A Comparison of Two Versions of The Big Sleep Essay -- Big Sleep Essay

A Comparison of devil Versions ofThe Big Sleep The Production Code attempted to censor evoke and effect in film of the 1930s and 40s. Instead of impairing, it encouraged directors to use dainty ideas and integrity to surpass the viewers expectations -- actively involving them in the film despite Hollywoods censorship. Howard Hawks is ane such director who used the restrictions of the Production Code to his advantage. His screen adaptation of the Raymond Chandler novel The Big Sleep portrays the same amount of grammatical gender and violence apparent in the written word, using a distinctly problematical style, which develops broader themes. Comparisons with the extremely dull 70s remake by Michael Winner further insinuate the superiority of Hawks film noir. While Hawks masterfully creates an original world of sexuality and suspense, Winner unsuccessfully focuses on violent and sexual images in a vain attempt at filmmaking. There is not a delineate of nudity in Haw ks The Big Sleep, yet it thrives on sex. The viewer impart not catch a glimpse of a buttock, nipple nor a whole breast. This scarcity of skin is attributed to the superb screenplay writers Leigh Brackett, William Faulkner and Jules Furthman. They depict a magical Marlowe, played by Humphrey Bogart, interacting with various frisky femmes exhibiting innuendo that brilliantly illuminates the screen. Marlowe and the spinning top Bookstore clerk flirt with an elegance even the slyest viewer would envy. The bookworm seductress flashes her beautiful eyes at him saying, You begin to interest me, vaguely. Bogies response -- Im a private dick on a case. With a loud, tumultuous clap of thunder, the audience sits bolt upright, anticipating the sultry shenanigans to ... ...blood trickles down their faces. There is no ropiness between the death scenes Eddie Mars does not die in this version, so on that point is no build up or statement made. At a first glance, it is obvious that the two films, with 32 years between them, are quite different in style and theme. No social function when the film is viewed, Howard Hawks film engages the audience presenting interesting themes in a sleek, stylistic fashion. His version may contain a limited amount of supererogatory skin and violence, but proves that these inclusions are unnecessary if the film has voice and direction. To Winner, there is no direction or voice. He makes a hollow thrum of a film extracting Chandlers exact scenes, harnessing the nudity and violence instead of the deeper themes that refuse out in Hawks.Works ConsultedChandler, Raymond. The Big Sleep. New York Random House, 1939.