The Big Sleep (1946)

[Edgy MD]

I'll be honest. I can't follow the convoluted plots of a lot of noir mystery films without re-winding a half a dozen times. It would be easier if the characters all wore numbers.

[Guest sharpie]

This one is more confusing than most. Suffers from it, too. Not nearly as good as "The Maltese Falcon" though it has its moments.

[Edgy MD]

The dots connect after repeat viewings of The Maltese Falcon.

This one, I suspect I'd still be confused.

[RealityChuck]

One of Bogart's best films (up with Casablanca).

Don't try to follow the plot -- it's not important. No one knew what was going on, so why should you?

Famous story: When director Howard Hawks was working out the screenplay with writers Leigh Brackett* and William Faulkner,** they couldn't figure out who committed one of the murders. Hawks decided to call Raymond Chandler, who wrote the book. Chandler told them that he couldn't figure out the killer. (Hawks told the story that Chandler said, "The butler did it" and that Hawks replied, "That's impossible! The butler was at the beach house." A sign why Hawks was such a great director -- he knew a good anecdote.)

What makes the movie are the scenes, especially when Bogart and Bacall on onscreen together. But there are many other great setpieces: the death of Eddie Mars, the meeting with General Sternwood, the "quickie" in the bookstore. And the dialog is so good that you don't need a plot.

*This was her second most famous film, after The Empire Strikes Back

**Yes, that William Faulkner