The Big LebowskiLos Angeles is a unique town, a place with a population of all shapes and sizes, all kinds and from all walks of life. From the rich, to the seemingly rich, to the bums. And what makes a "bum"? If you asked Jeffrey Lebowski (Jeff Bridges)...no, no, wait...that's "the Dude", and he's our hero. No, I mean the other Jeffrey Lebowski (David Huddleston)--the "big" Lebowski--who is approached by the Dude to seek restitution for a floor rug which has been micturated upon by a surly "Asian-American" who suffered from a case of mistaken identity; the Dude is a bum, and he looks the part. But before long, the Dude finds himself caught up in a screwball detective story, unwittingly as a clueless "brother Seamus".
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The Big Lebowski is classic Coen brothers fare, and that's a good thing; and in keeping with their cinematic expertise and breadth of knowledge, it also is a film influenced by a broad spectrum of forerunners. The movie takes some of its most fundamental qualities from the kind of detective stories of Raymond Chandler, especially The Big Sleep, which The Big Lebowski draws not only its title from, but also so much of the story. The Big Sleep was a detective story with such an intricate (read: convoluted) plot, that there are plot threads left hanging, unanswered intentionally it would seem; and so it is with this film. As is true for both stories, I believe this is to present Los Angeles as a world unto itself, with a million stories flowing through it; our hero's journey sometimes happens to coincide with some more than others. I also believe that this is in part the reason for the narration, provided by Sam Elliott, whose meandering voice over seems out of sync with the late Nineties, Gulf War-era setting of SoCal. And this is where the Joel and Ethan Coen yet again show off their familiarity with California cinema, most acutely when the Dude ends up meeting with the narrator directly at the bowling alley--his home away from home. The Big Lebowski feels influenced by the works of Robert Altman, notably his films Short Cuts and The Long Goodbye. Short Cuts tells the story of L.A. from a varied selection of its inhabitants, whose lives crisscross; the film also features Julianne Moore--also with another startling nude scene--as Maude Lebowski, daughter of the "big" Lebowski. The Long Goodbye is a more interesting comparision; it is a Philip Marlowe story, but the "Marlowe" of the film--played by Elliott Gould--is a far more laconic, laid-back--if antiquated--member of his community, also a bit out of sync with things. His repeated line "it's okay by me" is paralleled via the Dude's own commentary of easy-going living: "the Dude abides".
The Dude is not a professional detective, but he fills the role of one by circumstances tumbling over like tumbleweeds...tumbling down. Kicked off by a pair of inept thugs who violate his home, he is put upon the idea to solicit the other Lebowski for compensation--that rug really tied the room together--by his bowling league buddy, Walter (John Goodman). Although he is initially turned away, he does manage to slyly trick Lebowski's yes-man, Brandt (Philip Seymour Hoffman) into letting him take one anyway, and crosses paths with Lebowski's wife, "Bunny" (Tara Reid). Little scenes become familiar clues later, such as when the Dude is invited by Maude to help her protect her father from scandal as a result of the hostage situation which arises later. The Dude finds himself requested by Lebowski to act as courier to deliver one million dollars to a group of kidnappers, who claim to have abducted Bunny. What follows is a madcap progression of wild leaps of logic and bizarre events which seem strangely connected; only, the Dude struggles to connect the lines. It's not actually that the Dude is stupid--he is often stoned, though--but that this is definitely out of his wheelhouse, and he has to try to tread water in the ocean of this weird world he has landed in or get dragged under. One might say he occasionally does--in a soporific sense--given that he frequently has acid flashbacks accompanied by vivid images tied to "the case", as well as to classic rock and bluegrass. The Big Lebowski is about clashing worlds. The "big" Lebowski's world is one of three-piece suits, a porn star wife, cronies groveling before him, and even the eccentric, artist daughter who despises him; it is a world where money makes one important. Then there is the world of the Dude, which is simple but not without significance. Sure, the Dude takes leisurely strolls through the supermarket late at night, clad in bathrobe and flip-flops; as the narrator says, he's the kind of man who "fits right in there" in that crazy burg of L.A. His interests are simple: bowling and doing some pot occasionally; he rarely knows what day of the week it is. The only kind of chaos he's used to is that which might manifest as a result of his arrogant, blowhard sidekick, Walter, who insists that he is justified in his defensive attitude because he went to Vietnam and observes "shomer Shabbos". Walter frequently mocks their teammate, Donny (Steve Buscemi) as being "out of his element", but it turns out the Dude is the one who is completely out of his element, forced to confront pornographers like Jackie Treehorn (Ben Gazzara), a mean-spirited chief of police for Malibu, and even nihilists who consider threatening the Dude's "johnson" the ne plus ultra of violent acts. It's an adventure for the Dude, just as it would be for anyone plucked from their comfortable status quo. What a trip.
Recommended for: Fans of a bizarre comedy with colorful scenes and equally colorful dialogue in keeping with that Coen brothers feel. It is also a great film for detective movie--and L.A. movie--buffs, with nods and influences from great films before it, another Coen trademark.
The Dude is not a professional detective, but he fills the role of one by circumstances tumbling over like tumbleweeds...tumbling down. Kicked off by a pair of inept thugs who violate his home, he is put upon the idea to solicit the other Lebowski for compensation--that rug really tied the room together--by his bowling league buddy, Walter (John Goodman). Although he is initially turned away, he does manage to slyly trick Lebowski's yes-man, Brandt (Philip Seymour Hoffman) into letting him take one anyway, and crosses paths with Lebowski's wife, "Bunny" (Tara Reid). Little scenes become familiar clues later, such as when the Dude is invited by Maude to help her protect her father from scandal as a result of the hostage situation which arises later. The Dude finds himself requested by Lebowski to act as courier to deliver one million dollars to a group of kidnappers, who claim to have abducted Bunny. What follows is a madcap progression of wild leaps of logic and bizarre events which seem strangely connected; only, the Dude struggles to connect the lines. It's not actually that the Dude is stupid--he is often stoned, though--but that this is definitely out of his wheelhouse, and he has to try to tread water in the ocean of this weird world he has landed in or get dragged under. One might say he occasionally does--in a soporific sense--given that he frequently has acid flashbacks accompanied by vivid images tied to "the case", as well as to classic rock and bluegrass. The Big Lebowski is about clashing worlds. The "big" Lebowski's world is one of three-piece suits, a porn star wife, cronies groveling before him, and even the eccentric, artist daughter who despises him; it is a world where money makes one important. Then there is the world of the Dude, which is simple but not without significance. Sure, the Dude takes leisurely strolls through the supermarket late at night, clad in bathrobe and flip-flops; as the narrator says, he's the kind of man who "fits right in there" in that crazy burg of L.A. His interests are simple: bowling and doing some pot occasionally; he rarely knows what day of the week it is. The only kind of chaos he's used to is that which might manifest as a result of his arrogant, blowhard sidekick, Walter, who insists that he is justified in his defensive attitude because he went to Vietnam and observes "shomer Shabbos". Walter frequently mocks their teammate, Donny (Steve Buscemi) as being "out of his element", but it turns out the Dude is the one who is completely out of his element, forced to confront pornographers like Jackie Treehorn (Ben Gazzara), a mean-spirited chief of police for Malibu, and even nihilists who consider threatening the Dude's "johnson" the ne plus ultra of violent acts. It's an adventure for the Dude, just as it would be for anyone plucked from their comfortable status quo. What a trip.
Recommended for: Fans of a bizarre comedy with colorful scenes and equally colorful dialogue in keeping with that Coen brothers feel. It is also a great film for detective movie--and L.A. movie--buffs, with nods and influences from great films before it, another Coen trademark.