more Marlowe time

I know that I said "Falcon Takes Over" would be next. But I have had a little problem tracking it down. So, for now let's take a look at another one:













The Long Goodbye (1973. directed by Robert Altman)


Ah the age of neo-noir. Now here's the thing about the Marlowe screen character. He's tough, he's wise-cracking, he's cold, the chicks dig him, and he never ever really knows what in the hell is going on. He asks a lot of questions and makes a lot of assumptions and figures out from there who's defensive, who's got something to hide. But he really doesn't have any idea of what the hell is going on. Elliot Gould as Phillip Marlowe knows less than any other Marlowe. He plays the role very boyish and confused. Now he's good on his feet, but he has no clue about anything. His voice over narration (a typical film noir/Marlowe trait) is Gould just simply mumbling to himself. He's running on foot and chasing down cars, he never plays it cool like the usual earlier Marlowes. The film itself is rather cool, cause it's the same Marlowe of yesteryear's, but stuck in 1970's Los Angeles. Everyone wears beach clothes and is into yoga. Marlowe chain smokes (he in fact is the only smoker in the film, and he lights a cigarette in every scene) And Marlowe still wears a suit and is practically handcuffed to his necktie. Elliot Gould plays Marlowe great as Elliot Gould, which is the best way to play this role. We want to see "The Big Sleep" not for Bogart as Phillip Marlowe, but to see Phillip Marlowe as Humphrey Bogart. That's fucking star power, baby. And that's what we get with The Long Goodbye. And that's what makes it work. Because the plot is full of holes and confusing as fuck. Like pretty much every Marlowe film. But watching Gould doing his version, stumbling around, confused as hell is what makes this so enjoyable to watch. As for the end of the film, What Gould and Altman do is really the most uncharacteristic action that Marlowe would ever do. But it's such a good ending, that I think it's great cause this is the most uncharacteristic of all the previous Phillip Marlowes. He even owns a cat in this film, but the cat is kind of crucial to the story, to let us know how loyal this Marlowe is. So great job, Elliot Gould. You are so far in first place as Philip Marlowe.