Raymond Chandler Research
Chandler Research Paper
The Big Sleep
Movie vs. Novel (revision) The Big Sleep written by Raymond Chandler and published in 1939 gives us a look into a hard-boiled detective story. The novel encompasses all the subjects of a great fictional work such as thrill, sex, drama, action, romance, and corruption all the while leading us on a journey narrated by the lead character Philip Marlowe. In 1946 seven years after the release of The Big Sleep, director Howard Hawks attempted to recreate the detective’s tale in a version made for the silver screen.
Throughout this essay I will show the reader the fundamental differences between the novel and the film, the influences that were responsible for the differences, as well as the impact that these differences have on the quality of both works. I will also write about the effect that the addition or removal of substance had on both productions of the story. My process of analysis for this research paper consisted of reading the novel and watching the movie concurrently in order to recognize the differences between the two accurately.
On first inspection of the novel the reader notices a few things rather quickly. First the story unravels at a tepid pace; secondly the writer has made the main character and “hero” of the novel as the voice of the story and the narrator. Chandler helps the reader develop a mental picture of Phillip Marlowe by giving him a voice and giving the reader a window into his thoughts. By doing this Chandler opens the character up to the reader and gives Marlowe individuality which gives readers the feeling that they are being told the story directly. By using the first person narration the reader sees Marlowe’s inner feelings throughout the book and as a result Marlowe is revealed as a witty and sarcastic identity that the reader gets to know almost personally. Marlowe’s personal thoughts are a highlight for the reader throughout the book but are absent in the film. His highly amusing thoughts
The Big Sleep
Movie vs. Novel (revision) The Big Sleep written by Raymond Chandler and published in 1939 gives us a look into a hard-boiled detective story. The novel encompasses all the subjects of a great fictional work such as thrill, sex, drama, action, romance, and corruption all the while leading us on a journey narrated by the lead character Philip Marlowe. In 1946 seven years after the release of The Big Sleep, director Howard Hawks attempted to recreate the detective’s tale in a version made for the silver screen.
Throughout this essay I will show the reader the fundamental differences between the novel and the film, the influences that were responsible for the differences, as well as the impact that these differences have on the quality of both works. I will also write about the effect that the addition or removal of substance had on both productions of the story. My process of analysis for this research paper consisted of reading the novel and watching the movie concurrently in order to recognize the differences between the two accurately.
On first inspection of the novel the reader notices a few things rather quickly. First the story unravels at a tepid pace; secondly the writer has made the main character and “hero” of the novel as the voice of the story and the narrator. Chandler helps the reader develop a mental picture of Phillip Marlowe by giving him a voice and giving the reader a window into his thoughts. By doing this Chandler opens the character up to the reader and gives Marlowe individuality which gives readers the feeling that they are being told the story directly. By using the first person narration the reader sees Marlowe’s inner feelings throughout the book and as a result Marlowe is revealed as a witty and sarcastic identity that the reader gets to know almost personally. Marlowe’s personal thoughts are a highlight for the reader throughout the book but are absent in the film. His highly amusing thoughts
Cited: Athanasourelis, John Paul. “Film Adaptation and the Censors: 1940’S HOLLYWOOD AND RAYMOND CHANDLER.” Studies in the Novel 35.3. (Fall 2003): 325-338. Literary Reference Center. EBSCOhost. 10 Nov. 2008 http://bristolcc.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,url,uid,cpid&custid=blc&db=lfh&AN=10996145&loginpage=custlogin.asp?custid=S5969479&site=ehost-live Chandler, Raymond. The Big Sleep. New York: Vintage Books, 1992. Moustakas, Jane. “Down These Mean Streets a Man Must Go...Film Noir, Masculinity and The Big Sleep” Australian Screen Education 35. (Summer 2004) p105-8). Academic One File. Gale Cengage Learning. 10 Nov 2008 http://find.galegroup.com/itx/infomark.do?contentSet=IAC-Documents&docType=IAC&type=retrieve&tabID=T002&prodId=AONE&docId=A108551755&userGroupName=mlin_s_bristcc&version=1.0&searchType=BasicSearchForm&source=gale The Big Sleep. Dir Howard Hawks. Perf. Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall. DVD .Warner Brothers 1946.