Watch The Long Goodbye

The Long Goodbye is a 1973 neo-noir crime film based on Raymond Chandler's 1953 novel of the same name. The movie is directed by Robert Altman and stars Elliott Gould as Philip Marlowe, a private detective living in Los Angeles. The film is set in the early 1970s, but it retains the atmosphere and themes of classic film-noir. Philip Marlowe is a divorced private detective who lives in a shabby apartment in Venice Beach with his cat, who he feeds with tuna fish. One night, his friend Terry Lennox (Jim Bouton) shows up and asks Marlowe to give him a ride to Tijuana. Marlowe agrees, and when he returns, he finds out that Terry is accused of killing his wife. Marlowe is arrested for aiding and abetting a fugitive, but he is released and starts to investigate Terry's case. What seems like a simple case of homicide soon turns into a complex web of deceit, blackmail, and double-crossing.

Marlowe's investigation takes him from the mansions of the rich to the seedy underworld of Los Angeles. He meets a wealthy couple, Roger and Eileen Wade (Sterling Hayden and Nina van Pallandt), who are involved in some shady business deals, and a seductive writer, Jo Ann Eggenweiler (Jo Ann Brody), who has a strange obsession with cats. Marlowe's sarcastic wit and unorthodox methods put him at odds with the police and his clients, but he refuses to give up until he discovers the truth.

The Long Goodbye is not a conventional detective movie. It defies the genre's conventions by subverting audience expectations and playing with the audience's sense of time and space. The film's structure is non-linear, and scenes are not presented in chronological order. Altman uses jump cuts, overlapping dialogue, and improvisation to create a sense of realism and unpredictability. The result is a movie that feels like a snapshot of Los Angeles in the early 1970s.

Elliott Gould's performance as Philip Marlowe is unforgettable. He portrays Marlowe as a cynical, wisecracking, and flawed hero who is far from the stereotypical tough-guy detective. Gould's Marlowe is a man who is out of step with the times, but his old-fashioned values and sense of justice make him a compelling character. His interactions with the colorful characters he meets along the way are a joy to watch.

The Long Goodbye is also notable for its music score by John Williams. The score incorporates a jazz-inspired version of the film's main theme, "The Long Goodbye," as well as other popular music from the 1970s. The soundtrack adds to the film's overall vibe and reinforces the idea that Marlowe is a man out of time.

In conclusion, The Long Goodbye is a must-see movie for anyone who loves crime dramas, film-noir, or Robert Altman's work. It is a movie that rewards multiple viewings and showcases the talent of its director and lead actor. The film's unique structure, memorable dialogue, and fantastic music score make it a classic of the crime genre.

The Long Goodbye is a 1973 crime movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 52 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.5 and a MetaScore of 87.