Review of The Maltese Falcon (1941) by Tony P — 11 Mar 2014

I didn't know what to expect of this movie. I just noticed it had a really high IMDB rating of over 8 and it was released in 1941.

The film stars Humphrey Bogart. Again I didn't really know about the guy although I had heard the name. This film was his big break from a B-list to A-list actor.

I was really impressed with him and I will watch more of his work over the next week including Casablanca.

The film also marks the directorial debut of John Huston. I had only heard of him directing Escape to Victory in 1980. The naff POW/football film.

The film marks another first. It is one of the early film noir genre films of the 1940s.

So what is it about!

It is about a private detective (Bogart) who becomes involved in 2 murders and the hunt for an elusive statue of a Maltese falcon.

It has great performances from the supporting actors. The characters of Cairo, the bloated Fat Man. Wilmur is forgettable.

If you read more into this film then it may require a repeat viewing to spot the innuendos from the script, Hustons imaginative camera angles and the minor supporting roles.

Definitely a good starting point for watching some classic film noir over the next few weeks!