A less obvious tribute is The Coen brothers, The Big Lebowski. This cult classic makes obeisance to the 1946 film, The Big Sleep, based on Raymond Chandler's novel . I came across this while researching my guise for last weekend's Americanized celebration of Samhain. Upon reflection, the similarities became apparent. My dismay at not realizing this on my own still haunts me.Both concern the blackmail situation of a wheelchair-bound millionaire involving two of his household's alluring, yet iniquitous females (both daughters in Sleep, a daughter and trophy wife in Lebowski). My favorite cinematic twist involves the protagonists - Philip Marlowe, the street-wise, clever private dick and the Dude, the stoner slacker.
In Chandler's book, Geiger, the used-book seller, who becomes an early murder victim, is involved in pornography. The 1946 movie ignored this to avoid running afoul of the industry's Hays commission. The Coen brothers allude to this with pornographer Jackie Strayhorn. As for the nihilists, what story isn't embellished with negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. To quote the Dude, that must be exhausting.Other small nods to Sleep exist in Lebowski. One of my favorites, is the PI who tails the protagonist. In the 1946 film, this character is played by Elisha Cook, Jr. In the 1998 film, Jon Polito plays the part. He refers to the Dude as a brother shamus. This 20's slang of unknown origin for a private eye is used several times by Bogie.
As a street-wise, clever stoner slacker, I appreciate how these similarities tie the films together - kind of like a nice rug - as ever BB
"If my books had been any worse, I should not have been invited to Hollywood, and if they had been any better, I should not have come." - Raymond Chandler
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