THE LONG GOODBYE (1973)
“It’s okay with me” is a mantra that private detective Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) repeats to himself, almost like a coping mechanism as he meanders through the criminal underbelly of Los Angeles. He is disillusioned with a world that has forgotten loyalty and kindness for greed, deception, and the willingness to step over anyone to get ahead. Throughout the film, director Robert Altman and writer Leigh Brackett use Marlowe to draw a direct contrast between the film noir era of the ‘40s and ‘50s and the societal decay they observed in the ‘70s.
Film Noir is a genre that formed out of the evolving gender, racial, and economic landscape of America after World War II. By challenging these societal factors, ‘40s and ‘50s noir films began to uncover contradictions within the supposed American Dream. Marlowe was originally a detective from this era in author Raymond Chandler’s novels, but Altman places him in ‘70s, present-day Los Angeles. With his classic suit and antique car, Marlowe is the definition of an anachronism. It’s as if he has been asleep for 20 years with his cat finally waking him from his stupor at the beginning of the film.
Gould’s interpretation of the role of Marlowe is unlike Chandler’s original or actor Humphrey Bogart’s iteration in THE BIG SLEEP (1946). Instead of presenting a heroic image, Gould is slightly disheveled as he carries a cigarette in his mouth and constantly mutters to himself. However, he does maintain the original’s moral code that stands in stark contrast to the rest of society. The actor’s performance is particularly convincing in portraying a man who is sleepwalking through life, uncertain of his surroundings despite his smart wit. Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond adds to this feeling by softening the contrast and creating a dreamlike quality to the world. Additionally, John Williams’ eponymous theme repeats throughout the film, slightly changing with the setting and realizing the omnipresent sadness in Marlowe’s world.
THE LONG GOODBYE is difficult to spoil, with its plot rather nonsensical and inconsequential until the very end. Long-time friend Terry Lennox (Jim Bouton) asks Marlowe to drive him to Mexico, without much explanation as to why. Marlowe obliges, but when he returns to Los Angeles, he is blamed for conspiring in Lennox’s murder of his own wife. When trying to absolve both Lennox and himself, he runs into a cast of characters who embody the worst aspects of high society. Without giving too much away, Marlowe makes a pivotal decision in the end as a result of these experiences.
Like many noir films, the story exists more so in the protagonist’s journey and what it reveals rather than the resolution to the mystery itself. Marlowe’s failures during his investigation are largely down to his adamance in maintaining his morals. In return for his sincerity, the detective is thrown in jail, manipulated by those who claim to be his friends, and beaten up by gangsters. Here, Altman once again turns the convention of the genre on its head – instead of Marlowe’s morality granting him the power to find the light in the dark, it makes him seem naive in the new era of post-Vietnam and Watergate America. The film notes that one must lie, cheat, and steal to have any hope of achieving success.
The film delves into some heinous subject matter, but it is also playful in its revisionist approach to the genre. The opening scene where Marlowe goes out late at night to buy food for his cat is equally wholesome as it is delightful. It’s a rare occurrence in this sort of Hollywood film to start with a mundane activity instead of an ambitious action sequence. When Marlowe is unable to find his cat’s favorite food, the feline leaves him, never to return. Although it may seem like a non-event, it sets up the thematic relationship between loyalty and betrayal that is carried throughout the film. Marlowe also maintains a level of banter with every character he comes across. As a precursor to characters like Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop, the wisecracking has substance, attempting to hide the character’s loneliness and fragile emotional state.
Marlowe is surrounded by a cast of vivid supporting characters. The femme fatale in Nina Van Pallandt’s Eileen Wade, the drunk Hemingway-esque author Roger Wade, Marlowe’s friend Terry Lennox, and the sadistic gangster Marty Augustine all feel larger-than-life. The contrast between Marlowe and these characters depicts the detective as the only cat in a dog-eat-dog world. They all attempt to manipulate Marlowe in some way, using him to gain an advantage. Characters with even less screen time add to the realism of Altman’s worldbuilding. There’s references to classic Hollywood where a security guard imitates old stars. A store clerk is arrested for protesting at a civil rights rally. The detective’s neighbors are barely-clothed hippies who are always high off hash brownies. A fraudulent doctor treats rich, drugged-out patients at an eerie rehabilitation center. There’s even a brief appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who makes his mainstream film debut as one of Augustine’s thugs.
As “Hooray for Hollywood” ironically plays over the end credits, one may realize that THE LONG GOODBYE does more than simply revising the noir genre. It also serves as a farewell to the dreams that classic Hollywood films, and more broadly America, promised but didn’t fulfill. Altman, who previously reimagined the war film genre with M*A*S*H (1970) and the western with MCCABE and MRS. MILLER (1971), has made this point over and over again throughout his career. The film has managed to maintain relevance in popular culture as a predecessor to modern films that have a similar feeling of aimless wandering. Films like INHERENT VICE and UNDER THE SILVER LAKE take inspiration from Altman and Brackett, where the tone and atmosphere of each are paramount to their effectiveness. THE LONG GOODBYE created a world within the film noir genre that very much reflects reality. There are no heroes, just people that will do anything to get what they want. The key is how one acts in response to this.
Viewers who have yet to see THE LONG GOODBYE should consider it as not only a classic neo noir or Altman film but one who’s themes of honesty ring true to this day. The film is available for rent or purchase on Apple TV, Amazon, or VUDU.
