Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Reviews
From Amazon.co.uk
Raymond Chandler's cynically idealistic hero of The Long Goodbye, Philip Marlowe, has been played by everyone from Humphrey Bogart to James Garner--but no one gives him the kind of weirdly affect-less spin that Elliott Gould does in this terrific Robert Altman reimagining of Chandler's penultimate novel. Altman recasts Marlowe as an early 70s Los Angeles habitué, who gets involved in a couple of cases at once. The most interesting involves a suicidal writer (Sterling Hayden in a larger-than-life performance) whom Marlowe is supposed to keep away from malevolent New-Ageish guru Henry Gibson. A variety of wonderfully odd characters pop up, played by everyone from model Nina Van Pallandt to director Mark Rydell to ex-baseballer Jim Bouton. And yes, that is Arnold Schwarzenegger (in only his second movie) popping up as (what else?) a muscleman. Listen for the title song: it shows up in the strangest places. --Marshall Fine
Product Description
Robert Altman directs this radical adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel. Los Angeles detective Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) smells a rat when his friend Terry Lennox (Jim Bouton), whom he has just driven to Tijuana, is accused of murder. Convinced of Lennox's innocence, Marlowe follows a convoluted trail which leads him to his friend's mistress, Eileen Wade (Nina Van Pallandt), her alcoholic husband (Sterling Hayden) and hood Marty Augustine (Mark Rydell), to whom Lennox owed a substantial sum of money. Watch out for an early, unbilled appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger as one of Augustine's heavies.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By J. Pagett
Format:DVD
Cards on the table, I love this film, and I've seen it loads of times. I've got an original big film poster of it on my wall. I don't care whether it is the same or faithful to the book, because that's irrelevant - it's a film! It has to stand and fall as a film, and there is no point in slavishly sticking to what is on the pages of a book when you are trying to make a great, well paced, and involving film. Gould's Marlowe works wonderfully: he has a real sense of what is right, is cool, and is very human (in short he has depth, and is so much better than James Garner's - boring and smug; and, like, why did he never answer his phone in that TV series?). Gould and Altman are a great combination, as the director lets Gould just do his thing; I only wish that Gould had done more films of this quality (I'm sure he does too!) like when he was paired-up with George Segal in the sublime (Altman) film California Split. The cinematographer, Zsigmond, used some very interesting techniques in shooting this film, including pre-exposing to varying degrees, which imbues it with a beautiful soft/muted colour quality. In fact, why on earth has this film not yet been released in blu-ray? If there was ever a film that deserved the enhanced definition of a blu-ray transfer this is it! But there is so much about this film to recommend it. The 'femme fatale', played by Nina Van Pallandt (her of Nina and Frederick singing fame) is scorchingly beautiful, and a great advert for the 'older' woman (40 years old when she shot this!! Old by Hollywood standards then - and now; she is a bit of posh - read the shorthand for this: "would you like a dried apricot?" which Marlowe politely accepts, but never eats).... Read more ›
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fine movie...and it's possible to enjoy Altman's Philip Marlowe as much as Chandler's Philip Marlowe
5 Jun 2007
Format:DVD
Terry Lennox has a problem. He's in trouble and needs help getting out of the country. Who else can he go to than one of his best friends, Philip Marlowe? All he asks is that Marlowe drive him down to Tijuana...right now. Marlowe, a private eye who probably has few good friends other than Lennox, does it. When Marlowe gets back hours later, he's picked up by the cops, knocked around, jailed and finally released. It seems Terry's wife has been beaten to death and the police want to know where Terry is. Marlowe doesn't believe that his friend is a killer and decides he'll look into the case. He also is hired by the sexy Eileen Wade to find her missing husband, the aging alcoholic writer Roger Wade. Funny, Marlowe finally decides, that the Wades live very close to the Lennox house in an exclusive, gated Malibu enclave (with a private cop at the gate who does a good imitation of Barbara Stanwyck). Then Marlowe is forced into a private conversation with the gangster Marty Augustine...something about a missing $50,000 of Augustine's that Lennox supposedly had and that Augustine wants back. Marlowe is taught how vicious Augustine can be in one violent act so startling it'll make your stress level rise every time Augustine shows up. Marlowe finally puts all the pieces together, slowly and persistently, until he finds himself in Mexico for probably the last time.
Is this really Philip Marlowe we're watching? Well, it's Robert Altman's Philip Marlowe, which means Raymond Chandler probably wouldn't recognize him. Is this a bad thing? Not at all. Altman (and Elliot Gould as Marlowe) has put his own imprint on the iconic gumshoe. Marlowe is often just confused by things.... Read more ›
Is this really Philip Marlowe we're watching? Well, it's Robert Altman's Philip Marlowe, which means Raymond Chandler probably wouldn't recognize him. Is this a bad thing? Not at all. Altman (and Elliot Gould as Marlowe) has put his own imprint on the iconic gumshoe. Marlowe is often just confused by things.... Read more ›
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Here's an all-American hero with a twist; Elliot Gould is Philip Marlowe as you've never seen before and I suppose it took the dry wit of Robert Altman's directorial skills to pull this one off. Gould's Marlowe lives alone with his very particular cat, is rather unsuccesful as a private eye or anything else. Yet, he's a thoroughly moral character if never ostentatious, naieve in that he doesn't want to believe his best friend is taking him for a ride. The scenes with the Jewish mobster are priceless; look out for an early appearance by Arnie Schwarzenegger as one of the thugs who seems a bit to keen to want to undress Gould. My all time favourite film by far; Gould as the ironic ultimate anti-hero, no flash gumshoe glamour but lots of understated humour and a laid-back approach that is second to none. In a word: wonderful. Bless Robert Altman, Elliot Gould and seventies California..Oh, see if you can count all the different musical versions of 'The Long Goodbye' that appear on the slick soundtrack. Enjoy!
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By Jason Parkes
#1 HALL OF FAME
Format:DVD
I'm both a fan of Raymond Chandler and Robert Altman, so unlike many who revere the former, don't have an issue with the treatment accorded Marlowe by Altman. I don't think a character or novel is sacred ground, it doesn't mean that films like The Sheltering Sky or The Magus are any good, but the source novel still exists. A film adaptation of a novel is just that- an adaptation- or rather, an interpretation. It's hardly definitive, just a take on a novel.
Altman messes with Marlowe, but in an interesting way- Marlowe now comes across as a 30s/40s anachronism set in a present day 1970s. He smokes constantly, sounding lost in period talk and out of place with his dopesmoking, yoga-practicing hippy neighbours. The opening sequence is very amusing- he runs out of catfood and has to go to the local supermarket, he offers to but cookie dough mix for his hippy neighbours (suggesting hash cakes or munchies) & attempts to buy his cat's favourite brand. It turns out it's discontinued- Marlowe is dumbfounded, seemingly left behind by the modern world - and ends up trying to trick his cat to little success (this is actually being used in a current Whiskas-advert!). Watching Altman's take on The Long Goodbye, it's no surprise that critics pointed to this film when reviewing the Coen Brothers' The Big Lebowski (1998)- where Marlowe seems to be 40s trapped in the 70s, Lebowski (The Dude) is very 60s trapped in the 90s. Plus he seems rather inept as a detective...
Elliot Gould is wonderful as Marlowe, one of his great performances equal to the one he gave Altman in their previous collaboration M*A*S*H (1970). It's a very stoned film and feels a bit surreal, especially when Arnie pops up in one scene & when it turns violent towards the end.
... Read more ›
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 100 reviews
3.7 out of 5 stars
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Should be the 'Long Goneandforgotten'.
I can't speak for the man, but I don't believe Raymond Chandler would have been pleased with this characterisation of his novel. Read more
Published 20 days ago by JohnCheshire
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE LONG GOODBYE
This is a gem of a movie. Even the movie poster is great.
A different Philip Marlowe. It works. Read more
A different Philip Marlowe. It works. Read more
Published 2 months ago by John Griffin
4.0 out of 5 stars
It`s OK by me
In 1973, Robert Altman caught the special wry, shy, impudent, gangly, jazzy, tousled quality of Elliott Gould to a tee. Read more
Published 6 months ago by GlynLuke
2.0 out of 5 stars
Better Luck Next Time, Mr. Chandler
Robert Altman's THE LONG GOODBYE was released in 1973. It's based on Raymond Chandler's penultimate novel of the same name The Long Good-bye; is generally considered a film noir... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Stephanie DePue
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Long Goofbye
I havent read the book, i therefore cant compare the two, the film itself stands alone as a great film. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Jim Jim
2.0 out of 5 stars
The Long Goodbye
There are spoilers in this post, specifically at the end of paragraph three.
The Long Goodbye, Robert Altman's adaptation of Raymond Chandler's final published novel in... Read more
The Long Goodbye, Robert Altman's adaptation of Raymond Chandler's final published novel in... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Heath Linn
5.0 out of 5 stars
Greatest film of the 70s.
The Long Goodbye is a fantastic controversial detective movie from the legendary director Robert Altman. Altman also directed Mash, Short Cuts and The Player. Read more
Published on 21 Jan 2011 by movie maniac
1.0 out of 5 stars
Very poor adaption of a great classic
Marlowe as written by Chandler was the hero in a foul world. But although I liked Gould' performance, this adaption by Altman is a fouling of the name of Marlowe. Read more
Published on 8 Jan 2011 by Robert the Dirk Bogarde Fan
1.0 out of 5 stars
The no longer original goodbye
Briefly, it isn't the same story as the book. There's zero atmosphere. The characters are badly cast. The writer obviously hadn't read a lot of Chandler. It's a bizarre film. Read more
Published on 4 Sep 2010 by RG
5.0 out of 5 stars
Altman's take on noir; funny, hip, and tragic
Like a lot of Altman's films, I liked this much better on a second viewing. It's a fascinating mix of both heartfelt homage, and style twisting parody and re-imagining of film... Read more
Published on 14 Aug 2010 by K. Gordon
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
