The Big Lebowski | Movie Production

When Joel and Ethan Coen directed and produced The Big Lebowski , they used a narrative structure similar to that of Raymond Chandler’s mysteries. Whereas Chandler used a detective in his stories, Joel and Ethan went with Lebowski (aka The Dude, el Duderino, played by Jeff Bridges), apparently wanting to go with the person least capable of handling the situation he’s been thrown into. In fact the title is based on the Chandler novella, The Big Sleep.

In effect, the Coens wanted to pay homage to Chandler again with an episodic structure. The protagonist goes through his quest meeting different people along the way and uncovering clues. I like that instead of relying on Lebowski to carry the movie, the filmmakers used different actors working at their own natural paces to keep things interesting. I like the scenes where two or more actors are paired up in an episode and how they interact. For example, when Dude and his pals Walter and Donny are talking about how some thugs peed on Dude’s rug and what is fair compensation for the crime, the interactions are priceless.

Although the Coens got inspiration for the Dude from their good friend Jeff Dowd, they specifically wrote Walter’s part for John Goodman, Donny’s part for Steve Buscemi, and Jesus’ piece for John Turturro. All three of these actors have been in past Coen films and it really seems like the production was kept tight because of it. The Coens know their players well and the audience enjoys the finished product so much more because of it.

The influence of Chandler on the Coens is unmistakable. Again, they reference his connotations to 1950s Los Angeles with set design and locations harkening back to that time. Rick Heinrichs, production designer for Lebowski , scouted multiple locales in and around Culver City, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and Malibu to get just the right feel. The Greystone Mansion was used as the Lebowski Mansion and it worked perfectly in my opinion. The house is palatial, and the white and black checkered floors are a nice touch. Heinrichs paid attention to the style of the time. He used Hollywood Star Lanes for the bowling sequences, as it had the retro appeal he was looking for. I think the subtle details he snuck in helped make the film what it is: a classic.