The Maltese Falcon
1941 Directed by John Huston
Synopsis
A story as EXPLOSIVE as his BLAZING automatics!
The Maltese Falcon is a mystery thriller detective film from John Huston starring Humphrey Bogart. The film is regarded as a landmark in the film-noir movement.
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I don't mind a reasonable amount of trouble.
-Sam SpadeSome films are credited with defining a particular genre. The Maltese Falcon didn't define a genre, but it helped create one. It was film-noir before the term film-noir existed. While it's arguably not the first to be considered noir, it is still regarded as the first by a major studio. It isn't however the first adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's novel, but actually the third.
For John Huston's directorial debut it seems odd that he would attempt a third adaptation of a novel that was barely over 10 years old, but he an idea that stood out from the others. The script is practically a direct translation of Hammett's novel. While…
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Good lord, how did I live 35 years as a "film buff" and never see this amazing piece of work? Nothing beats finally catching up on a classic you'd always meant to watch and it instantly becoming one of your favorite movies!
A hugely entertaining, influential film noir milestone, THE MALTESE FALCON stars Humphrey Bogart as whip-smart, poker-faced private eye Sam Spade. One day, a nervous, beautiful young woman (Mary Astor) comes into the office he shares with his partner, Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan), asking them to help find her missing sister. Archer takes the case, winds up murdered, and suspicion is cast on Spade, who now must get involved not only to find out what happened to Archer, but…
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I have been watching a lot of classics lately, and The Maltese Falcon has the closest to what I would call plotting perfection. It is one of the definitive film noirs; inhabited by a diverse group of sleazy characters who spread their lies and moral corruption like diseases to satisfy their greed. Humphrey Bogart - in the role that made him one of Hollywood's #1 leading men - plays Samuel Spade, a private detective who finds himself in the heart of a mystery when his partner, Miles Archer, and the British businessman, Floyd Thursby, he was following are murdered. The mystery being the location of a legendary statue known as the Maltese Falcon. Spade is a master at warping situations…
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**Part of the Best Picture Project**
It don't get any better than Bogie himself as Sam Spade. The Maltese Falcon is headed by a great screenplay that is thrilling every minute, and a great atmosphere set by Director John Huston, but it's Humphrey Bogart's Sam Spade that makes the film be as awesome as it is. He's cold, brash, and just an asshole. But Bogart is so likable in the role, he sticks out, and we root for him.
The Maltese Falcon is brilliantly paced. There's always something happening, and you're always on the edge of your seat as you watch this mystery slowly unravel before your eyes. It's a testament to both the screenplay (adapted from Dashiell Hammett's novel)…
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You could look at cinema through the 1940's (in particular The Maltese Falcon) and understand all it's technological restrictions it had, for example film in colour, editing and cinematography. Though perfection is a word I could throw up here because, a great script and great actors not being influenced by fantastic visuals or surreal locations and a huge budget being invested into it can make a fantastic film, proven with The Maltese Falcon. The simplicity and structural excellence here is evident, it withdrawls sensational acting where here film relies on the facial expressions and subtle physical movements of the characters, and everybody puts in. This film directed by John Huston in 1941 is engrossing and entertaining, it persists with one simple element and cleverly uses trust, love and deceit to progress the story.
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Humphrey Bogart is such a bad-ass.
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explosive and blazing
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It took Hollywood three times but finally, under the direction of screenwriter John Huston, they go it right. And boy did they get it right. Each character is as despicable as the next, and even Bogart's Sam Spade is a malicious to a degree. His strict code of honor is essentially the only thing that separates our hero from the villians. "The Maltese Falcon" has been heralded as the blueprint for good noir filmmaking, and filmmaking in general.
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Proof that good stories lie at the base of a good movie, The Maltese Falcon tells a - what would be called "classic" today - detective story with some twists. Built entirely around Bogart, interesting camera angles and some smart dialogue elevate it above average and make for an exciting viewing experience that passes the test of time.
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Good lord, how did I live 35 years as a "film buff" and never see this amazing piece of work? Nothing beats finally catching up on a classic you'd always meant to watch and it instantly becoming one of your favorite movies!
A hugely entertaining, influential film noir milestone, THE MALTESE FALCON stars Humphrey Bogart as whip-smart, poker-faced private eye Sam Spade. One day, a nervous, beautiful young woman (Mary Astor) comes into the office he shares with his partner, Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan), asking them to help find her missing sister. Archer takes the case, winds up murdered, and suspicion is cast on Spade, who now must get involved not only to find out what happened to Archer, but…
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Has style to spare, but Mary Astor is too matronly. The lack of chemistry between her and Bogart dramatically lowers the stakes.
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nada de lo que pueda decir aquí va a sonar minimamente inteligente, gran novela, magnífica adaptación. Todo mu bien.
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Many directors working today could learn a lesson from watching this film. It has as many twists, turns, and reversals as a “mindbender” like Inception, but manages to do it all in about 100 minutes. Like most film noir it's not really clear who the good guys are, but it's very clear the protagonist is: Bogie’s excellent Sam Spade. The movie is so tightly plotted, well-paced, and expertly shot, the audience is carried away trying to figure out the intricate motivations and plot. And before you know it, Sam Spade wins another one.
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Bogart's the fucking dude.