--- JIM DOHERTY <
jimdohertyjr@yahoo.com> wrote:
> I am constantly amazed at people who profess to
be
> Chandler fans who can, not only stomach this
film,
> but
> enjoy it.
>
Are you amazed that Spillane fans *might* like the film
version of "Kiss Me, Deadly" or Philip K Dick fans *might*
like "Bladerunner"? My take is this:
"Chinatown" is a great film because it wasn't a derivative
costume drama or a faux noir. It ain't neo-noir. It's a
period piece that loses all the predictable tropes of
hard-boiled and finds its own expression. Altman for once got
it right in "The Long Goodbye." His rambling reinvention of
the PI (with only the car as an anachronistic hint) replaced
what could easily have become parody. And it works for me. I
started the film expecting to hate it. Most Altman films
don't have much of a shelf life. But "The Long Goodbye" cut
itself off from the clutter of the novel and got to the
heart. That is a rare adaptation.
William
Essays and Ramblings
<http://www.williamahearn.com>
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