(Originally Posted December 29th, 2011)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Right off the bat- I love me a good Film Noir. There is just something about a story filled with hard-boiled private detectives, seductive femme fatales, and enough twists to make M. Night Shyamalan cream in his pants that makes me all warm inside. Hell, my main pieces of writing have all been heavily influenced by the conventions of the Film Noir, but even with that said, I've only been able to watch a few in my life, as most are older and thus harder to find flicks.
This is not the case for today's movie, as it is a classic and classics, regardless of age, tend to stick around. I knew of this movie in name only, only learned of it's Noir plot thanks to a friend of my brothers, and only got a real taste for it after watching it parodied in Neil Simon's The Cheap Detective. Still, only when digging through my back logs of movies to watch and seeing it did I think to give it a shot, and I'm glad I did.
The movie is of course, 1941's The Maltese Falcon, based on the novel by Dahiell Hammet, and a remake of a 1931 film also based on the novel. Normally I avoid remakes of any sort, but seeing as this is the version most people are familiar with and it came from a time when remakes were not just pointless cash grabs, I can let it slide.. That and it's got Humphrey Bogart in it, and the original does not, so that counts as a point in its favor.
The Plot
Like all good Noir stories, this one starts with a dame, one Miss Wanderly, played by Mary Astor. She comes to the offices of Spade and Archer, private detectives based on San Francisco. She hires the two to help her find her missing sister, who is in the company of a Floyd Thursby, a man she claims to be very dangerous. Miles Archer, played by Jerome Cowan, decides to accompany her when she meets with Thursby and follow him, and Sam Spade, played by Rick Blaine himself, Humphrey Bogart, agrees, and everything seems alright. Until Sam is awakened by a phone call that night to find that Miles is dead, Thursby as well, and Miss Wanderly is gone. The police question Sam, most notably about his relationship with Miles and his wife- did I forget to mention he was fooling around with her? Anyway, he gets rid of them and tries to find Miss Wanderly, but she finds him first. They meet, and she reveals her real name but little else, but asks Sam to trust me. He does, with payment of course, but is suspicious of her. Following this he is met in his office by the mysterious Joel Cairo, played by the always creepy Peter Lorre, who hires him to find a statue of a bird for a hefty price, only to hold him at gunpoint to make sure Sam does not already have the bird. Sam disarms Cairo but takes the job anyway. Getting both his clients together he begins to piece together just what is going on, but is still missing pieces. These pieces are given to his courtesy of a young man who has been trailing him, an associate of The Fatman. Upon meeting the aforementioned man, named Kasper Gutman and played with glee by Sydney Greenstreet, Sam learns of the history of the bird, the titular Maltese Falcon, it's value, and how he has been tracking it for years. He too hires Sam, but later drugs him, revealing his is connected with Cairo. Upon walking up, Sam goes to his office where he and his secretary are met by a dying man holding a parcel for Sam. The pieces in place and everything he needs in his hands, Sam sets up a classic mystery style conclusion where everything is revealed and he can clear not only his name but also clear up what exactly all the trouble has been about.
Trivia
One year after this movie Humphrey Bogart would star in the role most os us remember today, that of Rick Blaine in one of my favorite movies, Casablanca. And know who else appears in that movie? Peter Lorre and Kasper Gutman.
Favorite Character
When you deal with a Noir, you expect certain characters and tropes to pop up in accordance with the genre and it's conventions; the hard-boiled and world weary lead, the mysterious femme fatale who knows more then she lets on, the nosy police who always seem to get in the way, and so on. This movie of course has all of them in spades- pun intended. Still, most of them simply exist to live out those same characters; the police don't really add anymore to the plot then to question Sam, Gutman and Cairo play the untrustworthy semi-villains well but still don't step outside those roles, and Miss Wanderly lacks much of the real mystery one expects from the noir femme; sure she has secrets and never lets on what is really going on, but she never breaks from her very cowardly attitude- you expect the noir woman to play that before revealing a darker persona, but this does not happen here. This of course leaves us with the lead, and in my view, the only character to do anything with the role he is given. Bogart's Sam seems real, you believe he is just foolish enough to get himself into this mess and just smart enough to get out alive. He is no fool but he is still human enough to realize that even he can be played. What separates him from the typical noir hero is he does not use a gun- at a few point in the film he may be holding one but never in a manner that makes us believe he will actually use it. He even says himself he doesn't carry a piece, and while in most movies this would be seen as foolish, here we see he doesn't really need one. Sam is just that cool- he knows his life is likely in danger and not only does he go with it, he does so unarmed.
Favorite Line
You know you have a well-written noir when picking just one line is difficult- not because good lines don't exist, but they are woven so well into the dialogue that to pick one without the context would not do the line or the film justice. Also, they talk really fast in this movie, so even when I found the line I wanted I had to track down a copy of the script online to make sure I got all of it. Midway through the film, Sam is speaking with the District Attorney about everything that has been going on, and as expected, he is not giving them what they want. After being pushed too far, Sam finally lets loose on the D.A, his assistant and the stenographer recording the proceedings.
"Both you and the police have as much as accused me of being mixed up in the other night's murders. Well, I've had trouble with both of you before. As far as I can see, my best chance of clearing myself of the trouble you are trying to make for me is by bringing in the murderers all tied up, and my only chance of ever catching them and tying them up and bringing them in is by keeping it away from you and the police because you'd only gum up the works. (Turns to address the stenographer) Getting this all right son, or am I going to fast for you?"
This little speech pretty much sums up why Sam Space is awesome- not only does he declare his innocence and his intentions to clear his name, but he also tells the District Attorney and the police what he things of them while stating how he is going to do their jobs for them. But what really drives it home is that last part, after the quickly spoken rant he takes a moment to make sure that everything he said is being recorded- like a boss.
Favorite Scene
Not much to say here as I'd have to go back to the previous section and say that scene with the District Attorney is my favorite for the same reasons I already said- it is a funny scene that really drives home the character while also reminding us that even with all the talk of the Falcon, there are still two unsolved murders hanging over Sam's head. What makes the scene even better is after that rant, the District Attorney barely gets two words out in response before Sam lays into him again and walks out- he knows what he has to do and he's not going to waste any time with legal formalities to do it.
Conclusion
As can happen with older movies watched today, there are portions of the film that drag a little, though not nearly as much as in yesterday film, likely helped by this movie's shorter run time. Still, when there are spots in a 90 minute film that drag, you know they are just there to fill the time. That said, as a whole, the movie holds up- it is a well acted and written noir with a likeable main character and a nicely tied together mystery. There is a reason most people have heard the title of this movie and why it gets referenced all these years later- it is a classic. You stick with it because you want to see how everything ties together, and unlike other movies- like ones out these days, everything is actually tied together pretty well. Plot threads are not forgotten by the end and even little in jokes like the police lieutenant's dislike of Sam are dealt with by the film's final moment. So if you like Bogart, or film noirs, or just want a good old fashioned detective story, give it a shot. It's definitely worth more then the titular statue.
3.5 Jewel-encrusted Falcons out of 5
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