Genre: Crime/Film-Noir/Mystery Director: John Huston
Writer: John Huston
Producer: Hal B. Wallis
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond, Jerome Cowan, Elisha Cook Jr., James Burke, Murray Alper, John Hamilton
Music: Adolph Deutsch
Cinematography: Arthur Edeson
Editing: Thomas Richards
Distribution: Warner Bros.
Release Date: October 3, 1941
Running Time: 101 min
The Maltese Falcon is one of those films that we remember; it’s certainly one of the silver screen’s most iconic pieces. The characters, the quotes, the drama is all so seeped into public consciousness that many who finally see the film are disappointed that it isn’t what they were expecting. It’s less flashy and stagier than later film noirs, but no less entertaining, and it’s a film that established film noir as a style of filmmaking. Up until The Maltese Falcon there had been films that had elements of film noir, but The Maltese Falcon was the film that brought these elements together for the first time. Second it made the careers of Humphrey Bogart and John Huston. Everyone knows who Bogie is, he’s without a doubt the most iconic actor in the history of cinema, and that’s because he’s a badass. John Huston on the other hand remains not as well known, but during his nearly fifty year career as a filmmaker he was responsible for some of the most entertaining and engaging films ever lensed. Like his characters Huston was an adventurer, womanizer, boxer, painter, writer, and war hero. Bogie and Huston were made to work with one another; both were men’s men who had a similar vision. This is a film to be reckoned with.
Adapted from Dashiell Hammet’s novel of the same name, The Maltese Falcon introduces tough guy detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart). He owns a private detective agency with his partner, but mostly tackles menial cases. However one day the seductress Brigid O'Shaughnessy (Mary Astor) comes to visit Spade pleading for help. One dead partner later and Sam Spade is on the hunt for the killers as O'Shaughnessy drags him into a twisted criminal underworld. The plot of The Maltese Falcon is like a jigsaw puzzle that never quite fits together. It’s infamous for being so confusing, and there are plenty of plot holes that careful viewers could pick out. However the film is less about the mystery and more about the characters that surround the mystery. Sam Spade as portrayed by Bogie is a tough guy who isn’t above knocking out a few teeth now and again, and he views the world around him with such contempt. The death of his partner doesn’t seem to phase Spade, and it isn’t long before he’s necking with his widow and having the signs on their office changed. Sam Spade is a character who is driven by some hatred that the source of is never fully revealed. Take another scene for example where Spade punches out Joel Cairo (Peter Lorre) for having a scented handkerchief, an obvious sign in 1941 that the eccentric Cairo was homosexual. The Maltese Falcon devotes much time to exploring Spade’s character. His scenes with O'Shaughnessy are especially fascinating, and the audience is let in on several details about Spade’s past through the dialogues with her. We get the sense that Spade has been double-crossed by a woman before, and isn’t going to let it happen again. Spade holds very little value on human life, and is more interested in seeing that everything works out favorably for him in the end. The real mystery of the film is not the events surrounding the Black Bird, it’s the mystery of Spade’s character, and he is a character that audiences continue to be fascinated by.
The story is delivered in a somewhat theatrical tone, there are only a few other main characters and almost everything is dialogue. There’s Mary Astor’s O'Shaughnessy a woman who can turn the tears on and off like a faucet, a shady woman with a past, that like Spade’s is only somewhat explained. There’s the flamboyant Joel Cairo who barley suppresses his violent urges and is tossed around by the other characters like a punching bag, and there’s the “Fat Man,” a man quite literally larger than life. All these characters are chasing after the exact same thing, a golden statue of a falcon. Their allegiances are constantly shifting as is who has power over the others. The character dynamics are fascinating, and the dialogue is brilliant. Each scene is filled with memorable, evocative dialogue that moves everything along at a quick pace. Though the film is more theatrical than other noirs everything remains fascinating because the writing is top-notch. This is a film that doesn’t let up, and the audience is constantly kept guessing as to who is who and what is what.
As Sam Spade Humphrey Bogart delivered a career-defining performance, and it is a tour de force. The mannerisms, the accent, everything we expect from Bogart came from this movie. Though Bogie is often remembered for playing tough guys, he was a much better actor than some groups of people give him credit for being. Especially during the scenes with O'Shaughnessy there’s a certain look to his eyes, and the way he delivers his dialogue has such an edge to it. One can’t help but wonder if Bogie knew this movie would define him. Mary Astor as O'Shaughnessy gives a fine performance, but there’s something about her that doesn’t work in the role of femme fatale. She isn’t as seductive or slinky as some of the other women of film noir, and yet there’s something in her matronly quality that works. Astor has a certain innocence she casts about her, and like her character she can turn the tears on and off. It’s easy to see how she can lure men into her trap. Peter Lorre is fantastic as usual playing Joel Cairo, and his ability to play an oddball has never been displayed better. Sydney Greenstreet holds a certain captivating power as the Fat Man, and he brings a literally larger than life presence to the film. When on screen together these actors are all fantastic, each star burning bright and lighting the screen.
What’s surprising about The Maltese Falcon is how much of it takes place inside nice hotels and offices. It’s a far cry from the down and dirty streets of later noirs, and the look of the film is far more theatrical. However John Huston has a great eye for space and composition. The settings are all lit and shot and peculiar angles, and the use of shadow is restrained but effective. The techniques Huston uses were being used by Orson Welles in Citizen Kane the same year, but Huston shoots with much more restraint and professionalism than Welles does. Still there are some very creative shots, such as during Spade’s first meeting with the Fat Man we see everything from various angles, and then a POV shot in which Spade has clearly been drugged. Watching the scene again, I’m amazed at the economy and flow that Huston shot the scene with, it’s exhilarating. There’s such flow and excitement that Huston creates with so little in this film.
The Maltese Falcon is rightly a classic, and the achievements of the film may outdo the film itself at times, but one cannot deny the sheer entertainment of the film. This is one of those films where all the elements were in the right place at the right time and came together in a perfect manner. Film noir began here.
