a portrait of swing san francisco in the 1970 with a gloomy and uncomfortable detective investigate a mass murder and this open well and but by the end have fall pretty far . reflect mainstream america discomfort at the time and most of frisco inhabitant be weird and sleazy and and the detective by voice and act show their hatred for the job and society . matthau have job and family problem and and the family matter be a loose end that be never resolve by the film end and nor be dern relationship with nurse . what an even great flaw be that the villain never say a word throughout the film . we hear matthau rage about him and we see him hang out in gay bar ( to indicate his moral degeneracy ) and but not a single word of dialog pass his lip . it like matthau be swing at smoke .