Who is Philip Marlowe

Robert Altman's very smart private eye flick starring Elliot Gould as Phillip Marlowe, based on the novel by Raymond Chandler, released in 1973. This is far removed from Humphrey Bogart's Marlowe in "The Big Sleep". Everyone underestimates Gould as Marlowe in this film, and he is played as a throwback. There are constant references to 30's and 40's Hollywood that informs his character. Written by Leigh Brackett, the woman who wrote "The Big Sleep", the script deviates considerably from the novel. It's another great film no one discusses anymore, though it was not a successful film on release. Only the New York Times praised it, putting it on their top ten list of '73. See it. A mystery that remains cloudy until the very last scene when Marlowe shows what he's really capable of.