The Big Sleep

R

Released Mar 13, 1978

1h 39m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

List

57%

7 Reviews

Tomatometer

28%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Private eye Philip Marlowe (Robert Mitchum) falls into a porno/blackmail/murder case in 1970s London.

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Don H

Ebert, Sickle, Maslin all the big reviewers, beyond belief colluding to destroy a well cast, scripted and acted plot. Causing a viewer to be alert and follow a Sherlock/Poirot worthy presentation is no sin and certainly not the rot passing for theatre or a popcorn matinee. This is what happened to producing good movies. We have to look up noir and Bogart films in the pathetic 2020's.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/07/24

Full Review

Nicolas M

A dreadful pile of drek, based on the wildly overrated jottings of Chandler. Mitchum called it in and the rest of the cast did as little as possible with a pitiful script. Apparently, every cast member knew how bad it was when they signed on.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/16/23

Full Review

Ikiru Y

A TV movie of the week at best, and a bad one. You can't properly share how much worse this is than the original. By the way, did they forget Film Noir was supposed to be, you know...noir?! The quality at all levels is just awful.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/06/23

Full Review

steve d

Inferior in every way to the original.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Simon M

I've seen both movies of this title (with Humphry Bogart - 1946, and with Robert Mitchem - 1978). I like both movie versions. I can see why some people who obviously watched the 1946 version might not like the 1978 version just because of the change in venue from the US west coast in 1946 to London England in 1978, perhaps the change in cinematography from black & white in 1946 to color in 1978, and the change in actors from Bogart and Bacall in 1946 to Mitchem in 1978. But both Bogart and Mitchem rank very high on my list of favorite actors, so I thoroughly enjoyed both movies, with enough differences to make the recast 1978 movie just as enjoyable as the original 1946 movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/19/22

Full Review

jack s

A forgettable and pointless remake that doesn't even amount to a respectable follow-up to Mitchum's earlier Farewell, My Lovely. The action this time is inexplicably transported to England, which finds American detective Phillip Marlowe awkwardly out of place and time. However, Mitchum is solid throughout—His strong work here almost makes the film watchable. But the rest of the large cast is wasted or worse. Clark in fact—in the few scenes onscreen where she's wearing any clothing—is just awful.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Michael Winner

Director

Robert Mitchum

Philip Marlowe

Sarah Miles

Charlotte Sternwood

Richard Boone

Lash Canino

Candy Clark

Camilla Sternwood

Joan Collins

Agnes Lozelle

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

The movie feels kind of embalmed.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 15, 2018

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Winner’s bland direction makes The Big Sleep look like a tv drama about estate-agents; there’s more detail in the scummy-looking maisonettes than in the characters...

Rated: 3/5

Nov 30, 2023

Full Review

Kathey Clarey

Fresno Bee

Those who enjoyed the 1946 film with Bogart as Marlowe may wish the detective had gone home.

Aug 5, 2021

Full Review

Bernard Drew

Gannett News Service

The folly lies in the fact that Marlowe is a definitive 1940's character who does not transplant well into other eras and climes.

Nov 1, 2019

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Unnecessary but still enjoyable color remake.

Rated: B

Dec 28, 2010

Full Review

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

The problem with the film, more than anything, is getting beyond the idea of it not being Bogie and Bacall up there on the screen.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 16, 2008

Full Review

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Synopsis

Private eye Philip Marlowe (Robert Mitchum) falls into a porno/blackmail/murder case in 1970s London.

Director: Michael Winner
Producer: Lew Grade
Screenwriter: Raymond Chandler, Michael Winner
Distributor: United Artists
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 13, 1978, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2017
Runtime: 1h 39m
Sound Mix: Mono

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