The Maltese Falcon (1941 film)
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The Maltese Falcon (1941 film)
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This film has been preserved in the National Film Registry in 1989.
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The Maltese Falcon is a 1941 film noir directed and scripted by John Huston in his directorial debut, based on Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel of the same name. It stars Humphrey Bogart as private investigator Sam Spade and Mary Astor as his femme fatale client. Gladys George, Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet co-star, with Greenstreet appearing in his film debut. The story follows a San Francisco private detective and his dealings with three unscrupulous adventurers, all of whom are competing to obtain a jewel-encrusted falcon statuette.
Why It Rocks
- While Dashiell Hammett's 1930 mystery-thriller novel had been adapted to film twice before, John Huston’s take on the story done for Warner Bros., led to his debut as a film director, but with his experience as a screenwriter, and stage actor and director he was far from a novice. Not only is the film is extremely faithful to Hammett’s novel, incorporating all of its characters and themes, it does a lot more than simply recreate scenes. Huston recognized the queasy underside to the author’s plot, the allure of thievery, of getting away with sleeping with your partner's wife, of double-crossing your putative partners, of pulling one over the cops. Huston knew he didn't have to comment on Hammett's story, as long as he presented it honestly.
- Humphrey Bogart shines in his lead performance with more screen time than any of the other characters. He holds back what he's thinking from the audience -- a vast contrast from broad, hammy and often ill-fitting juvenile roles. His underacting and indifference in this film, is a major factor to the film's success. The film’s success cemented Bogart’s celebrity status. His role as Sam Spade is that of an ambiguous anti-hero after years of playing gangsters.
- The viewers need to read into Spade’s motives as they’re not made obvious: While it’s possible he was honorable and aboveboard, it’s also possible he’s unscrupulous, taking sexual advantage of one client while extorting money from others.
- Incredible cast of character actors assembled by John and Walter Huston, and Humphrey Bogart
- Peter Lorre achieved international prominence with his disturbing yet compelling role in Fritz Lang's M.
- Sydney Greenstret is an esteemed stage actor making his cinematic debut. His impact on audiences seeing him for the first time cannot be overstated. He was utterly unique in his combination of size, voice, distinctive laugh, and the blend of menace and gentlemanliness which would define his screen persona. He was even nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
- Elisha Cook Jr. is promoted here from his usual messenger boy/elevator operator role.
- Mary Astor's scandalous past made her especially effective as the film's femme fatale, and her character Brigid O'Shaughnessy would set the template as one of the first usages of that archetype in noir.
- Even the smaller roles are wonderfully distinct and cast to perfection such as Lee Patrick as Sam's secretary Effie and Jerome Cowan as Sam's partner Miles Archer.
- The focus on characters over plot thrills was itself a change for detective films. The film's storyline becomes so convoluted that one tends to get lost in it on every viewing. But it doesn't matter. It's clear enough that these characters are after the elusive, valuable falcon and will do whatever they need to acquire it. Enjoyment comes from watching them scheme, outwit, and double-cross one another, all with sharp dialogue.
- With Huston having the being able to rehearse the film's climactic scenes a full day before shooting, he and cinematographer Arthur Edeson were able to work out complex shots that reframed action without having to cut. Around 26 dolly moves were made.
- On top of officially making Bogart a celebrity, this film propelled John Huston to the top ranks of Warners directors, and became one of the most influential early examples of film noir.
- Aside from being one of the most auspicious directorial debuts in films (as previously mentioned), the film helped Hollywood reach a new degree of psychological honesty.
Bad Qualities
- Misleading poster: Sam Spade's holding a pair of guns in his hands, but in the actual film, Spade stated that he didn't like guns, plus those guns aren't even his.
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