Reading my review now, though, I think what I meant by “emotional resonance” is the distance the film put between me, as viewer, and the story when I was no longer able to feel like I was PART of it – that is, when Marlowe began making deductions/choices on his own that no viewer would conceivably be able to follow. I was less engaged at that point, leading me to find the conclusion less hard-hitting than I might have when I was caught up in the game earlier.

Regarding the performances, I don’t think that the suggestion is that they were “weak”, so much as that they feel unnatural. The “screen test” analogy says nothing about the strength of the performer, generally, but too often the actors look directly into the camera when they’re interacting with Marlowe. This tends to ring false, as normal interactions don’t have steadily-maintained eye contact throughout the conversation. As noted, the first-person tactic is revolutionary and therefore the uncertainty in playing to the camera is understandable, but it tends to keep the artifice in mind.

Or at least, it did to me – it’s clear that you didn’t have the same problems. So it may say more about me as viewer than it does about the film… but that’s exactly the point of the review, to open up that dialogue. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

Regarding the “weakness” of the performances, I wonder how anyone could say that when watching Audrey Totter give such a forceful, vibrant performance as the supposed femme fatale, never keeping her eye off the camera or breaking concentration, which would be easy for an actor in her situation to do. Lloyd Nolan also gives a fantastic, intense performance as Marlowe’s corrupt foil.

I also don’t find the film lacking in emotional resonance, for it is, at times, quite funny (i.e. the drunk singing “Oh Santy Claus” to the tune of “Oh Christmas Tree” before getting knocked out by Marlowe, or the villianess disguised as a landlady, chattering a thousands words a minute and frantically waving a gun).

I admit that the “plottiness” of the film makes it hard for the viewer to act as a detective, but for me, the POV setup made the viewing experience so visceral and absorbing in a way that a conventionally-shot film would not have. So that is the main reason why this film is so fascinating to watch, as you said; it radically alters the way a film could be experienced.