Marlowe speaks for and to the common citizens who felt powerless against the dollar. .
He refuses to give in, giving such values as honour, decency, integrity and sensitivity a workout, defending the weak, bad-mouthing wealth and power and, sometimes, winning a small piece of justice. .
Marlowe is seen as the good guy, the protagonist. Marlowe is portrayed as brave, as others do not intimidate him.
This film fits into the film noir category, which is characterized by low lighting (scenes), and extensive use of shadows, which creates suspense e.g. scenes at Geiger's house.
On the other hand, when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle invented Sherlock Holmes he established the conventions of the detective story genre, achieving popularity because the values and social attitudes in his stories reflected the values of their late Victorian audience. Whatever problems threatened their society, including crime, could be solved by rational means. Holmes demonstrated this, and the readers responded. .
Sherlock Holmes stories were valued during Victorian times because of the techniques Conan Doyle used. He seemed to have got the ability to describe virtually everything in the imaginative scene of crime and make the reader feel as a detective. On the whole, the excellent characterisation, brilliant plot, griping climax and the sense of realism make Sherlock Holmes stories valuable.
Sherlock Holmes embodies the values of intelligence and individual achievement and is depicted as a cold, conceited, and astute reasoner. He is averse to women, but shows a special love for his art of detection; he cares nothing for any type of publicity or wages but to investigate and solve any case that appeals to his tastes.
Marlowe seeks only to survive in, not alter his world. He comes across as a women hater, but this is changed in the film, when he shows feelings towards Vivian Sternwood (e.g. the kissing scene).
Doyle created a character that is often seen to be cold and distant towards people who come to ask for his assistance, however, occasionally for a brief period of time he shows the reader a different aspect of his personality, which is different to his normal characteristics.
