The Big Sleep

Name: The Big Sleep
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Film-Noir
Released: August 31, 1946
Duration: 114 min
Rating: 86
Cast: Bob Steele, Charles D. Brown, Charles Waldron, Dorothy Malone, Humphrey Bogart

1946

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 16 Ratings

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8.2

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8.2	User Score Universal acclaim based on 16 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. | Release Date: August 31, 1946 | Passed

Starring: Bob Steele, Charles D. Brown, Charles Waldron, Dorothy Malone, Humphrey Bogart, John Ridgely, Lauren Bacall, Martha Vickers, Peggy Knudsen, Regis Toomey

Summary: Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a wealthy family. Before the complex case is over, he's seen murder, blackmail, and what might be love.

Director: Howard Hawks

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Film-Noir

Rating: Passed

Runtime: 114 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Michael Wilmington

One of the all-time classic noirs. [06 Nov 1998]

100

Tom Huddleston

This is arguably the high-water mark of Hollywood’s love affair with the infinitely slippery possibilities of the English language. Read full review

100

Roger Ebert

It is one of the great film noirs, a black-and-white symphony that exactly reproduces Chandler's ability, on the page, to find a tone of voice that keeps its distance, and yet is wry and humorous and cares. Read full review

James Berardinelli

The Big Sleep remains one of Hollywood's most intriguing and enduring examples of film noir. It's a movie that every film student should study and every movie lover should watch at least once. Read full review

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

The movie's disturbing labyrinthine story of murder and betrayal now looks like a fable by David Lynch: and the witty, charged dialogue between the leads shows that no screen couple, before or since, had as much chemistry as Bogart and Bacall. Read full review

James Agee

Even on the chaste screen Hawks manages to get down a good deal of the glamorous tawdriness of big-city low life, discreetly laced with hints of dope addiction, voyeurism and fornication. A round dozen minor players help him out with great efficiency— not to mention Miss Bacall, who is like an adolescent cougar. Read full review

Bosley Crowther

The Big Sleep is one of those pictures in which so many cryptic things occur amid so much involved and devious plotting that the mind becomes utterly confused. And, to make it more aggravating, the brilliant detective in the case is continuously making shrewd deductions which he stubbornly keeps to himself. Read full review

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Mixed:

User Reviews

fwmurnau

Jun 7, 2022

One of the greatest crime films of the 1940s. The wonderful sleaze that Marlowe wades thru in the novel is cleaned up enough for the Production Code, but still gives a sense of turning over a wet rock and finding these characters. I guess because of a similarly unnecessary scene in TO HAVEOne of the greatest crime films of the 1940s. The wonderful sleaze that Marlowe wades thru in the novel is cleaned up enough for the Production Code, but still gives a sense of turning over a wet rock and finding these characters. I guess because of a similarly unnecessary scene in TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, Bacall sings a song. Otherwise she's fine, especially for a 20 year-old with hardly any acting experience. She's terrific with Bogart and the film uses much of Chandler's superb dialog. This is a classic that holds up very well today.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

codyz

Jul 21, 2023

Movie's noirish humorous style, and charismatic leads overcome an increasingly convuluted story of blackmail, drug fueled jealousy, coverups, and murder.

The fun clever snappy tough guy dialogue, zingers, trashy sexy femme fatale vibes , and dynamic pairing of Bogey and Bacall all make upMovie's noirish humorous style, and charismatic leads overcome an increasingly convuluted story of blackmail, drug fueled jealousy, coverups, and murder.

The fun clever snappy tough guy dialogue, zingers, trashy sexy femme fatale vibes , and dynamic pairing of Bogey and Bacall all make up for the storyline flaws.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Broyax

May 3, 2023

Jamais un film n’a porté aussi bien son nom ! ce sont ici en effet quasiment deux plombes qui vont vous assommer d’un sommeil de plomb inéluctable et inexpugnable ! on ne peut pas résister : d’abord, on s’ennuie très vite, dès les premières minutes, puis les paupières se font lourdes, uneJamais un film n’a porté aussi bien son nom ! ce sont ici en effet quasiment deux plombes qui vont vous assommer d’un sommeil de plomb inéluctable et inexpugnable ! on ne peut pas résister : d’abord, on s’ennuie très vite, dès les premières minutes, puis les paupières se font lourdes, une torpeur vous envahit… on vous a drogué ou quoi ?

Non, vous regardez le Grand Sommeil, bordel de merde ! et quand on regarde, non, quand on tente de regarder le Grand Sommeil, on a sommeil ! puis on dort à poings fermés, on ronfle comme un tracteur et les voisins se plaignent, les fondations en tremblent : vous ronflez devant le Grand, le très Grand Sommeil, la vieille chienlit des années 40 du siècle dernier !

Avec évidemment ce détective qui enquête sur quoi déjà… ah mais au fait, c’est tiré d’un bouquin qui porte le même titre et figurez-vous que si on tente de lire ce maudit bouquin aussi… on s’endort ! même que y en a qui se sont retrouvés dans le coma !

Et d’ailleurs, une fois n’est pas coutume, même les comédiens nous donnent envie de pioncer et pourtant, Bogart distribue du charisme et Bacall de la sensualité… mais que voulez-vous, quand on se fait chier, on se fait chier ! car je crois que même en dormant devant ce truc, je rêvais, non je cauchemardais : je me faisais chier aussi… en dormant, putain !… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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