Review Maltese Falcon (1941)
- Thread starter High Plains Drifter
- Start date
Elliot Thomas
Member: Rank 3
John Huston’s superb directorial debut, from the story by Dashiell Hammett, is one of the greatest ever film noir thrillers.
Bogart is perfectly cast as tough, hard-boiled detective Sam Spade, a no-nonsense, cynical private eye searching for a mysterious, jewel-encrusted statuette worth millions.
The memorable villains he encounters include Peter Lorre, suitably petulant as Joel Cairo, Mary Astor as the duplicitous Brigid O’Shaughnessy and elderly British stage actor Sydney Greenstreet in his 'talkie' debut as the sinister ‘fat man’.
It's a skilfully crafted maze of double-crosses, back-stabbing and lies with sharp dialogue, sardonic humour and a tense atmosphere. Huston also scripted, and his father Walter appears in a cameo.
Bogart is perfectly cast as tough, hard-boiled detective Sam Spade, a no-nonsense, cynical private eye searching for a mysterious, jewel-encrusted statuette worth millions.
The memorable villains he encounters include Peter Lorre, suitably petulant as Joel Cairo, Mary Astor as the duplicitous Brigid O’Shaughnessy and elderly British stage actor Sydney Greenstreet in his 'talkie' debut as the sinister ‘fat man’.
It's a skilfully crafted maze of double-crosses, back-stabbing and lies with sharp dialogue, sardonic humour and a tense atmosphere. Huston also scripted, and his father Walter appears in a cameo.
mustang2006
Member: Rank 2
Haha that trailer is over the top but still this is one great film.
chainsaw_metal1
Member: Rank 8
My second favorite Bogart film. The novel is excellent, and this movie represented it brilliantly. The cast is perfect, the dialogue is fantastic, and the film itself is beautifully shot. I just may have to dig my copy out.