Movie #109 The Maltese Falcon *1941*

I'm going to start trying something new.  I am sick of trying to decide how to discuss who is in every film I watch.  So I am going to start beginning my blogs with a quick rundown of the major players.  From then on I can refer to them in my actual review however I want.

Humphrey Bogart - Sam Spade
Mary Astor - Brigid O'Shaughnessy
Peter Lorre - Joel Cairo
Sydney Greenstreet - Mr. Gutman
Elisha Cook Jr - Wilmer Cook

The Maltese Falcon is an iconic movie about the gumshoe detective Sam Spade.  A role Bogey made famous.  This is a Raymond Chandler-esque story based on the book by Dashell Hammett.  The film is directed by the great John Huston.  These old films don't have a uniquely significant photographic style, but that doesn't mean that they are in any way of lesser quality. Nor should it mean that the direction isn't top notch.  Huston chose not to make the camera a character the way newer film makers do.  Wes Anderson I'm looking at you

Falcon is a twisting, turning tale of deceit, murder and false idols.  There is not much behind the scenes in these old yarns.  The story is all up on the screen.  This isn't a meditation on love and false ideology.  This is a straight forward chronicle, but it is one where no one can be trusted.  There is no narrator and if there was to be one you would have to assume that he would be as unreliable as every other character in the film.

At the movie's surface it is a story about a missing bird statue that is of significant value.  In reality the bird is really a mcguffin.  That is to say that the bird is the plot device that the actual story revolves around.  That is one of a Brigid putting Spade on the case of a missing person.  Because of this his partner gets murdered and he gets swept up in a world of international intrigue and betrayal.

For the most part the performances are good.  I found Brigid a little difficult to get a real read on.  Maybe that was the point, but would of appreciated a little more to hold on when it came to her.  Of course Bogart was perfect.  Personally I love Peter Lorre.  I have never seen a bad performance from him.  The supporting character that really stood out to me was Cook. 

This is a must see film.  I give The Maltese Falcon a 4.5/5 stars.  Time flew by when I watched this film.  I could have actually stood another 30 minutes of the movie.  Check out the Trailer Park to see for yourself.