The
Maltese Falcon (1941) – Hard-boiled detective Sam Spade has a
beautiful woman
walk into his office and change his life. His
partner will die, his life will be threatened,
the police will
suspect him, and mysterious men will offer him a fortune. All because
of a black bird.
Maltese Falcon (1941) – Hard-boiled detective Sam Spade has a
beautiful woman
walk into his office and change his life. His
partner will die, his life will be threatened,
the police will
suspect him, and mysterious men will offer him a fortune. All because
of a black bird.
Director:
John Huston Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sidney
Greenstreet,
Peter Lorre
Why
I Liked It: There’s a reason a classic is a classic. Great
cast, great script.
I
was looking through my movie collection and came across this one. I
was sure that I had already reviewed it, but I checked to be
sure. And checked again. And dida search of the website to make
sure.
I
have never reviewed “The Maltese Falcon”. The thought remains
inexplicable to me. I love this movie. I’ve watched it many times. But
never reviewed it. Time to fix that.
have never reviewed “The Maltese Falcon”. The thought remains
inexplicable to me. I love this movie. I’ve watched it many times. But
never reviewed it. Time to fix that.
Where
to begin? Based on the novel by Dashiel Hammitt, Bogart stars as the
classic tough-guy detective, Sam Spade. Along with Rick in
“Casablanca”, this is the role that
defines Bogart for many
movie fans. Honorable to his own standards (listen to his
explanation
of how you stand up for a partner), afraid of nothing, cynical
about
everything (even love). Now, surround that iconic
performance with a brilliant
supporting cast. Sidney
Greenstreet’s film debut as the man behind the hunt for the
bird,
Peter Lorre’s Joel Cairo is the perfect depiction of an oily,
unreliable co-
conspirator. Elisha Cook, Jr. as the prickly,
hair-trigger bodyguard of unclear sexuality.
Then Mary Astor as
the beautiful but untrustworthy woman who tugs at Spade’s
heart.
The cast works through a tale of sexual tension,
betrayal, and murder.
If
you’re a fan of noir, then this is a must-see. All the aspects are
present. The world-weary
cynicism, the sexual attraction (of
several kinds), betrayal, avarice, death. The
movie is as much
about the atmosphere as the plot. With a brilliant ending.
All
of this in John Huston’s directorial debut. Always a gifted
storyteller, Huston uses all his skills to build the tension.
Yet he never gets in the way of the story. Huston both
wrote and
directed here. He would create two other classics with Bogart,
“Treasure of
the Sierra Madres”, “The African Queen”.
The foundation of his brilliant career is on
display here.
The
movie was pivotal for more than just Ford. As mentioned above,
it is Greenstreet’s movie debut. Bogart was a minor actor prior
to 1941. With this movie, and “High Sierra” (both
released in 1941), he moved to the top of the bill for the rest
of his career. Mary Astor was an established actress going back
to the silents, but her career had been derailed in the ’30s.
She would win an Oscar for another role in 1941 (for “The Great
Lie”). Peter Lorre had the most success prior to the
movie, starring in the chilling international hit “M” in
1931.
movie was pivotal for more than just Ford. As mentioned above,
it is Greenstreet’s movie debut. Bogart was a minor actor prior
to 1941. With this movie, and “High Sierra” (both
released in 1941), he moved to the top of the bill for the rest
of his career. Mary Astor was an established actress going back
to the silents, but her career had been derailed in the ’30s.
She would win an Oscar for another role in 1941 (for “The Great
Lie”). Peter Lorre had the most success prior to the
movie, starring in the chilling international hit “M” in
1931.
This
is one of those movies that I won’t watch for a couple years, and
then think “It
can’t be as good as I remember”. When I
watch it again, I remember how brilliant it is.
Classic,
iconic, brilliant. It really is that good.
Rating
– ***** Must See
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