I guess I'm in love with you

The Big Sleep. Starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. 1946.

This is a truly magnificent movie, and a classic example of film noir. I loved it. It's the kind of film that makes me break out the cliche "they don't make 'em like they used to." But I really mean it. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it. Humphrey Bogart plays Raymond Chandler's famous private eye, Philip Marlowe. While I've never considered Bogart particularly attractive, he makes quite a compelling hard-boiled detective. And Lauren Bacall opposite him was cool and striking; I was certainly fascinated by her. My mental images of Bacall are from when she was a bit older, but in this film she was young and very beautiful, with slightly odd, angular features that make her quite memorable.

The film starts off quickly with some interesting characters and impressive dialogue, and quite soon the bodies begin to pile up. Of course, what I found most interesting about the film was the women. Several female secondary characters, exemplified by Dorothy Malone as the Acme Bookstore Proprietess, seem to be instantly attracted to Bogart's Marlowe and willing to help or seduce him at a moment's notice. Rather than being offended by this male fantasy, I found myself sympathizing with them, hoping that they succeed, especially the cute bookstore girl. The array of beautiful and eager young women falling over themselves for Humphrey Bograt (who, again, I don't find particularly hansome) all seemed fairly independent and spunky and I would gladly have seen more of any one of them.

In this film, you never quite know whether you can trust the women, especially Bacall as Mrs. Rutledge. She could have very easily been a murderess, the femme fatale who triumphs at the end. And that would have been exciting, too. But instead, she turns out to be a good girl. She was just protecting her sister all along, and while she may have a nasty gambling habit, she is in general a tough and fairly intelligent female character, brave enough to take actiion and release Marlowe when he's being held hostage and caring enough to try to take the blame for a murder committed by her younger sister. While this, and her happy ending with Marlowe, isn't quite as exciting as a woman who's just trouble, it was an interesting and powerful character, and I found her and the whole film utterly delightful.