Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Short Review: The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Jan. 25, 2011<br />22. The Maltese Falcon (1941)<br />Starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond, Jerome Cowan<br />Screenplay by John Huston<br />Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett<br />Directed by John Huston (this was the first film he directed)<br />Plot: &#8220;A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.&#8221; (from IMDb)<br />Making many &#8220;greatest films ever made&#8221; lists, there&#8217;s no doubt that this movie is a classic. Its main strengths lie in the marvelous script, flawless casting, and&#8212;of course&#8212;great acting and directing. It&#8217;s gritty, compelling, and solid (and probably brilliant)…but it&#8217;s just not my kind of movie. I&#8217;m not denying its status as a landmark film, it just personally didn&#8217;t appeal to me. Maybe I&#8217;ll give it another try in a few years. In the meantime, I plan to watch some other film noirs to get a better taste of the genre. Suggestions? 

Jan. 25, 2011

22. The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond, Jerome Cowan

Screenplay by John Huston

Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett

Directed by John Huston (this was the first film he directed)

Plot: “A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.” (from IMDb)

Making many “greatest films ever made” lists, there’s no doubt that this movie is a classic. Its main strengths lie in the marvelous script, flawless casting, and—of course—great acting and directing. It’s gritty, compelling, and solid (and probably brilliant)…but it’s just not my kind of movie. I’m not denying its status as a landmark film, it just personally didn’t appeal to me. Maybe I’ll give it another try in a few years. In the meantime, I plan to watch some other film noirs to get a better taste of the genre. Suggestions?

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