DJ wrote: And that's another reason why I don't buy it that
this was supposed to change Gould's image -- from what, to
what?
***************** From a character actor to a leading man a
la Bogart and Mitchum. The fact is that Gould has a good
face, but it's not a romantic face. While they certainly are
not even similar looking, both Bogart and Mitchum worked
easily into the romantic male lead over and over again. Gould
is more like an Edward G. Robinson. He makes a good dad,
uncle, grandad, but the love interest of a temptress, only if
the character has no clue what he's getting into. Gould could
do a Cain anti-hero effectively, but not a Chandler hard
boiled character.
Patrick
---
DJ-Anonyme@webtv.net wrote:
> TL wrote (and then ducked and covered):
>
> "BTW - I find it ironic that Gould would
be
> considered too whiny as
> Marlowe. In Chandler's books Marlowe spends quite
a
> lot of time whining.
> Some of those scenes seem to be less about
character
> and story and more
> about Chandler's inability to fit in with
modern
> society. And that's not
> necessarily a criticism."
>
> And that's one of Chandler/Marlowe's legacies.
John
> D MacDonald would
> take it to an extreme with Travis McGee. And I
kind
> of think that's a
> starting point of this movie, the '40s
PI's
> inability to fit into '70s
> America.
>
> "There are many scenes where Gould is the
perfect
> wisecracking tough
> guy."
>
> And that's another reason why I don't buy it
that
> this was supposed to
> change Gould's image -- from what, to what? I
don't
> see his persona
> here as being very different from the ones he
played
> in MASH, California
> Split (granted, both Altman movies) and/or
Getting
> Straight.
>
> "And in the final scene he goes where Marlowe
never
> had the balls to go
> - but it is the perfect modern updating of
the
> knight errant character.
> So much so that that scene would be emulated
for
> years to come in other
> books and movies. Yes, it is shocking. And it is
the
> most controversial
> of moments in this film for the Chandler
fanatic."
>
> Gee, I thought it was giving him a cat.
>
> ". . . 'Marlowe would never do that!' they
exclaim."
>
> I was one of those people. I was PISSED when I
came
> out of the theater.
> I had just recently discovered Chandler through
this
> book that had
> quickly become my favorite (ironically, I first
read
> it with a movie
> tie-in cover) and this was not the Marlowe I
had
> come to idolize.
>
> Later, I went back to it as an Altman film
and
> decided it was good as
> that, even if it had little to do with
Chandler.
> However, over the
> years I've come to see that their outlooks were
not
> really that far
> apart. Both are fascinated by outsiders who do
not
> fit, or no longer
> fit, in their worlds and how they deal with
it.
>
> I need to pull it out and watch it again,
too.
>
> Mark
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________________
Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check.
Try the Yahoo! Mail Beta.
http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/newmail_tools.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 03 Feb 2007 EST