1941.
#23 / #31
Nominated for 3 Academy Awards.
Eddie: THE MALTESE FALCON requires a lot of patience. The first hour of it is pretty slow, and the movie doesn't really bother to keep you up to speed. It's full of vague misdirection, which, of course, pays off in the last forty minutes. Bogart's performance kept me interested well enough, although Sarah was practically pulling out her hair because of the film's snail pace. As good as the story's twists and double crosses turn out to be, that first hour is brutal. However, FALCON is quintessential film noir - bleak, dark, and mysterious. ("Bleak, dark, and mysterious" is how I would describe myself if I ever joined an online dating service.) I think that neo-noirs like CHINATOWN, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, and even BRICK handle complex stories better than FALCON does. At least those movies don't leave you scratching your head for seventy minutes.
Sarah: This film defines the film noir genre and includes all its trademarks. From that perspective it is quite impressive. And Bogart shows again how versatile he is.
Still with all that said, I did not enjoy this film. The dialogue is spoken faster then the Gilmore Girls at their best. I have a feeling that even if I understood all of the dialogue, I'd still be bored. What is there to care about? The Falcon? No, it's just a MacGuffin. The characters? That's tough, too, because none of them have any cares outside of money and deception. If you are a big film person and love studying genres, then watch this film. Otherwise, I'd say pass to something else on the list. Something more viewer friendly.
Still with all that said, I did not enjoy this film. The dialogue is spoken faster then the Gilmore Girls at their best. I have a feeling that even if I understood all of the dialogue, I'd still be bored. What is there to care about? The Falcon? No, it's just a MacGuffin. The characters? That's tough, too, because none of them have any cares outside of money and deception. If you are a big film person and love studying genres, then watch this film. Otherwise, I'd say pass to something else on the list. Something more viewer friendly.
Why You Should See It: Sam Spade's ability to disarm his enemies is priceless. He slaps Joel Cairo (Peter Lorre) into a tizzy, and he takes Wilmer Cook's (Elisha Cook, Jr.) guns by trapping him in his own trench coat. Both episodes are pretty silly.
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