Additional Information
Director Robert Altman, famous for his ability to turn any genre inside out, takes aim at film noir with this evocative adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel. Altman's Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) is a relatively unsuccessful private eye living and working in 1970s Los Angeles. Stepping into the shoes of the infamous detective, Gould delivers a captivating performance that is the definition of 1970s hip. He spends the entire film mumbling to himself, smoking cigarettes, and making wisecracks to everyone he encounters. John Williams's composition "The Long Goodbye," gives an added ironic punch to the film's tone. Marlowe decides to investigate a friend's suicide, unconvinced by the autopsy. He is hired by the friend's neighbour Eileen Wade (Nina Van Pallandt) to track down her husband Roger (Sterling Hayden), a successful author and belligerent alcoholic. Slowly, the mystery begins to reveal itself, as Marlowe discovers that Eileen's relationship with Terry was more than merely casual. All the while, Marlowe must contend with police, a psychopath, and a host of other characters and situations that make up the hazy existential malaise that is the world of the LONG GOODBYE.