Complex sentence: The origins of "Brick" were Rian Johnson's obsession with the writing of Dashiell Hammett (1894--1961), an author known for hardboiled detective novels, and his desire to make a straightforward American detective story.
Split into simpler sentences: The origins of "Brick" were Rian Johnson's Hammett obsession. Hammett was known for hardboiled detective novels, and Johnson wanted to make a straightforward American detective story.