--- title: "The Big Sleep" year: 1946 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-big-sleep" fi1m_score: 84 critics_score: 83 critics_reviews: 12 published: "2026-09-17T20:10:59.991562+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T20:11:00.516243+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Big Sleep (1946) Directed by Howard Hawks · 1h 54m · MPA NR · Mystery, Crime, Thriller **Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 83 from 12 reviews *In a sentence:* Bogart and Bacall could make an evasive answer sound like an invitation > Howard Hawks makes a witty, charged thriller whose people are more compelling than its mystery. Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall justify the evening, though the muddled plotting remains a fault, however good the company. ## Synopsis Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart) seeks answers in a mystery involving General Sternwood (Charles Waldron), Vivian Sternwood Rutledge (Lauren Bacall) and Carmen Sternwood (Martha Vickers). The people he encounters have interests of their own, and conversations become contests over who gets to ask the questions. Vivian challenges him, and their attraction complicates his efforts to decide whom to trust. Marlowe has to make sense of competing accounts while dealing with people as ready to trade insults as information. Beneath the flirtation and verbal sparring, there is the threat of violence, and the possibility that an answer is another evasion. ## Review Howard Hawks makes *The Big Sleep* a thoroughly enjoyable thriller, provided we accept that its mystery is not satisfactorily explained. It is interested in how sharp people behave when nobody quite trusts anybody else. The story keeps arranging encounters, and those encounters are often so entertaining that we temporarily stop asking how they fit together. Adapted from Raymond Chandler’s novel, the film gives Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall plenty of opportunity to challenge each other. As Philip Marlowe, Humphrey Bogart gives the film a steadiness its storytelling badly needs. His insolence is funny because he does not wait for our approval, and his confidence makes following him agreeable even when following the investigation takes work. He can make a question sound like a small provocation without labouring the effect. We believe in his ability to handle the person in front of him, which helps carry us through the less persuasive connections between encounters. Lauren Bacall, as Vivian Sternwood Rutledge, gives him someone who can make a conversation difficult without making it tedious. The romantic sparring works because both performers seem alert to the possibility of being outdone; neither is simply waiting to deliver the next polished line. We laughed at their insolence towards each other, and at how little it discourages the attraction. The actors make that carefully written dialogue sound as though each has just thought of something the other deserves to hear. Martha Vickers makes Carmen Sternwood disconcerting company, which is useful in a film whose leads make verbal combat so inviting. John Ridgely, as Eddie Mars, contributes a harder, less playful presence. The supporting cast gives the film people worth noticing rather than a queue of possible explanations. Even when the details of the mystery slip away, there is usually someone whose manner makes us want to hear what they will say next. Sidney Hickox’s cinematography gives the faces enough weight for a look to compete with a line. That suits a film in which listening to someone can be as revealing as speaking. Christian Nyby’s editing keeps the exchanges quick without making them feel hurried, allowing the actors time to enjoy a challenge before answering it. Composer Max Steiner reinforces the suspense effectively, although the voices need little help holding our attention. Jules Furthman, Leigh Brackett and William Faulkner receive the screenplay credit, and the dialogue earns its reputation for wit. The problem is that a succession of good exchanges cannot always tell us why one event follows another. Most critics accept the confusion for the sake of the performances and dialogue; we accept it too, but it sometimes reduces suspense by making the immediate stakes difficult to grasp. There are stretches when the film’s pace has to do the work that a clearer chain of events should have done. The usual detective-film bargain is that close attention will eventually be rewarded with clarity. Here, listening closely pays off sooner, in the turns of a conversation and the pleasure of catching what a remark is doing besides answering a question. That makes it worth revisiting without pretending that the plot will necessarily become more satisfying on another viewing. If an unanswered question will keep us awake, there are tidier mysteries to choose. *Fi1m score 84, published 17 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews are uniformly positive about The Big Sleep, with praise clustering around Bogart and Bacall’s chemistry and the sharp dialogue that gives their exchanges such charge. Most critics treat the detective story as secondary to the pleasure of watching these characters spar. Hawks’ direction also earns credit for sustaining suspense through individual scenes, while the supporting cast and lively women characters give the film interest beyond its central pairing. The differences concern how much the tangled plotting matters. Eye for Film finds the structure unsatisfying and the events difficult to pin down, despite the energy and performances. Empire has reservations about its effectiveness as a Chandler adaptation. Time Out, by contrast, treats the dreamlike confusion as part of the attraction. The spread is therefore one of enthusiasm rather than outright dissent: critics agree on the pleasures, but differ over whether narrative confusion enriches them or is simply worth tolerating. ### Reviews we read (12) - **Time Out**, Tom Huddleston (5/5): The review celebrates the film's tangled, dreamlike plot and crackling dialogue as a high point of Hollywood cinema, noting its subversive take on romance, violence and female sexuality. It praises the chemistry between Bogart and Bacall and the way Hawks uses the story as an excuse for memorable scenes and sharp wit. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-big-sleep-1) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (95/100, inferred): The critic celebrates the 1946 version as a great film noir whose witty, quotable dialogue and Bogart-Bacall chemistry make it enduringly popular despite its convoluted plot. He singles out the reshot scenes that enhanced the romantic banter and insolence between the leads. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-big-sleep-1946) - **Empire**, Kim Newman (85/100, inferred): The film is less effective as a Chandler adaptation than some but remains a classic, wholly lovable movie; the critic praises its deployment of a picturesque supporting cast and visual/verbal pleasures over plot coherence. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/big-sleep-review/) - **Sight and Sound**, John Pym (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's ability to sustain an illusion of suspense and its memorable set-piece episodes despite the famously convoluted plot. It highlights the vivacious Hawksian women characters and the witty, literate dialogue as key strengths that have helped the film endure. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/reviews/releases/big-sleep.php) - **The Independent** (80/100, inferred): The critic highlights the re-release of the 1946 film in a sharp new print, praising the crackling dialogue between Bogart and Bacall that creates sparks and obscures the convoluted plot. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/full-of-blubbery-goodness-1594507.html) - **Variety**, Variety Staff (80/100, inferred): The review praises Howard Hawks' direction for transferring Chandler's brittle characters to the screen with punch and providing a full load of rough, tense action. It highlights the smooth teaming of Bogart and Bacall along with the staccato pace and lusty romantic and physical action. [Read](https://variety.com/1945/film/reviews/the-big-sleep-1200414694/) - **Evening Standard** (75/100, inferred): In a glowing new print the film looks cooler than ever; the critic singles out the sizzling chemistry and sparring between Bogart and Bacall while noting the plot's double-crosses are best ignored. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-big-sleep-awakens-better-than-ever-7423115.html) - **IndieWire**, Max O'Connell (70/100, inferred): The piece presents Howard Hawks' 1946 adaptation as a classic example of the director's style and the Bogart-Bacall pairing. It highlights the film's witty dialogue and sexual tension as standout elements in a retrospective discussion. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/criticwire-classic-of-the-week-howard-hawks-the-big-sleep-126040/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the re-released Howard Hawks classic a head-spinning, occult-feeling thriller whose plot demands fierce concentration and now resembles a David Lynch fable. He singles out the witty, charged dialogue and unmatched screen chemistry between Bogart and Bacall for praise. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/dec/23/the-big-sleep-film-review) - **Den of Geek**, David Crow (90/100, inferred): The critic calls The Big Sleep a timeless classic and masterpiece of style, crediting Hawks' sharp dialogue and the irresistible cool of Bogart and Bacall's pairing. The review emphasizes that the famously convoluted plot is secondary to the film's witty banter and star chemistry. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-big-sleep-proof-that-plot-doesn-t-matter/) - **Paste** (90/100, inferred): The critic ranks The Big Sleep as the best Bogart-Bacall collaboration. The film's convoluted plot and production troubles, including reshoots to emphasize the stars' chemistry, ultimately enhance its enigmatic and dynamic qualities rather than detract from them. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/film-noir/bogart-and-bacall-movies-ranked) - **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (4/5): The critic praises the film's energy, witty script, and the chemistry between Bogart and Bacall, but notes it is structurally unsatisfying due to convoluted plotting and leaves the viewer unsure of the events. They single out the character-driven nature and Bogart's performance for keeping the audience engaged. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-big-sleep-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Details - **Director:** Howard Hawks - **Director:** Howard Hawks - **Screenplay:** William Faulkner, Leigh Brackett, Jules Furthman - **Novel:** Raymond Chandler - **Cinematography:** Sidney Hickox - **Editor:** Christian Nyby - **Music:** Max Steiner - **Producer:** Howard Hawks - **Cast:** Humphrey Bogart as Philip Marlowe; Lauren Bacall as Vivian Sternwood Rutledge; John Ridgely as Eddie Mars; Martha Vickers as Carmen Sternwood; Louis Jean Heydt as Joe Brody; Charles Waldron as General Sternwood; Regis Toomey as Chief Inspector Bernie Ohls; Sonia Darrin as Agnes Lowzier (uncredited) - **Runtime:** 1h 54m - **Certificate (MPA):** NR - **Release (the US):** 31 August 1946 - **Genres:** Mystery, Crime, Thriller - **Budget:** $250,000 - **Box office:** $11 million ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $7.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-16.* Also available in: AR, BR, CA, CL, CO, EC, ES, GB, IE, MX, NL, PA, PE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *The Thin Man* (1934): For verbal sparring between leads who make solving the case seem almost incidental - *Le Samouraï* (1967): A cooler, quieter crime film for watching professionals think before they move - *The Long Goodbye* (1973), Fi1m 86: Another encounter with Marlowe, with a looser rhythm and a more bruised mood — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-long-goodbye.md) - *Devil in a Blue Dress* (1995): For a private investigation in which the detective has considerably less protection - *Decision to Leave* (2022): For an investigation made still more complicated by the investigator’s inconvenient attraction --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-big-sleep