12-Shot Analysis: One Really, Really Long Take

Bellour's analysis of narrative in The Big Sleep was very interesting- and very in-depth. His entire argument for the narrative is based upon the final sequence between the scenes in which we are taken from Mars' garage to Geiger's living room and where so much occurs (the death of Canino, the proclamation of love between our two heroes, and the death of Mars- to name a few). Bellour uses "codes" to describe the 12-shot scene of Vivian and Marlowe in the car. This segment embodies all references to the term dramatic. He notes how long the take is, and I found it interesting how he referred to it as "relative poverty-" that is to say that not too much action occurs within a very vague episode, but that those subtleties give rise to a very loaded narration. Bellour than goes into much detail discussing each of the 12 shots. The one I found to be of most interest was his discussion of dialogue. In it, he reaffirms the importance of the moments of silence that are pivotal in the narration. As a result, the silence actually becomes part of the narration and adds to the folding effect of the storyline. The quintessential dialogue comes when Vivian remarks, "I guess I am in love with you," which is then reciprocated in a mirror effect by Marlowe- a perfect act of balance. Fianlly, Bellour wraps up his analysis by discussing the incorporation of repetition and symmetry within this sequence, something very visible and discernible to the onlooking viwer's eye.