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The Long Goodbye
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Kino Lorber Review written by and copyright: Robert Segedy (10th February 2022). |
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The Film
 "The Long Goodbye" (1973) Watching a Robert Altman film is a tough decision to make. Altman was a notoriously visionary filmmaker, and this film should be mandatory on all film fan's checklist. I was compelled to go back to Raymond Chandler's source novel and read it after re-watching this film again, looking for some type of clue to explain Marlowe and his obligatory moral code, but Altman's version of Chandler's world-weary protagonist is a far cry from the hardboiled detective. In fact, I don't believe that we even see Elliot Gould's Marlowe carry a gun or slug anyone. Smokes like a chimney constantly, drinks with Sterling Hayden's character Roger Wade sure, but this version of Marlowe is decidedly an anachronism, a throwback to a Hollywood of the past. Some critics have remarked that this film is Altman's valentine to the Los Angeles of years gone by and I surely agree with that observation. Gould's Marlowe is a new take on a old standby; soft boiled instead of hard, a mumbler and a fumbler, Gould's Marlowe is certainly as lost as his fellow inhabitants that he encounters as he walks these mean streets in search of truth and some form of redemption. The film opens to the tune "Hooray for Hollywood" and it helps to establish the mood right off the bat. We are in Marlowe's ultra-cool apartment, which was an authentic location off a street named Camrose just South of the Hollywood Bowl, and also this was where mystery writer Michael Connelly actually lived at one point in time. The camera pans the room and moves into the bedroom where Marlowe is rudely awakened at 3 AM by his ultra-finicky cat who is hungry. What follows is a 11-minute segment where we watch Marlowe as he heads off to an all-night supermarket in search of brownie mix for his neighbors and Courry brand cat food. The moody feline is not fooled despite Marlowe's best efforts to deceive the cat by switching cans (this helps establish Marlowe's character immediately: devoted and incredibly loyal right to the end). Marlowe is an anachronism; he is a throwback to the 40's stuck in the 70's without a clue. Accompanying the film in the extra features is an archival featurette with Gould and Altman where they describe how they ended up calling Gould's character Rip van Marlowe because it is like he fell asleep forty years ago and is just now waking up. Gone are all the cynical details of the original novel replaced with a puzzled hero that attempts to negotiate his way through the modern world while still adhering to a dated moral code that even originally felt obsolete. Chandler's errant white knight is now a mumbling low rent private eye that appears not to understand the world of, not only the 70's, but specifically the Los Angeles that we have come to know and love through our own voyeuristic fetishes via the movies. Dressed in a wrinkled black suit complete with tie Marlowe is hardly prepared for an early morning visit from an old friend, Terry Lennox (Jim Bouton) who comes a knocking looking for a favor. Apparently, he is in a bit of a fix, and he needs to escape his wife for a few days; destination Tijuana. Marlowe asks no questions, and he drops off Lennox off right before the border and then heads home. Arriving at his apartment, he is rudely greeted by two detectives, who suspect Marlowe of being an accessory to a murder. Green and Dayton rough Chandler up before taking him down to the station house to cool his heels. Detective Farmer (Stephen Coit) doesn't care for private citizens acting like a cop and after grilling Marlowe, he tosses him in the slammer for three days. Keep an eye out for David Carradine in an uncredited cameo as fellow con Socrates who is sharing the cell with Marlowe. Apparently, the case is closed because a report has come in that Lennox has committed suicide in Mexico. The cop on duty tells Marlowe that he is now free to go, but Marlowe the ever-inquisitive PI has a few questions that he would like answers to. Farmer is his charming abrupt self and stonewalls Chandler. Offering Marlowe, a ride home is a friendly hack, Harry (David Arkin) who supplies Marlowe with some newspapers to fill in some of the gaps along the way. Gould's Marlowe is essentially a lonely man; he few friends, isn't attached to any particular female, and his cat has run away. Marlowe's inherent nosiness invites trouble, and he soon finds himself investigating a case of a famous author who has disappeared in order to dry out. Sterling Hayden plays Roger Wade, a brash egotistic bestselling author that has a serious problem with alcohol. Marlowe is contacted by Eileen Wade (Nina van Pallandt), the beautiful wife of the drunken writer; she seeks out Marlowe in order to have him track down her missing husband. Marlowe soon discovers Wade holed up at Dr. Verringer's (Henry Gibson) clinic for recovering persons and just exactly what type of treatment Wade is subjected to is unknown, but it is mighty expensive. Marlowe eavesdrops the two discussing the balance owed and it is a tidy amount. Dr. Verringer basically strongarms Wade regarding the balance due on his account, but Marlowe interrupts the shakedown and escapes with Wade in tow. The pair drive to Wade's beachfront home in Malibu (this is in reality Altman's summer home) and after returning Wade to his wife, Marlowe returns home. Marlowe is still puzzled as to the whereabouts of his cat and he asks his friendly possibly eternally stoned neighbors if they have seen him, but the response is negative. Just exactly what type of detective cannot locate their own pet? Gould plays Marlowe in a specific low keyway; he constantly smokes, mumbles sarcastic commentary to himself, and basically doesn't understand the new mores of this California culture. Marlowe is a man without a past. He is a throwback to a distant age when having a moral code to adhere to was important and Gould plays Marlowe as if he is in a haze of perception. He repeats, more to himself than to anyone in particular, "it's all right with me." But I wonder if Marlowe is really being sincere when he says those words? The Marlowe in the source novel is a detective as well and he too is a man that clings to a moral code that allows him to do what needs to be done. Chandler is in over his head with the mystery that is clouding the situation, but that Marlowe is much sharper and cynical than Gould's character. He suspects that Terry Lennox didn't kill his wife, but the puzzle is still missing some essential pieces and that Marlowe isn't going to rest until he has the final solution in his sights. Gould's Marlowe is much more confused and instead of actually solving the incomplete puzzle, he haphazardly makes his way through Altman's film. Throughout the film we are surprised by the sudden appearance of violent acts. When bon vivant gangster Marty Augustine (Mark Rydell) shows up with his polite, but nonetheless dangerous goon squad, they ransack Marlowe's place looking for a missing large amount of money that Lennox supposedly stole from him; they come up empty handed. Altman doesn't supply us with any necessary details such as where the stolen cash came from originally; just that it is missing, and Augustine doesn't really care who pays him back. Marlowe, since he was the last person that saw Lennox alive, is being held responsible for the debt, but we do know that Gould is clueless to its whereabouts. Altman likes to keep turning the screws on his lead character and on the audience as well in a move that reflects a Hitchcockian influence with the presence of a McGuffin. Later in another scene at Augustine's headquarters, the gangster introduces his latest mistress (Jo Ann Brody) to Marlowe, and then in a strange scene that is meant to underscore the man's odd mood swings, he violently smashes an empty coke bottle across her face. Augustine snarls: "Now that's someone I love. Think what could happen to you." Altman's introduction of this sudden and vicious attack on the stricken woman is both a nod to James Cagney's infamous grapefruit mashing scene into Mae Clark's face in The Public Enemy (William Wellman, 1931) and a reminder to audiences that this is indeed a neo film noir and that Marlowe is surrounded by dangerous men. Even though the bulk of the film consists of talking (Altman's specialty) the moments of violence almost clear the air, reminding the audience that they are watching a film about a detective. Keep an eye peeled for then unknown bodybuilding, soon to be star, Arnold Schwarzenegger as an uncredited hood in this scene. There are many scenes such as the one mentioned above that do not appear in Chandler's source novel. This may be why the film did not open to rave reviews when it first appeared. Possibly audiences were misled by the poster art which depicts Gould in a more action hero stance, but thankfully time has been kind to the film and now with Kino's brilliant 4K reproduction technique the film looks better than it has in previous versions. Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond utilized a controversial technique called "flashing" to give the film a resemblance to faded picture postcards. Zsigmond’s cinematography is a bevy of glorious shots, many of them through windows or other reflective surfaces, using existing low-level lighting as the camera is positioned on a dolly and is constantly moving, a roving eye to the ongoing drama presented. Zsigmond had used this technique in Altman's earlier anti-Western period piece McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971). Throughout the film there are elements that adhere to the Chandler source novel such as Marlowe driving a 1948 Lincoln Continental Convertible and his ever-present cigarette. No one else in the film smokes other than Marlowe but that makes sense since this is the health-conscious California of the 70's. Various critics seem to have mixed feelings about Altman's film and not everyone loved it. I, myself, have watched the film numerous times and have found that each time, there is more to absorb, and this print of the film allows us to truly appreciate Zsigmond’s technique. I would be remiss if I failed to mention Altman's clever use of John Williams' score; the theme "Long Goodbye" appears no less than six times in various versions with four different vocal treatments no less, including a cover by a rural Mexican band during a funeral procession. In this universe, this is definitely the song of choice, and it is stuck on replay. **SPOLER ALERT** The end of the film is certainly a surprise, but nonetheless it is completely in line with Marlowe's perception of his former pal Terry Lennox. After all that Marlowe has endured, his loyalty to his friend was never an issue, that is until the conclusion of the film where Marlowe wises up and finally puts an end to all the fuss and simply shoots Lennox. The man is done being played for a fool; the patsy role is not intended for Marlowe and with this final act, he affirms our belief in Altman's protagonist. The very last scene is Altman's homage to the classic film noir The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949) as the final shot mirrors that films classic ending. As the credits roll, Marlowe, our bewildered hero, shrugs off his ennui and blows a tune on a tiny harmonica; it is of course Hooray for Hollywood.
Video
This is the best that this film has ever looked for home consumption, thanks to Kino’s AVC encoded image (2.33:1) and is highly recommended to fans of the film and collector’s. Overall, the picture is a wonder to behold with very little damage or scratches. The imagery is akin to picture postcards from a different era. Marlowe’s private eye is introduced to the narcissistic 70’s and he wanders about from scene to scene, smoking and mumbling to himself, but still adhering to his own legitimate moral code of behavior.
Audio
The 2.0 DTS-MA sound mix is a slightly mixed bag of people speaking over each other as Altman is infamous for. Definitely recommended that viewer’s use the subtitle feature in order to capture all of the details available.
Extras
Audio Commentary by Film Historian Tim Lucas. Lucas does his usual thorough analysis commenting on everything and more, giving this film the once over twice. Featurette: Rip Van Marlowe (24:33), interviews with both Altman and Gould discussing the making of “The Long Goodbye” focusing on the achievements made with its diverse cast. Altman appears engaged and interested while Gould struggles with articulating his thoughts. Vilmos Zsigmond Flashed “The Long Goodbye.” (14:23) The cinematographer speaks at length about the film and it’s unique imagery. The interview also covers Zsigmond’ s career and his history working with Altman. An article from American Cinematographer, 1973 Focuses on the technique of “flashing” and how it was used in “The Long Goodbye.” Featurette: David Thompson on Robert Altman (21:20) The author of Altman on Altman speaks on how “The Long Goodbye” fits in Altman’s filmography. Featurette: Tom Williams on Raymond Chandler (14:27) The author of A Mysterious Something in the Light: Raymond Chandler: A Life discusses The Long Goodbye and Chandler’s issues with the bottle. Featurette: Maxim Jakubowski on Hard Boiled Fiction (14:31) The crime writer and critic speaks about the popularity of film noir and it’s pulp roots. Trailer with commentary by Josh Olson from Trailers from Hell (2:42) Five Radio Spots (3:24) TV Spots (0:31) US Theatrical Trailer (2:31) Theatrical Trailer (2:50)
Packaging
Slipcase sleeve with standard Blu-ray case. Includes a reversible cover with original film poster. MAD magazine artist Jim Davis is responsible for the current cover.
Overall
I really enjoyed this film, and it is a welcome addition to my collection.
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