Director
Edward Dmytryk
Leading Actors/Actresses
Dick Powell, Anne Shirley, Claire Trevor
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Otto Kruger, Mike Mazurki
Genre
Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
Language
English
Awards
n/a
Date of Release
1944
Producer
Adrian Scott
Setting and Context
California in the 1940s. Based on Raymond Chandler's 1940 novel, "Farewell, My Lovely"
Narrator and Point of View
Narrator and POV is that of Philip Marlowe
Tone and Mood
Film-Noir, Mysterious, Suspenseful, Dramatic
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist is Marlowe. Antagonists are Moose, Helen, Amthor
Major Conflict
Marriott is killed while Marlowe is with him. The police and everyone in the Grayle family is searching for who committed the crime.
Climax
Helen Grayle turns out to be the murderer and her husband shoots and kills her. But when Moose discovers her body he kills Mr. Grayle because Moose was in love with Helen, but knows her as Velma.
Foreshadowing
Photo of Velma and then seeing Helen foreshadows that something dirty is going on as the two women look eerily similar.
Understatement
Marlowe's love for Ann is understated
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
n/a
Allusions
The black water closing in on Marlowe is an allusion to him going into the darkness after being knocked out.
Paradox
Helen is the one who killed Marriott, but hires Marlowe to find his killer.
Parallelism
The opening scene with Marlowe's eyes bandaged parallels the final scene where the interrogation ends.
