The Long Goodbye Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Long Goodbye Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 1, 2014

Emerging during Robert Altman’s heyday in the early 1970s, “The Long Goodbye” is perhaps one of his most successfully translated ideas, finding a comfortable home in this loose adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s 1953 novel. The helmer dreams up a fluid fantasy world for the character of Philip Marlowe, a fatigued detective most famously played by Humphrey Bogart in 1946’s “The Big Sleep,” only instead of updating the source material for modern consumption, the screenplay (credited to Leigh Brackett) imagines a world where Marlowe remains in his period headspace, trapped in an updated, post-hippie landscape of crime and self-exploration. The contrast isn’t emphasized, but it’s enough of a tease to keep “The Long Goodbye” on the move as it attempts to marry Altman’s habitual disinterest in plot with Chandler’s commitment to the steps of criminal investigation. Playing subtle and slack, with a fantastic lead performance by Elliot Gould, the picture is easily one of Altman’s best, allowing his specialized approach a chance to breathe as the particulars of murder and theft are sorted out.

A chain-smoking private detective living in a ratty Los Angeles apartment with his choosy cat, Philip Marlowe (Elliot Gould) receives a request for a ride to Mexico from his old pal, Terry (Jim Bouton), who’s just been involved in a domestic dispute with his wife. Dropping his friend off at the border, Marlowe returns to a flurry of interest from local cops, who want to know why Terry murdered his spouse and committed suicide after crossing into Mexico. Confused and angry, Marlowe begins to investigate the crime, coming across the peculiar story of frustrated author Roger Wade (Sterling Hayden) after his wife, Eileen (Nina van Pallandt), hires him to find her alcoholic partner. Winding his way around the dubious Dr. Verringer (Henry Gibson) and threatened by crime boss Marty Augustine (Mark Rydell) and his collection of goons (including Arnold Schwarzenegger in a non-speaking role) after a large sum of cash once in Terry’s control has gone missing, Marlowe is left with little to go on as he sorts out fact from fiction, using his wits and sarcasm to keep himself alive.

While “The Long Goodbye” isn’t an overt L.A. story, Altman can’t resist making the west coast a supporting player in the picture. In keeping with his vision, the director posits Marlowe as a rumpled man of habits and small comforts (viewed early in the movie trying to keep his cat happy without access to the pet’s preferred brand of food) with a period tilt making his way in a new era of L.A. permissiveness, with his apartment neighbors a gaggle of young women who experiment with drugs on a nightly basis, refreshing themselves during the day with causal nudity and yoga. Running a mumbled monologue, Marlowe is his own tour guide in a strange landscape, navigating rude grocery store clerks and aggressive cops, always keeping composed and smoking, working out the details of his observations to best service his professional needs.

It’s an enticing opening act for “The Long Goodbye,” following Marlowe’s descent into mystery as he attempts to grasp the enormity of the chaos that’s surrounding the suicide of his longtime friend. However, instead of creating a procedural effort rich with clues and crime film textures, Altman slows down the pace, making the feature more about what Marlowe witnesses than what he decodes. The overall whodunit arc isn’t strong, but murder isn’t the point of “The Long Goodbye.” It’s human behavior that keeps Altman happy, unleashing a playful ensemble who collide in fascinating ways, keeping comedy and threat balanced to satisfaction. It’s Gould who holds the movie together, feeling out his rascally ways with a smooth performance that keeps mischief primed and befuddlement accessible, generating an entertaining depiction of a private eye who’s in over his head, yet refuses to allow outsiders to get the best of him. Altman allows Gould to do his thing throughout “The Long Goodbye,” but instead of crippling improvisational asides and ego-stroking grandstanding, the actor plays it impossibly cool, confident enough to let others steal focus while saving a few choice moments for himself. It’s some of his best work.

The Long Goodbye Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

With Altman movies, it's never about visual perfection, just movement. "The Long Goodbye" wasn't built for clarity, refusing any opportunity to dazzle the viewer with bold colors and sharpness. Instead, the AVC encoded image (2.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation keeps to its original soupy look, with soft cinematography and muted hues most prominent, maintaining a haze around the viewing experience. Detail is adequate but never a priority, though some texture is found on faces and costuming, and locations retain a bit of dimension. Blacks are largely brightened and feeble (inherent to the photography), but they never smother information, A few pockets of noise remain, and the print displays some scratches and damage.

The Long Goodbye Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is also a very Altman-esque event, with mumbled dialogue and crowd dynamics often worked into the flow of the track. Fuzziness remains, finding hiss frequently present. Performances are secured but there's very little range here, offering a flat balance of emotion and scoring, though musical style is identifiable. Beach atmospherics are welcome, along with short examples of street life.

The Long Goodbye Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Rip Van Marlowe" (24:38, SD) gathers Robert Altman and Elliot Gould to discuss the making of "The Long Goodbye," focusing on its thespian achievements with its diverse cast. Altman is alert and interested in the discussion, sharing praise for the performers and their peculiarities, while Gould is up there in his own universe, losing the battle of articulation. Still, the information shared is valuable, especially when exploring the effort's tone and botched release, which required two advertising campaigns to correct.

• "Vilmos Zsigmond Flashed 'The Long Goodbye'" (14:23, SD) chats up the picture's cinematographer, who details the inspiration behind the movie's unique photography. Also covering Zsigmond's origins and his history with Altman, the featurette finds a pleasing balance of technical talk and conversation.

• "American Cinematographer 1973 Article" provides a magazine story on the creative intent of "flashing" and its use on "The Long Goodbye."

• Five Radio Spots (3:29) are offered.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:31, HD) is included.

The Long Goodbye Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Altman's spirits flows through "The Long Goodbye," including an inventive use of the titular song, which pops up repeatedly throughout the film, often in the most unexpected ways. The director also toys with L.A. life, joyfully sticking Marlowe, with his ties and frightening cigarette habit, on beaches and around loopy characters, embracing the tension it brings. It's a confident directorial job that preserves the helmer's famous visual and audio elasticity while maintaining a final destination for the story that pays off the mystery in an unexpected manner. In a career that's marked by diverse projects and fierce experimentation, Altman approaches "The Long Goodbye" with respect for its conventions. However, it doesn't take long for the picture to hatch its own identity, stepping away from the tight confines of the detective genre to become a casual appreciation of its formula, given a specific Altman spin that elevates it from the norm.