A story of greed, corruption and murder, the 1941 production of The Maltese Falcon stars some of the biggest names in film noir, Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre.
This murder-mystery centers around three criminals and a beautiful woman vying for a priceless statuette, a bejeweled falcon covered with black enamel. According to history, the falcon, a tribute to Charles V from the Knights Templar of Malta, was taken by a group of ruthless pirates and was never seen again.
Directed by John Huston, who had a lead acting role in Roman Polanski's 1974 Chinatown starring Jack Nicholson, The Maltese Falcon is predominately shot within interior sets and while devoid of any significant action scenes, carries the audience’s attention through intricate dialogue.
Bogart Spins Some Memorable Lines
Since it’s release scores of critics have said the character of Sam Spade was perfectly tailored to Bogart, and this is true. He portrays the quintessential tough-guy, an unpredictable detective who is willing to twist and bend the rules to learn the truth.
The film follows Spade’s transformation from a careless, womanizing private investigator to a man on a mission to find his partner’s murderer, the truth about the falcon, and a way to love his guilty employer Brigid O’ Shaughnessy, played by Mary Astor.
An Interesting Relationship Between Spade and Joel Cairo
The character of Joel Cairo is performed by Peter Lorre who was in Casablanca with Bogart and is known for his unique characters in classic horror films with Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.
Lorre is most recognizable when portrayed by comedic impressionists who play up his Eastern European accent and odd disposition, but in this film he has an almost comedic relationship with Bogart. In one scene, for instance, they are civil and cooperative, while in the next Lorre is pointing a gun at Spade or Bogart is slapping him in the face. It's obviously a partnership of convenience.
It’s The Thing Dreams Are Made Of
The Maltese Falcon revolves less around the actual falcon and more around each of the characters and their obsessions. For one dealer named Kasper Gutman (Sydney Greenstreet) it’s the culmination of 17 years scouring the earth for this priceless item, for Cairo and O’Shaughnessy it’s the instant wealth from the falcon and for Spade it’s discovering the truth of who murdered his partner.
The last line of the film encapsulates each of the character’s motivation. With a close shot of his face, Spade utters, “It’s the thing dreams are made of,” to an officer who asks about the seemingly worthless falcon.
Unfortunately they realize at the end that the falcon is fake when Gutman excitedly cuts at the enamel with a jack knife and sadly remarks that it’s only a copy of the genuine thing.
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