The Big Sleep Imagery style

Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classical film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s. Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography. Many of the prototypical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the hardboiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the last depression. 
(Definition taken from - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_noir)

Although film noir is a style of cinematography I was more interested in it as an art style. 

As you can see from the definition film noir was based around and inspired from the hardboiled crime novels and because of this the imagery associated with the big sleep is often based around film noir. The characters fit the stereotypes from this film style as well as this the story is moody and atmospheric another key aspect of film noir. On top of this the story is American and although set before the film noir style happened the imagery and the style of the book fits. The lack of images in the book mean people will interpret the different scenes and described imagery in there own way but in my opinion it all leads back to the film noir style. 

For example this image of a man from film noir could be anyone as it is not specified but it could easily be seen as detective Marlowe from the book as it suits his characters completely showing the stereotypes of this style. This one being the gritty detective and the other stereotypes being deadly dames, drunken losers, dangerous hoods, crooked cops, dreamers of broken dreams, and flawed heroes. 

All of these match up to the characters from the big sleep for example Carmen matches the deadly dame and the bad guys from the book like Geiger match the dangerous hoods stereotype even if it is loosely. This started to create the imagery in my head of these different characters and the different scenes all in the film noir style. The story as well fits into the film noir style as it involves treachery and hidden secrets which are aspects of film noir style plots. 


Also artists from this time have a distinct style such as Edward Hopper his most famous piece of art being his painting entitled nighthawks which is meant to capture a lonely night scene in america painted in 1942 it was painted just after the period where the big sleep is set (1930's) it is a restaurant scene where the art style is very reminiscent of film noir movies.