Review of The Maltese Falcon (1941) by Chrismizerak — 25 Jan 2020

"The Maltese Falcon" stars Humphrey Bogart in one of his most cherished roles as Sam Spade. Sam is a streetwise detective who can outwit anyone aiming to give him trouble or use the contradicting words and stories someone utters against them in spectacular fashion. There's a pat reason a character like Sam Spade and a film such as "The Maltese Falcon" have persevered in film culture for many years.

It took me a couple viewings until now to finally comprehend the countless high praise this film has continued to receive. The best way I can describe why this experience grew on me is more or less the common ingredients it shares with "The Thin Man". It's more about the fascinating interactions that various characters have with one another than it is about the mystery at the narrative's center. To be clear, the mystery in both films are still exceptional, both based on works by Dashiell Hammett.

This is just my way of reemphasizing the film's true focus at hand, so to speak. For example, I love the interactions Sam shares with his secretary Effie, played by Lee Patrick. Whenever they're working on a case, they make a swell team in their respective roles, thanks to their ability to think one step ahead and the sizzling chemistry and terrific one-liners they bounce off one another.

The cast is given stellar material to work with and take advantage of their time in the spotlight. Sydney Greenstreet is clearly enjoying himself as the antagonistic Kasper Gutman, whose relentless search for a falcon statuette made of jewels has brought him to San Francisco in an elaborate scheme that will make your head spin. Peter Lorre brings a suave yet intense commitment to his role as Joel Cairo, an accomplice in Gutman's search for the falcon.

Let's not forget about Mary Astor as Brigid O'Shaughnessy, a femme fatale who continues getting caught up in her own lies that even Sam Spade is uncertain over how to handle her. It's not easy to play a character who is always a mystery to figure out, but Mary Astor's work as Brigid is probably as good as it gets. As the film responsible for launching the film noir genre, it's not difficult to dissect why "The Maltese Falcon" is truly the stuff that dreams are made of.