Review of The Maltese Falcon (1941) by Sean C — 23 Aug 2011

One of the best examples of action and suspenseful melodramatic story telling in true form. What unfolds is an intriguing and entertaining murder mystery. The film gives an unprecedented appeal to all types of the audience. It displays outstanding excellence in writing, direction, acting, and editing showing what The Maltese Falcon is once the finally frame closes to 'The End': A cinematic masterpiece that will stand the test of time.

John Huston makes his debut as a director after several years as a film writer. His debut into the directorial world is nothing short of noteworthy. Not to mention he wrote the script solo with no help whatsoever.

Humphrey Bogart is one of the best actors of all time no doubt. In 'Falcon', as an attention-arresting detective, it might be his second best film he's ever acted in. Only behind Casablanca. Bogart not only dominates the proceedings throughout, but is the major motivation. The film is made up almost entirely of talk, and yet the performances are so wonderfully acted and focused that conversations become the pure action of the movie. Mary Astor does a superb job in the role of an adventuress, whose double-crossing, well, you'll have to see it to get what I'm saying. Sydney Greenstreet, a prime member of the Lunt-Fontaine stage troupe, who does a tremendous job in his first acting appearance (it earned him an Oscar nomination). The scenes we're shown where Bogart's character counter's Greenstreets are powerful where neither lay down a finger.

The story begins with private detective Bogart is called in to handle a case for Mary Astor-shortly finding himself in the middle of double-crossing intrigue and several murders perpetrated by strange characters bent on obtaining the famed bejeweled statue, the Maltese Falcon. Keeping within bounds of the law, and sparking much gathering up on the loose ends and finally piecing them together, Bogart is able to solve a series of crimes for the benefit of the police and himself included. The movie swiftly goes through a series of attention-holding episodes (most done in a nice interior shot areas) to crack through to an unexpected climax.

You should at least see this one time before you die as it truly is something that started a wave of great suspense and dialogue driven movies.

The Maltese Falcon is a rarity in movie making. As Bogart's character famously said in 'Falcon' that we all have come to know and can be made as what this film is: "The stuff that dreams are made of.".

A landmark in Hollywood that should never be forgotten.