(25 mins): An essential featurette where director Robert Altman and star Elliott Gould discuss the film's unique, revisionist take on the Marlowe character. Narrated by Altman and Gould (though not together), it explains the film's themes and its updating of the classic noir detective to the counter-culture era.
A comprehensive retrospective piece featuring film critic and historian David Thompson. This supplement places The Long Goodbye accurately within the context of Altman's golden 1970s run (nestled between M*A*S*H , McCabe & Mrs. Miller , and Nashville ). Thompson excellently unpacks how the film acts as a critique of American myth-making and the Hollywood studio system itself. 4. "The Long Goodbye" Trio: Evaluating the Score
: Featuring film historian Tim Lucas , who discusses the film's production, its relationship to Raymond Chandler's novel, and technical details.
Beyond the visuals, the Blu-ray features a robust uncompressed mono soundtrack. This is crucial for an Altman film, as he was a pioneer of overlapping dialogue. The 2021 disc ensures that every mumbled quip from Gould and every ambient sound from the noisy neighbors is crisp and audible.
The disc is packed with valuable supplements, including a limited edition O-Card slipcase (while supplies last). The special features include: the long goodbye 1973 extras 1080p bluray 2021
: A featurette (approx. 21 min) with the film historian and critic discussing the director’s career and this specific film. Tom Williams on Raymond Chandler
Robert Altman's direction in "The Long Goodbye" is a masterclass in cinematic storytelling. His use of location shooting, coupled with a deliberate pacing, created a sense of realism that immersed viewers in the world of 1950s Los Angeles. The film's cinematography, handled by John A. Alonzo, added to the overall atmosphere, capturing the bleakness and desolation of the city's landscape.
For fans of Altman, Gould, or 1970s neo-noir, the is the definitive version of the movie.
that significantly improves upon previous home video transfers. This 1080p Blu-ray includes a comprehensive set of legacy and newly produced bonus materials that explore the film’s unique "flashed" visual style and its deconstruction of the hard-boiled detective genre. Special Features and Extras (25 mins): An essential featurette where director Robert
Released in 1973, The Long Goodbye remains one of the most brilliant deconstructions of classic Hollywood cinema ever put to film. Directed by maverick filmmaker Robert Altman and written by Leigh Brackett (who co-wrote 1946's The Big Sleep ), the movie takes Raymond Chandler’s iconic 1950s private eye, Philip Marlowe, and drops him directly into the self-indulgent, sun-baked landscape of 1970s Southern California.
The audio is presented in a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track, which faithfully reproduces the ambient sound design and the thematic variations of John Williams' score, frequently performed by the Dave Grusin Trio. Key Special Features and Extras (2021 Release)
The Long Goodbye (1973) Source Media: Blu-ray Disc (1080p) Release Year: 2021 (Indicator Series / Powerhouse Films, Region B/Free) Film Resolution: 1080p High Definition
Robert Altman’s 1973 masterpiece The Long Goodbye remains a defining film of the New Hollywood era, a cynical yet beautiful subversion of the detective genre. In 2021, Kino Lorber Studio Classics released a definitive Special Edition Blu-ray (1080p) that finally did justice to the film's reputation, offering a 4K restoration and a substantial, newly curated collection of extras. This supplement places The Long Goodbye accurately within
While not an "extra," the quality of the main feature on this disc is a selling point:
The Long Goodbye famously transplants Raymond Chandler’s iconic 1940s private eye, Philip Marlowe, into the hedonistic, sun-drenched, and morally bankrupt landscape of 1970s Southern California. Anchored by Elliott Gould’s legendary, mumbling performance and Vilmos Zsigmond’s revolutionary cinematography, the film remains a high-water mark of New Hollywood cinema.
: The legendary cinematographer explains the "flashing" technique used to create the film’s hazy, dream-like 1970s Los Angeles look.