Pynchon and Altman

[Carvill, John]

Good stuff Heikki. I agree with most of what you say.

> Nevertheless, it is much more Chandleresque than IV.

I think that's way too deep a question to be 'agreed' with or not, it's
more like the opening of a long discussion. Certainly TLG is, as you
say, still very Chandleresue despite all of Altman's changes. 

> In spirit, IV is much closer to "The Big Lebowski".

This is my only sticking point, where I have to respectfully disagree.
Despite claiming to have been one of the authors of the (original) Port
Huron statement, the Dude doesn't seem to have much of an interest in
politics, current affairs, etc. What you say about IV being about
'coming down' seems spot on to me, but Lebowski is looking back on the
60s from a much much later perspective and, even though there's a Bush
in the White House in the film, it came out in 1998, i.e. it was made in
and ultimately reflects the 1990s, a decade in which the legacies of the
'psychedelic sixties' had been re-evaluated, to an extent, and had, as a
result, received a markedly more sympathetic cultural 'ear'. After the
terrible 1980s, when th etenor of the times was sharply anti-Sixties,
the Nineties were comparatively Sixties-friendly, even
Sixties-venerating.

The similarities between IV and Lebowski are, of course, many and
significant. I just think they're being overplayed. Another factor is
that, like many of the Coens' films, Lebowski is very much a surface
affair, there's no depth behind it, I know this is a common criticism of
the Coens and as a fan of their work I don't generally spend much time
worrying aboiut whether their films have 'meaning' or 'depth' etc. But
the point needs to be acknowledged, I feel: there is an awful lot more
to Doc (and IV) than to the Dude (and TBL).


Again, I'm not trying to be absolutist - it's all up for discussion, and
I am (or was when I wrote my review) operating on first impressions,
initial instincts etc. And none of thi sis going to stop me watching
Lebowski yet again...


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On
Behalf Of Heikki Raudaskoski
Sent: 05 August 2009 11:45
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Subject: Pynchon and Altman



Altman's "The Long Goodbye" is one of my favorite films. It
deviates drastically from the original novel. E.g. the ending
is totally different. But the film remains very Chandleresque
in spirit. TLG (the film) bears indisputable similarities to
IV, already creditably charted by John, and perhaps others too.
Nevertheless, it is much more Chandleresque than IV.

One could say that IV is about "coming down". TLG, which takes
place a couple-three years later, is about total disillusioned
hangover. As in the original novel, Elliott Gould's Marlowe is
all alone. Well, he does have a cat, at least initially. This
Terry Lennox guy who is Marlowe's best (and as it seems, only)
friend... well, in case some of you haven't seen the movie, no
more spoilers.

Doc still has his network of friends and acquaintances, however
fragile this network might be getting. Some "ether" around him
- the fog can act as one too. The High Tower Apartments of TLG
are a long way from the hippieish Gordita Beach, from the "hill".
In spirit, IV is much closer to "The Big Lebowski".


Heikki