--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Big Sleep' is an unsentimental…" description: "\"The Big Sleep' is an unsentimental, surrealist excitement in which most of the men in Hollywood's underworld are murdered and most of the women go for ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/manny-farber-28192_big-sleep_the-big-sleep-is-an-unsentimental-surrea_1668286.png" --- # The Big Sleep' is an unsentimental, surrealist excitement… ![“The Big Sleep' is an unsentimental, surrealist excitement in which most of the men in Hollywood's underworld are murdered and most of the women go for an honest but not unwilling private sleuth (Humphrey Bogart).” quote by Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/manny-farber-28192_big-sleep_the-big-sleep-is-an-unsentimental-surrea_1668286.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/manny-farber-28192_big-sleep_the-big-sleep-is-an-unsentimental-surrea_1668286.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/manny-farber-28192_big-sleep_the-big-sleep-is-an-unsentimental-surrea_1668286.png) > “The Big Sleep' is an unsentimental, surrealist excitement in which most of the men in Hollywood's underworld are murdered and most of the women go for an honest but not unwilling private sleuth (Humphrey Bogart).” [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The film blends unsentimental surrealism with gritty underworld murders and a reluctant female detective **In simple terms:** A gritty noir with surreal excitement and reluctant heroine Key Takeaway Appreciate noir’s blend of style and moral ambiguity Themes film noir surrealism detective Mood dark intense Type cinematic critical When to use this quote - crime investigation - film studies - creative writing - media criticism Key Concepts cynicism gender roles moral ambiguity Questions to Reflect On - How does surrealism affect audience perception of crime? - What does the reluctant heroine say about gender expectations? A Different Perspective May overlook nuanced character development in favor of style ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-sleep/) [Excitement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excitement/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Sleep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sleep/) [Surrealist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surrealist/) [Underworld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/underworld/) ## Related quotes > [It was the kind of town that made you feel like Humphrey Bogart: you came in on a bumpy little plane, and, for some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/it-was-the-kind-of-town-that-made-you-feel-like-humphrey-bogart-you/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [Every time I go to Europe, I remember that James Dean never saw Europe, but yet I see his face everywhere. There's James Dean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-hopper/every-time-i-go-to-europe-i-remember-that-james-dean-never-saw-europe/) [Dennis Hopper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-hopper/) > [ You had to stay awake married to him \[Humphrey Bogart\]. Every time I thought I could relax and do everything I wanted, he'd buck.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/you-had-to-stay-awake-married-to-him-humphrey-bogart-every-time-i/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [“Dear God in Heaven, I've been a good woman. When I die, all I want is Humphrey Bogart and Matt Damon feeding me grapes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-harms/dear-god-in-heaven-i-ve-been-a-good-woman-when-i-die-all-i-want-is/) Kelly Harms > [My first job was on Broadway. Then I went into the Navy. When I came out of the Navy, I went back to Broadway…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-douglas/my-first-job-was-on-broadway-then-i-went-into-the-navy-when-i-came/) [Kirk Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-douglas/) > [Howard Hawks said he'd like to put me in a film with Cary Grant or Humphrey Bogart. I thought, "Cary Grant-terrific! Humphrey Bogart-yucch."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-bacall/howard-hawks-said-he-d-like-to-put-me-in-a-film-with-cary-grant-or/) [Lauren Bacall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-bacall/) > [When I was a kid I really loved Humphrey Bogart. But when I was in theater school, Robert DeNiro was my go-to guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-todd/when-i-was-a-kid-i-really-loved-humphrey-bogart-but-when-i-was-in/) [Tony Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-todd/) > [If you've got the body and the chutzpah, a pencil skirt is so sexy on older women. Look for ones that fall just below…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/if-you-ve-got-the-body-and-the-chutzpah-a-pencil-skirt-is-so-sexy-on/) [Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/) > [ Every time I was with Sammy \[Davis Jr.\] it was like going to the show business museum because the stories were so extraordinary, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-crystal/every-time-i-was-with-sammy-davis-jr-it-was-like-going-to-the-show/) [Billy Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-crystal/) > [I like most of the Humphrey Bogart movies because they had to act then, and they acted very well. Edward G. Robinson is probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-macnee/i-like-most-of-the-humphrey-bogart-movies-because-they-had-to-act/) [Patrick Macnee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-macnee/) > [I made so many films which were more important, but the only one people ever want to talk about is that one with \[Humphrey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-bergman/i-made-so-many-films-which-were-more-important-but-the-only-one/) [Ingrid Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-bergman/) > [The three actors I admire the most are all dead. Humphrey Bogart, Spencer Tracy and the French actor, Jean Gabin. They're all very natural,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/the-three-actors-i-admire-the-most-are-all-dead-humphrey-bogart/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [I watched what I ate for a bit and did a bit of exercise. I wanted to look alright because I knew I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafe-spall/i-watched-what-i-ate-for-a-bit-and-did-a-bit-of-exercise-i-wanted-to/) [Rafe Spall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafe-spall/) > [When you're a writer, the question people always ask you is, "Where do you get your ideas?" Writers hate this question. It's like asking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/when-you-re-a-writer-the-question-people-always-ask-you-is-where-do/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [I'll see anything that Humphrey Bogart did. Weird, quirky, I know but that's the way it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-halston/i-ll-see-anything-that-humphrey-bogart-did-weird-quirky-i-know-but/) [Julie Halston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-halston/) ## More by Manny Farber > [I get a great laugh from artists who ridicule the critics as parasites and artists manqués — sucha horrible joke. I can’t imagine a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/i-get-a-great-laugh-from-artists-who-ridicule-the-critics-as/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [Actually, what will be shown from here to eternity will be Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr cavorting on the beach. From Here to Eternity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/actually-what-will-be-shown-from-here-to-eternity-will-be-burt/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [Before seeing 'The Pride of the Yankees,' you may or may not know that the Yankees referred to are the ones who win the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/before-seeing-the-pride-of-the-yankees-you-may-or-may-not-know-that/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [There are several types of movie space, the three most important being: (1) the field of the screen, (2) the psychological space of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/there-are-several-types-of-movie-space-the-three-most-important-being/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [One of the fine moments in 1940s film is no longer than a blink: Bogart, as he crosses the street from one bookstore to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/one-of-the-fine-moments-in-1940s-film-is-no-longer-than-a-blink/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [Orson Welles's second 'I-did-it' should show once and for all that film making, radio and the stage are three different guys better kept separated.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/orson-welles-s-second-i-did-it-should-show-once-and-for-all-that-film/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [Capra is an old-time movie craftsman, the master of every trick in the bag, and in many ways he is more at home with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/capra-is-an-old-time-movie-craftsman-the-master-of-every-trick-in-the/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [The new Disney cartoon 'Bambi' is interesting because it's the first one that's been entirely unpleasant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/the-new-disney-cartoon-bambi-is-interesting-because-it-s-the-first/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [Henry V' is a great deal more than almost any other hell-bent-for-armor movie that you've seen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/henry-v-is-a-great-deal-more-than-almost-any-other-hell-bent-for/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [Sunset Boulevard' - the story of Hollywood movies draped on a depressing sex affair - is an uncompromising study of American decadence displaying a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/sunset-boulevard-the-story-of-hollywood-movies-draped-on-a-depressing/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [I have a great love of the actual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/i-have-a-great-love-of-the-actual/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [The story of Warner Brothers' movie, 'Mildred Pierce,' recounts the enormous and unrewarded sacrifices that a mother (Joan Crawford) makes for her spoiled, greedy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/the-story-of-warner-brothers-movie-mildred-pierce-recounts-the/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [The cold, mean 'Sunset Boulevard' - a beautiful title, though I suspect it was shot on another boulevard - is further proof of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/the-cold-mean-sunset-boulevard-a-beautiful-title-though-i-suspect-it/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [The Big Sleep' would have been a more effective study of nightmarish existence had the detective been more complicated and had more curiosity been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/the-big-sleep-would-have-been-a-more-effective-study-of-nightmarish/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [I think it's sinful to give the audience material it knows already, whether the material is about race relations or the car culture or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/i-think-it-s-sinful-to-give-the-audience-material-it-knows-already/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) [Explore all 19 Manny Farber quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) ## More Big sleep quotes > [During Mr. Reagan's trip to Europe...members of the traveling press corps watched him doze off so many times--during speeches by French President Francois Mitterrand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hertsgaard/during-mr-reagan-s-trip-to-europe-members-of-the-traveling-press/) [Mark Hertsgaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hertsgaard/) > [You like orchids?... Nasty things. Their flesh is too much like the flesh of men, their perfume has the rotten sweetness of corruption.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/you-like-orchids-nasty-things-their-flesh-is-too-much-like-the-flesh/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [As honest as you could expect a man to be in a world where it's out of style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/as-honest-as-you-could-expect-a-man-to-be-in-a-world-where-it-s-out/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [I don't mind your showing me your legs. They're very swell legs and it's a pleasure to make their acquaintance. I don't mind if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/i-don-t-mind-your-showing-me-your-legs-they-re-very-swell-legs-and-it/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“What did it matter where you lay once you were dead? In a dirty sump or in a marble tower on top of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/what-did-it-matter-where-you-lay-once-you-were-dead-in-a-dirty-sump/) [raymond chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“What did it matter where you lay once you were dead? In a dirty sump or in a marble tower on top of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/what-did-it-matter-where-you-lay-once-you-were-dead-in-a-dirty-sump-2/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Shake your business up and pour it. I haven't got all day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/shake-your-business-up-and-pour-it-i-haven-t-got-all-day/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Dream big while you sleep, and even bigger when you're awake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-leto/dream-big-while-you-sleep-and-even-bigger-when-you-re-awake/) [Jared Leto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-leto/) > [A nice state of affairs when a man has to indulge his vices by proxy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/a-nice-state-of-affairs-when-a-man-has-to-indulge-his-vices-by-proxy/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [The Big Sleep' would have been a more effective study of nightmarish existence had the detective been more complicated and had more curiosity been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/the-big-sleep-would-have-been-a-more-effective-study-of-nightmarish/) [Manny Farber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/) > [The plants filled the place, a forest of them, with nasty meaty leaves and stalks like the newly washed fingers of dead men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/the-plants-filled-the-place-a-forest-of-them-with-nasty-meaty-leaves/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“What did it matter where you lay once you were dead? In a dirty sump or in a marble tower on top of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/what-did-it-matter-where-you-lay-once-you-were-dead-in-a-dirty-sump-3/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [You were dead, you were sleeping the big sleep, you were not bothered by things like that, oil and water were the same as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/you-were-dead-you-were-sleeping-the-big-sleep-you-were-not-bothered/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Death. To die. To expire. To pass on. To perish. To peg out. To push up daisies. To push up posies. To become extinct.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patch-adams/death-to-die-to-expire-to-pass-on-to-perish-to-peg-out-to-push-up/) [Patch Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patch-adams/) > [I'm a big sleep guy. I think my schedule sorta starts with sleep and making sure I get enough of it. I'm an eight-plus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-luck/i-m-a-big-sleep-guy-i-think-my-schedule-sorta-starts-with-sleep-and/) [Andrew Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-luck/) [Browse all 20 Big sleep quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-sleep/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The Big Sleep' is an unsentimental, surrealist excitement in which most of the men in Hollywood's underworld are murdered and most of the women go for an honest but not unwilling private sleuth (Humphrey Bogart).", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Manny Farber" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/the-big-sleep-is-an-unsentimental-surrealist-excitement-in-which-most/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Big sleep" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/the-big-sleep-is-an-unsentimental-surrealist-excitement-in-which-most/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/manny-farber-28192_big-sleep_the-big-sleep-is-an-unsentimental-surrea_1668286.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/manny-farber-28192_big-sleep_the-big-sleep-is-an-unsentimental-surrea_1668286.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d14/manny-farber-28192_big-sleep_the-big-sleep-is-an-unsentimental-surrea_1668286.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The Big Sleep' is an unsentimental, surrealist excitement in which most of the men in Hollywood's underworld…” — Manny Farber", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Manny Farber", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-farber/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The Big Sleep' is an unsentimental,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/the-big-sleep-is-an-unsentimental-surrealist-excitement-in-which-most/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-farber/the-big-sleep-is-an-unsentimental-surrealist-excitement-in-which-most/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```