Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: Marlowe

From: Mario Taboada ( matrxtech@yahoo.com)
Date: 02 Jul 2003


When Altman's film came out, I was disappointed. I didn't realize then, as I did later, that Marlowe is an archetype, not a character. Altman was trying to capture two archetypes: the tough but noble PI and the realistic PI novel (what we call hardboiled). He did it by placing the TBNPI in a surreal background. I now consider his experiment successful.

If you watch, say, Hawk's _The Big Sleep_ after Altman's film, the older film will seem literal and naive. Proof that Altman nailed the essence of the archetype.

The Polanski-Keitel film I have in mind would try to get even closer to that essence. It would not be necessary to change the period. That's just props, like Marlowe's wisecracking and Chandler's similes.

Best,

MrT

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