Luke
stu-kicks
CibbuanoThe Maltese Falcon
December 13th 2007 01:30
What am I talking about? The crime novel written by Dashiell Hammett?
The film made in 1931?
No, for this review, we go all the way forward to 1941, 10 years after the first film, and a remake. This is the one that everyone remembers, the one that inspired film noir and has been called one of the greatest films of all time.
Directed by John Huston, it's a dark, seedy look at the underbelly of American life. Humphrey Bogart plays Sam Spade, a cynical private detective that is hired by Mary Astor to find her missing sister... however, Spade's partner is killed trying to follow the suspected kidnapper.
The tangled lines of the plot grow and grow until it is revealed that everyone's in on the play for the Maltese Falcon.
What is the Maltese Falcon? Well, the opening of the movie gives us a little text to supply ourselves with the background:
"In 1539, the Knights Templar of Malta paid tribute to Charles V of Spain by sending him a Golden Falcon encrusted from beak to claw with rarest jewels -- but pirates seized the galley carrying this priceless token and the fate of the Maltese Falcon remains a mystery to this day."
What the movie gives us, then, is the brilliantly complicated interactions by all the players. Once Bogie gets wise to what's going on, he starts playing each character against each other. It's a wonderful story, complemented by some of the finest American actors.
Who wouldn't love Bogart after this? With his scowl and his rough-talk, he's been the inspiration for generations of anti-heroes and bad dudes that walk the fine line.
Huston's direction is masterful throughout, using the feeling of claustrophobia in his shots to show how confined Spade is, and, similarly, giving each main character an angle to complement them. It's widely disseminated that the Fat Man gets angles that show off his impressive belly.
I saw The Maltese Falcon when I was quite young, but only really appreciated it when I rewatched it last year. A finely made, exquisitely written masterpiece... one to make you long for the days of dames in distress and rogues that have a sliver of a good heart.
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Comment by Damo
I love this film.
Bogart as an anto makes some modern ones like like pussies.
Comment by Luke
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Luke, apparently the original film adaptation was censored because of too much homosexuality?
Comment by JohnDoe
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Peter Lorre is superb in this with that shady voice and slippery persona.
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