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      The Maltese Falcon

      Released Oct 18, 1941 1h 40m Crime Drama List
      99% 110 Reviews Tomatometer 91% 50,000+ Ratings Audience Score In this noir classic, detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) gets more than he bargained for when he takes a case brought to him by a beautiful but secretive woman (Mary Astor). As soon as Miss Wonderly shows up, trouble follows as Sam's partner is murdered and Sam is accosted by a man (Peter Lorre) demanding he locate a valuable statuette. Sam, entangled in a dangerous web of crime and intrigue, soon realizes he must find the one thing they all seem to want: the bejeweled Maltese falcon. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Apr 16 Buy Now

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      The Maltese Falcon

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      Critics Consensus

      Suspenseful, labyrinthine, and brilliantly cast, The Maltese Falcon is one of the most influential noirs -- as well as a showcase for Humphrey Bogart at his finest.

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      Audience Reviews

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      Aender S An OK film to watch to see Humphrey Bogart playing the gritty guy again. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/11/24 Full Review Alec B The constant reversals and reveals continue to be compelling even after multiple viewings. And yeah Bogart is absolutely perfect. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/24 Full Review Narciso R I love the cast, perfect. Bogart rolling his own cigarette. NRJ. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/24 Full Review St R Defined many crime thrillers for decades to come. Bogart is fantastic. Lorre is at the top of his game. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/15/23 Full Review craig p Has to be in top 10 movies of all time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/12/23 Full Review Matthew B 1941 saw the making of a movie that might not have seemed too promising before its release. Warner Brothers were cautious about making it. They enjoyed the screenplay offered up by John Huston, and even agreed to let him direct the movie. However Warner Bros were taking no chances on this first-time director. He was told that he would need to find another job if the production ran over budget. For good measure, Huston's unknown status deprived him of a big-name star. George Raft was unwilling to work with a novice director, and refused to appear in the film. The choice went to Humphrey Bogart, an actor who had starred in a number of films (many of them roles rejected by Raft), but who had never broken through as a popular star. The supporting cast were not well-known either – Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet and Elisha Cook Jr. Peter Lorre was there, an actor of greater renown, especially for his role as a child killer in M, but Lorre was often relegated to supporting roles after he moved to America. With hindsight, we can see that the circumstances surrounding the film were actually quite felicitous for producing the best movie. Could there be a better combination of five actors at the front of a film noir than this one? And who better than John Huston to direct them, a man who had a great understanding of the art of making entertaining and intelligent cinema? It is even possible that the pressures that Huston faced to complete the film on time only helped to hone his skills as a director. His films are noticeably taut, and lacking in waste. The action in The Maltese Falcon was shot in sequence, and most of the scenes that Huston shot ended up in the final cut. Every scene was planned in detail, complete with sketches. The script was detailed, relieving Huston of the need to offer too many instructions to the cast. However there was room for spontaneity, and for actors to suggest ideas. Such methods moved the production along with business-like efficiency, whilst ensuring it was executed with loving artistic care. There was also room for using comparatively new cinematic techniques. The Maltese Falcon is often cited as the first film noir (the same claim is made about other films, including Double Indemnity and Stranger on the Third Floor). The Maltese Falcon had the characteristic look of the noir – low lighting, and low camera angles that allowed us to see that the sets had ceilings, in contrast to many films shot in the 1930s. Sometimes these angles are used to make characters seem more imposing. Sydney Greenstreet is often filmed from a low angle to make his girth seem more prominent. The other characteristic angle is to place the camera just behind Humphrey Bogart so that the audience sees the world from his viewpoint. Huston also had the good sense to stick closely to Hammett's superlative novel. He made no attempt to soften the contents of the book, other than toning down some allusions to sex and drinking, which would not have been permitted in a 1940s movie. The homosexuality of several characters is also unstated, though it is fairly clear to the audience. This is a film that improves on a re-watch when the twists in the plot have been laid bare, and the characters can be reappraised in the light of what is now known about them. It is only after the first viewing of the film that the audience knows who to trust and how far they can be trusted. As with Hitchcock's thriller Vertigo, it was fun to guess the first time, but it is also a pleasure to watch again with that added knowledge. Sam Spade is no hero. He is a hard man who acts in a cynical and brutal manner. He takes pleasure in striking people. He is indifferent about his partner's death. He is not above a sexual liaison with a married woman. He will put his own self-interest above romantic and sentimental thoughts. In some ways he is the flipside of Gutman. Both men are single-minded in pursuit of their goals. Both are motivated by something more than money, but that motivation is not necessarily a decent or honest one. Both are prepared to sacrifice someone they love in order to achieve that goal. Yet ultimately Spade does stand for justice. He is harsh because he needs to be harsh. He is no idealist, but in the final judgement he will do the right thing, even though it frequently appears as if he might not. He is no white knight, but he is a detective, and he is on our side. I wrote a longer appreciation of The Maltese Falcon on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2019/04/06/the-maltese-falcon-1941/ Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Patricia Ward London Evening Standard The best crook film that's ever been made. Certainly it's the best I've ever seen. Because of brilliant casting, acting and direction it does what every thriller should do: thrills you genuinely and tremendously from start to finish. Nov 16, 2022 Full Review Evelyn Russell Sight & Sound The story is strong of itself with an unusual ending and fine acting, but it is the treatment which makes it the best thriller so far this year. Nov 16, 2022 Full Review Pauline Kael New Yorker It is (and this is rare in American films) a work of entertainment that is yet so skillfully constructed that after many years and many viewings it has the same brittle explosiveness -- and even some of the same surprise -- that it had in its first run. Nov 16, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy “The stuff that dreams are made of,” comments Spade about the elusive black bird of the title, a sentiment easily applied to this indisputable masterpiece. Rated: 4/4 Apr 8, 2023 Full Review Allison Rose FlickDirect Many people feel The Maltese Falcon is when Bogart became “Bogie”. He exuded a certain calm and cool demeanor that made guys want to grab a beer with him and made women want to date him. Rated: 5/5 Apr 4, 2023 Full Review Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies The Maltese Falcon gives Humphrey Bogart one of his best roles while playing a pivotal role in shaping the film noir genre for years to come. Rated: 5/5 Apr 4, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis In this noir classic, detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) gets more than he bargained for when he takes a case brought to him by a beautiful but secretive woman (Mary Astor). As soon as Miss Wonderly shows up, trouble follows as Sam's partner is murdered and Sam is accosted by a man (Peter Lorre) demanding he locate a valuable statuette. Sam, entangled in a dangerous web of crime and intrigue, soon realizes he must find the one thing they all seem to want: the bejeweled Maltese falcon.
      Director
      John Huston
      Producer
      Hal B. Wallis
      Screenwriter
      Dashiell Hammett, John Huston
      Distributor
      Warner Bros. Pictures
      Production Co
      Warner Brothers, First National Pictures
      Genre
      Crime, Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Oct 18, 1941, Wide
      Release Date (Streaming)
      May 19, 2016
      Runtime
      1h 40m
      Sound Mix
      Mono
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