of Bogart and Bacall - this was the peak of their collaborations. This set includes the earlier version of the film that has a more linear story, but less chemistry between the stars. If you want to learn why Bogart and Bacall are considered the ultimate screen couple, this is the film to see.
