“The Long Goodbye” From someone who watches the world to someone who intervenes in it *Note! Contains spoilers.

*This article touches on the core of the story, so we recommend reading it after watching the movie.

"The Long Goodbye" synopsis

Private detective Philip Marlowe is asked by his friend Terry Lennox, who has had a quarrel with his wife, to drive him to Mexico. However, when the body of Terry's wife, Sylvia, is discovered, Terry commits suicide after being suspected. Later, Marlowe is asked by a woman to search for the husband of a writer who has disappeared...

Index

• classic of classics
• A man who woke up from a great sleep
• OK with me
• "Long live Hollywood"

classic of classics

"'The Long Farewell' is Raymond Chandler's masterpiece. The charm that makes Chandler's work so brilliant pervades every corner, and what's more, it's his longest work. It's a very rewarding read. I've read almost all of Chandler's works, so I can say this with confidence." (*1)

Shunji Shimizu, who served as the Japanese translator for the Hayakawa Shobo version of `` Long Farewell ,'' says so in his afterword. That's certainly true. In the overseas edition of the ``Top 100 East-West Mysteries'' published by Bungeishunju in 1985, it ranked third after Ellery Queen's `` The Tragedy of Y' ' and William Irish's `` The Phantom Woman .'' In the 2012 edition, it ranked a respectable 6th place. It is truly a classic among classics.

The setting is Los Angeles in the 1950s. Private detective Philip Marlowe is suddenly begged by his friend Terry Lennox to take him to Tijuana, so he takes him to Mexico. However, a few days later, news arrives that Lennox has committed suicide. Moreover, Lennox had murdered his wife. Marlowe, who was suspected of being an accomplice to the murder, is released, but something about him doesn't make sense. Eventually, Marlowe is asked by Wade's wife Irene to search for popular writer Roger Wade, who has disappeared. Lennox, Wade, Irene...Threads that were thought to be separate gradually converge into a single truth.

“The Long Goodbye” © 1973 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved

This work, the sixth in the series featuring private detective Philip Marlowe as the main character, still shines brightly today as a monumental work in hard-boiled novels. However, when the idea of ​​turning this into a movie came to Robert Altman, he was not at all enthusiastic about it. Films such as “ The Blonde Murderer ” (1944), a film adaptation of “ Farewell, My Love ” starring Dick Powell, and “ Count of Three ” (46), a film adaptation of “ The Big Sleep ” starring Humphrey Bogart, have already been released. Philip Marlowe movies were being made so many times that he was reluctant to direct a similar production.

``At first I said I didn't want to play Raymond Chandler because as soon as you mention Philip Marlowe's name, you think of Humphrey Bogarde.'' Robert Mitchum wanted to star in the project. I just didn't want to make another Philip Marlowe movie and end up with something that was just like any other movie.'' (*2)

But when Altman reads Lee Brackett's script, he is astounded. An extremely challenging story that completely breaks the conventional "Philip Marlowe" formula. Altman, a true Outsider, suddenly became motivated and began working on adapting this classic into a film.

A man who woke up from a great sleep