Is The Big Lebowski a Film Noir? - Film School'd

[@joestringer3115]

Well that's just like... your opinion man

[@supremebuffalo6322]

+Joe Stringer I was looking for this comment. Someone had to

[@supremebuffalo6322]

_

[@manarmuhsin5230]

Supreme Buffalo I'm sorry it wasn't me I don't know what happened 😳

[@supremebuffalo6322]

Manar R Hey you deleted your spam, nice work.

[@angc214]

Big Lebowski has elements of many different genres. It has Noir of course, the narrator who thinks it's a western, the Dude who is in a stoner comedy that gets dragged into noir, the nihilists who are in a crime/action movie, and Walter who is in a drama about soldiers with PTSD. There is no one genre to put Lebowski into because it plays with so many of them.

[@ihsantriapramanda1973]

+angc214 "A narrator who thinks it's a western". LoL. Is that some kind of eastern thing?

[@brajeshsingh2391]

I agree Big Lebowski has a strong flavor of film noir, comedy, and crime thriller mixed into one but unfortunately since it does not have a man woman treacherous relationship at its center it cannot really pass as classical film noir.

[@GildaLee27]

Interesting.

[@lfdoidao]

All the films mentioned The Big Sleep- 1946 The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari - 1920 Night and the City - 1950 Stanger on the Third Floor - 1940 The Maltese Falcon - 1941 Murde, My Sweet - 1944 Touch of Evil - 1958 Chinatown - 1974 The Last Seduction - 1994 Memento - 2000 Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang - 2005 Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid - 1982 The Big Heat - 1953 The Big Combo The Big Bluff - 1955 D.O.A - 1950 The Lady from Shanghai - 1947 The Setup - 1949 Night in the City - 1950 Gun Crazy - 1950 Dark Passage - 1947 Dark Corner - 1946 Scarlet Street - 1947 Who Framed Roger Rabbit - 1988 Inherent Vice - 2014 Lost Highway - 1997 Dark City - 1998 Fargo - 1996 See no evil hear no evil - 1989 Brick - 2005

[@christiancardenas2543]

Thanks.👍

[@Foxrich99]

The Big Lebowski - 1998

[@MichaelTruly]

Even the Dude's brown robe and long brown sweater are reminiscent of the trench coat wearing gumshoe.

[@christiancardenas2543]

Easily.👍

[@papashango8442]

Far out man

[@andrewburgemeister6684]

@@papashango8442 far fuckin out!

[@GrandeTheftDesperado]

inherent vice is a great successor to the Big Lebowski

[@kendel423]

Inherent Vice sucks cock.

[@jena_thornwyrd]

kendel423 Can we translate as "I LIKE IT A LOT !" ? lol

[@ZeppelinBigFan]

I loved Inherent Vice, and I love how so many people didn't. It's as if PTA just said "fuck it", and made a film with little cohesive story, and just let the visual style, the absurdist comedy and the perfect 70's feel speak for itself. You're supposed to inhale Inherent Vice (as Joaquin Phoenix' Doc inhales quite a lot of substances in the film), trying to make too much sense of it is just wasting your time.

[@ShaunDapp]

AGREED

[@unmeshl.6708]

Next time watch Inherent Vice as the prequel to The Big Lebowski. It's the life The Dude lived before he renounced everything for a life of simplicity. Joaquin Phoenix sounds so much like Jeff Bridges in that movie.

[@TheVictoriousShot]

Also, the Dude is in every scene. This keeps the narrative of noir the same.

[@marlabeard5352]

He really ties the film together.

[@andrewburgemeister6684]

@@marlabeard5352 does he not?

[@leonardomello8655]

I guess new shit has come to light...

[@jamescoppolino9144]

Leonardo Mello a lot of in's, a lot of out's, a lot of what have you's.

[@JustinMooreTX]

I think many Coen films could be called "neo-noir," so many that that's probably their default mode. Blood Simple, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, The Man Who Wasn't There, No Country for Old Men. The Man Who Wasn't There is probably the most deliberate and obvious noir-inspired film, Lebowski is subtler but more effective in this pursuit.

[@YoungTheFish]

I was actually introduced to this film in a film noir class. It is sort of an anti-noir film...

[@TheAssassinator1234]

Wouldn't modern day Film-Noir's be called Neo-Noir's ?

[@8OBO8]

Yes, but its really a sub-genre

[@MrDukeblue]

No mention, in terms of neo-noir, of the astounding work of Mr. James Ellroy, most notably, cinema-wise, 'L.A. Confidential'. It's a shame they haven't filmed the rest of the 'LA Quartet', and, even more so, his American Underworld trilogy. One of the Top 10 American novelists of all time.

[@richardmonaghan1144]

Still watching in 2019. At least once a week during the warmer weather. It's my summer movie. Winter time is once a month. Sometimes I just throw it on just to have a movie in the background while I'm busy in the home... haha. Hard to believe it's 21 years now. Hope there's something going on to commemorate 25 years real soon lol.

[@source_out]

Far out man, my film teacher is going to really dig this

[@afonsolucas2219]

Did he dig it?

[@christiancardenas2543]

Did they dig it?

[@NoBudgetShow]

I never realised how much the Coen brothers borrowed from classic Noir for The Big Lebowski, Love the side by side comparisons, Makes me want to shoot a Noir, Great stuff

[@aliceisinchains1]

They just added "The Big Lebowski" to Netflix.

[@shorpilakarshimanto224]

'' do u hate us . Do u hate yourselves '' 😂

[@christiancardenas2543]

Easily.😂

[@LadyInReeed21]

I read The Big Sleep,I saw the Big Sleep and The Big Lebowski and I never noticed any similarities between them.Thank you for this.You guys are awesome.I love this channel.

[@thelurkingpanda3605]

this whole video: "something happened in the big lebowski that also kinda happened in another movie"

[@timelessFX]

Well guess I'll have to watch this again

[@plumlogan]

That should be on the to-do list, anyway

[@jeremyfrancispiano2]

I think it is a parody of noir. The Coen brothers based the story's protagonist off a friend of theirs who's basically a bum and thought it would be cool to put that kind of person in the middle of a Chandler-esque rhapsody. The Dude himself is somewhat of a sage in that he is resilient to much of the drama that surrounds him. Blowing like a tumble weed in the wind. Lot's of in's and out's, strikes and gutters... But the Dude abides. Walter represents the aggression of the American military. Usually over-correcting the things that piss him off (which is just about anything.) Walter's religion represents the "values and standards" that American leaders say they have pride in, but both those leaders and Walter will justify abandoning those values and standards in the name of violent deliverance for whatever arbitrary cause they invent for themselves. This movie took me three watches for me to finally begin to understand and appreciate it. The more I look into it, the more the subtle genius of it becomes clear to me. I love it. Nice video essay, btw.

[@TheSMLIFfilms]

I don't know, I always figured the Big Lebowski took most of its inspiration from Hitchcock's North by Northwest. There are a few direct references like the notepad scribbling joke, but the entire structure of each film seems to be a different variation of the same story- what if an innocent man found himself mixed up in a murder mystery? The only difference is the man himself, and in the case of Roger Thornhill and The Dude, Roger Thornhill decides to follow the mystery through to the end and clear his name, but the Dude just wants his rug. The Dude simply abides, he doesn't have time to get chased by crop dusters or fight people on Mount Rushmore.

[@Poschmane]

The big Lebowski is just a piece of Art. The music, the characters and all scenes even the backgrounds are so special made and with such a great acting and detail.I think its not about story but just a great eperience of many different situations and how to deal with them.

[@alexscott1257]

Art. I got that word the other night after I watched it for the first time in a long time. A film that really elevates the medium.

[@Poschmane]

@@alexscott1257 Yes every scene is detailed Art and also the Music.

[@frankdrebiin]

maybe it's a homage. a remix of the mentioned genre. film school'd is so nice.

[@christiancardenas2543]

Easily.👍

[@somethingdiffrant]

I like to think that Citizen Kane is very much a noir...Minus the "crime" aspect. Still a mystery being solved. Aesthetically it checks out (and then some), and there are certainly Kane's projectional versions of femme fatales.

[@TheSMLIFfilms]

It's most certainly shot like a noir, it maybe even inspired most of them. The famous mirror shot following the room trashing scene always catches my eye.

[@somethingdiffrant]

+TheSMLIFfilms One of my favorite moments is the chronicling of Kane's first marriage through newspaper's and quick wipes!

[@arctos49]

Er, ahhh.. I went back just to make sure. You said that Carmen was the "older daighter" of General Sternwood but actually she was the younger daughter who WAS always getting into trouble and piling up gambling debts. Bacall played the older daughter, Vivian, who falls for Marlowe. I love the movie but it was criticized for having a complicated story line. But, that the hell, it was Bogey and Bacall. "She tried to sit in my lap while I was standing up". One of my favorite lines in a great movie.

[@emlmndz]

I'm very agree with you. Noir have been a difficult genre to describe, and as you said, have changed throug years. Another important consideration, is that the Coen brothers always do blinks to the noir in all their kovies, except in Inside Llewyn Davis, I think. It is common to feel confuse at the end of their movies.

[@schulzbrianr]

+1 for referencing "Brick" with JGL

[@christiancardenas2543]

Easily.👍

[@Teatime7771]

Sin City,White Heat, and Maltese Falcon are my favorite film noir.

[@NickOwens]

Another Noir trademark is that the main character appears in every scene of the film. (The Dude is even in the background during the scene with the nihilists in the cafe)

[@christiancardenas2543]

Easily.👍

[@kenneth6989]

I'm glad I stopped by I just want to know what time. Was Film Noir in but now that I know I really am happy you give me a detailed script

[@dashcrowley4627]

My fav Noir will always be TOUCH OF EVIL, but now that you've brought Lebowski's Noir-ishness, that may very well come in a close second place. Interesting video. Love it.

[@GaryALucas]

Jonathan Rosenbaum pointed out that David Lynch used a few elements from the Robert Aldrich movie 'Kiss Me Deadly', an adaptation of the Mickey Spillane novel, in his movie 'Lost Highway'. And 'Kiss Me Deadly' in turn attempted to use most of the classic film noir elements. It's apparently a chain of influences, as you point out. Alfred Hitchcock was also influenced by the style, and readily admitted it. I felt like the Coens were more or less satirizing the genre with 'The Big Lebowski', but did seem to end up making some greater points. Thanks for the suggestions also.

It's not only Noir, in a way it represents what Noir stands for. It is about bending the rules and create something completly original, something that dares everything that has been done and with some luck; inspire future filmmakers. I think that's why this film is so great - It's not about the movie, it's about the concept. Now it's hard to imagine a landscape without big movies made with amazing DPs. Without these kind of films, making the priority the "creative" part of cinema, we wouldn't have any of those great cinematographers.

[@unmeshl.6708]

You mean like jazz? Why not call it jazz?

Unmesh L. I don't know, maybe because it's a different medium?. Jazz is a good analogy for Noir, no doubt about it, but the point is not the term, is about what it stands for.

***** If so, correct me with the truth. Saying someone is wrong without presenting a real argument is less than useless.

[@gregmcknight5183]

i love these essays

[@shipmanjd]

How did you not mention The Long Goodbye? Lebowski makes a heap of direct references to that film.

[@ernestolombardo5811]

The film noir that most closely resembles Lebowski, in my opinion, is Robert Altman's "The Long Goodbye", in which P.I. Phillip Marlowe finds himself in a 70s Los Angeles replete with pot and granola, yoga and yogurt. Marlowe may be anachronistic, but he navigates this counterculture world with perfect ease. Then when I think of a film that has no murder nor heist, no mystery nor P.I., yet has "noir" written all over it, first thing that comes to mind is "The Sweet Smell Of Success", with Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. Finally, the last great classic, transcendent noir in the strict sense of the term, has got to be "L.A. Confidential", the previous chronological gem being "Chinatown". I just can't believe how good those two movies are.

[@Euthorix]

Yes!! Another Film school'd! Thank you.

[@jonnycrawford1116]

At 5:56 you reference Roger Deakins' cinematography being lit in the style of a filmmaker, how do you spell their name?

[@yukonactor]

the narration refers to" in the old chiaroscuro fashion." Chiaroscuso is a visual art term referring to high contrast (light-dark is the meaning in Italian.)

[@gillianorley]

The Big Sleep has an interesting scene which is referenced in the clip shown here at the 8:55 mark. Bogart enters a rare bookseller's store to get some information and, as part of his cover, he affects a "gay" persona. What makes it interesting is the film was released in 1946 when you weren't likely to see any acknowledgement of homosexuality even only "pretending." It's also interesting to see Bogart's performance of these affectations.

[@Daniel-Rosa.]

My favorite's got to be the best one, Double Indemnity. I try not to blend my favorites with Top 10s' number ones, but it's just that good and all that Noir.

[@malcolmrose-zadow5517]

The cabinet of doctor caligari is a great film. I particularly enjoyed the way that the sets reflect the (spoiler alert!) madness of the main caracter, what with all the insane angles, and unrealistic proportions.

[@xon31]

The Big Lebowski is 'Stoner Noir' as is Inherent Vice.

[@gregsmith7949]

Great commentary. I always thought this movie was a homage to classic film noir.

[@theodoreeisele]

Nice! Yes, it's a great homage to film noire. One of my favorite from the genre is "The Asphalt Jungle."

[@gabrielgurule]

You could also make the case that Noir is not a genre, but a film style which would explain the mashups with different genres and then how they remained prevalent throughout the years.

[@payank505]

As a retired, bearded older dude, sitting in his bathrobe smoking a J, you nailed it, dude. The Dude-Wan abides.

[@jingle3]

It took me a while to realize that The Big Lebowski was indeed Film Noir. I think that's probably why I liked it so much. Another of my favorite films that is also in the same genre is the David Lynch film, Mulholland Drive.

[@1qwasz12]

The Man Who Wasn't There is the Coen's most realized example of Film Noir.

[@bobunitone]

Big Lebowski also owes a lot to Altman's, "The Long Goodbye".

[@MAronson]

bobunitone Totally!

[@karlkarlos3545]

+bobunitone Not really. The plot of "The Long Goodbye" is from the novel by Raymond Chandler who inspired the Coen Brothers directly.

[@natedogg5641]

The Big Sleep also by Raymond Chandler is an inspiration.

[@LichKingSkullWart]

I know nothing about films so this is super interesting, especially since I love the Big Lowbowski, I'm wondering if there is a genre specifically for parodies or something similar; because maybe the Big Lowbowski fits into that genre more readily. CineFix

[@ZeppelinBigFan]

Usually "film noir" is only used to describe films made during the 1940's and 50's. As said in the video, it's debatable whether it is a genre at all, some would instead call it an era of filmmaking, like the Italian neorealism or the French New Wave. You could call film noirs made after that "neo-noirs", films like Chinatown, L.A. Confidential and the Coen brothers' debut film Blood Simple are some examples of this. I guess it depends if you're a purist or not. If you're nerdy enough you might never call a film made after 1959 a film noir, but instead use the term neo-noir. At least that's what I would call The Big Lebowski, an homage to the noir genre, and a great neo-noir. But there's still a lot more to it than just that.

[@LichKingSkullWart]

That's pretty interesting, thanks! :)

[@halilkucukyldz8598]

Excellent video.

[@TheReedSkull]

Very good video , love it!

[@willackerman7168]

Please make more videos like this.

[@mljedi]

I always thought of The Big Lebowski, as a Western.

[@JeffBarberDigideus]

John Carpenter once said all good movies are just westerns in disguise

[@definitelynotofficial7350]

Alberto Vasquez I always thought it as a romantic slasher nihilist comedy psychological wartime drama from the 80s.

[@thepoppunx]

no country for old man its a western

[@Ludwig1889]

I love "The Big Heat", one of my favourite movies

[@jaclynsaltzman4426]

Film noir is just as much about the writing. It starts with with an unlikely mix up. As the Dude gets dragged in by events increasingly out of his control, he starts to notice how different characters offer conflicting explanations. Kidnapped, or kidnapped herself? There is not enough information to prove anything, but more than enough complexity to justify lots of different interpretations. As is often the case in film noir, the Dude must think of the option that others failed to see, by explaining an inconsistency with an insight into human nature. The briefcase was always empty, just like the rich guy who cared more about hiding his money than he does about his daughter's life or what will happen to the Dude. For me, the experience of being totally confused and then figuring it out (but not before the Dude) is the "feeling" of noir.

[@igorbuenocorrea2615]

"One might say la femme par excellence, if one is so inclined to say such thing" Lost opportunity to say "... if you're not into the whole brevity thing"

[@apollion888]

I totally agree with you and I hate myself. Not for that, it's more a family thing. You asked

[@AceLM92]

Wow I thought my favorite film noir was Sunset boulevard, but it turns out that it's the Big Lebowski

[@marshallfox6311]

There's a key mistake in this video. He states that Carmen is the older daughter in "The Big Sleep," when she's the younger daughter who (Bogart jokes) needs to be "weaned."

[@DrCHUD666]

Considering that film noir has it's own set of rules and breaks them along the way, The Big Lebowski can be considered as film noir due to it's various nods to that genre. It does fall into that same vein like Fargo where there are moments where it's considered to be dark even though it is in broad daylight. The characters makes the film and represents the film noir genre by paying a certain tribute to it. Sorry.....I just had somebody pee on the rug. I mean.....is it me or is everybody gone CRAZY?????

[@beardedmovieguy322]

Nice job, as for my favorites, I have to go with The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon and for a more modern take I love the film Brick by Rian Johnson.

[@cosmic-fortytwo]

Great analysis. I would call it Neo-Noir. It certainly has film noir elements but it can't be considered film noir if we define the genre strictly as the time period from 1940-1959.

[@linternamagica100]

man, great video

[@gypsy4932]

Fantastic! Thank you.

[@kmac3215]

“Like an Irish Monk?”

[@skullquarry]

"Wtf are ya talkin about?" Lol

[@renel8964]

The meaning of life is to abide

[@klausweasley]

No. Simply because the last TRUE film noir was "Touch of Evil" in 1958. I think everything after that particularly after the Hays Code was abandoned are called NEO-NOIRS.

[@IamTheBuckethead]

Love this stuff, thanks. :)

[@richardmonaghan1144]

Careful man.... there's a beverage here !!!

[@GlenHallstrom]

First time I saw it I realized what it was. Yes, it's noir but I see it as a satire or commentary on film noir.

[@jamescoppolino9144]

I need to see more film noir.

[@arturaskarbocius6091]

Noir=Iron {symbol Fe} 'Cherchez la femme' French phrase which literally means "look for the woman." that is Big Lebowski leitmotif.

[@healingmomentum]

Great video. Another important noir: Blade Runner....

[@MusalMueen]

My opinion. Its not Noir or a comedy. It is itself what it is. The new kind of film making. Seriously. Coen brothers are known to break certain film genres.

[@premiumpickaxe3471]

If Jeff Bridges was a pokemon, which one would he be?

[@JeffBarberDigideus]

Dude-a-toke

[@l_crow1575]

Geo-dude lol

[@premiumpickaxe3471]

L_Crow2 Pure genius!!!!

[@DaneCotar]

great opinion, man :D

[@ViperChief117]

Do a series of Film School'd about Computer Generated Effects and how it has changed Hollywood.

[@TooLooze]

You are seriously under-rating Lebowski. It is the epic hero's journey of the classics and yes, there were moments when darkness worshed over the dude.

[@VampHRW]

I study Film Noir in my last year in High School.

[@studogable]

It's probably more Noir than anything else - with the possible exception of absurdist comedy. Positing a protagonist whose defining characteristic is his lack of an overarching goal - besides basic physical comfort and simple life accents like bowling and white Russians - strikes me as something Samuel Beckett could get behind. The lack of an overarching goal for the protagonist is probably the main departure from traditional noir. The noir hero might tragically fail in his goal, he might succeed in an ironic, mixed manner, but there's something pushing him. The only thing really pushing The Dude is his desire to replace his rug, and that is accomplished in the second act. Noir heroes are often buffeted around by forces greater than themselves, but they usually had a motivation in the first place. The Dude, not so much. Noir has always had an absurdist streak, but TBL takes this to a new level altogether.

[@8008boot]

I hate myself.

[@Tomartyr]

Felt bad for the guy who got his nose cut.

[@monkeyRL]

Best Movie Ever.

[@therollingbeatles123]

Yeah I agree that the big lebowski is a noir film it has all the elements of it!!

[@UncleJackOnline]

personally there's 3 types of movies, 1 movies i like, 2 movies i don't like and 3 movies that are...meh.... The Big Lebowski is in group 1

[@wubranch1]

It’s not a stoner film, the dude is a stoner. A dude was stoned when he watched a film noir.

[@Pegwarmers]

I'd say it's Noir

[@emil_lorin]

so the lego movie and the Matrix are also the same Genre because the plot has a lot of similarities?

[@BloodManticore24]

Wow, film making is so cool.

[@GlenHallstrom]

The Big Lebowski is a satire of Film Noir. There. I said it.

[@ThomasSchannel]

do something in heist films and stuff.

[@Melvinshermen]

Great

[@DuderinoDeux]

Sounds like Johnson from Peep Show.

[@Ultimatexbmccom]

Cool

[@proyectoutopia]

No blade runner image for a film noir/cyberpunk example?

[@campkira]

Parody of film noir = Comedy, Crime

[@dieelliot]

A film that pays homage to a subgenera such as film noir cannot be film noir for its referential elements are diluted. If film noir is a subtle reflection of the society in which it was made, how is referencing that reflection visually and thematically in retrospect an equal product? It can't be...

[@benmcfee]

Blade Runner. One of the best noirs of the 80s

[@thepeterparkershow]

Far out, dude.