Plot: What’s it about?
The anti-hero, the McGuffin, the duplicitous femme fatale, film noir, German expressionism seeping its way into film—these things have influenced movies for longer than this reviewer’s father has been alive, and they’re things that we take for granted because they’ve become old hat. But everything has a beginning, and for many of these elements we so easily recognize and enjoy today, The Maltese Falcon was where it started.
It’s easy enough in this era to picture what disinterest talk of a remake elicits from our weary hearts, with nearly everything in our multiplexes being a rehash in some form, so picture this: you are in charge of production at Warner Bros.; there have been two adaptations of Dashiell Hammett’s immortal novel within a six year period, with neither really setting the box office on fire. An unproven director gets his secretary to essentially retype Hammett’s novel in screenplay format as an experiment. No A-list actor wants to touch it. But by some miracle, you, Jack Warner, okay the film to go into production on a minuscule budget. It never happened! There was fate or luck or something unexplainable at work there.
Humphrey Bogart ensured his leading man status, enthusiastically stepping up from the token heavy and bad guy he’d been relegated to playing for so long; Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre immortalized themselves, and Mary Astor (the 30s version of Lindsay Lohan, due to her rather saucy extracurricular activity) owned the part of the duplicitous femme fatale.
Sam Spade is a private detective ensnared in a web of murder and deceit when a woman hires him to tail a man. When his partner is killed, and the police start sniffing around him as a suspect, Spade must use all his wiles to get to the bottom of what really happened, and discover who the bad guy is before it’s too late.
A story that’s since been told a thousand times, right? But back then, no one had executed it with the subtext and skill that John Huston did. In a post Code era, where everything edging on morality was questioned, you have a leading man as morally ambiguous as the people his chasing. The rapid fire dialogue, the juxtaposition of their words against their true meanings, told through the subtlety of a glance or a movement—few have approached the economy and effectiveness of this film for doing it like that. Many have tried.
This was also the film that created a genre all of its own. Low angles (though Citizen Kane employed this technique for different purposes earlier), harsh highlights and inky blacks, the atmospheric use and embracing of shadow, sinister silhouettes and ominous artifacts subtly for-telling doom. The cinematography is so brilliant an entire league of films imitated its execution.
This is the blueprint gumshoe movie by which all others that have followed are measured, and none of them have matched its originality and class. It’s really no wonder that it made Humphrey Bogart a star and gave long and acclaimed careers to nearly everyone involved.
Video: How’s it look?
The Maltese Falcon has been graced with an utterly superb 4K black and white presentation that will leave fans leaping for joy. The Maltese Falcon is replete with unusual low camera angles and intricate setups that draw one into the film, and all I can say is that this presentation makes the most of Arthur Edeson’s smooth, velvety and utterly wonderful cinematography, thus allowing one to take away a new appreciation for his craftsmanship. Image sharpness and fine detail are impressive, with only a small number of shots coming across as soft- most of which contain some level of process work. The fine gained image displays exquisite texturing, with the herringbone pattern in many of the fabrics plainly standing out. Grayscale is incredible, running all the way from deep rich blacks to pure whites. Contrast does get a bit blown out on occasion, but the effect appears intentional. The elements from which the film has been transferred appear to have been digitally scrubbed of blemishes, without compromise to the grain structure.
Audio: How’s it sound?
I have to say the sound quality impresses for a film of this vintage. The DTS HD Master Audio mix has its limitations, especially at the top and bottom ends, but the track sounds more robust here than it has in the past. Adolph Deutsch’s music comes across rather nicely, without sounding tinny. Most signs of background hiss and noise have been cleaned up in the mastering process, which leaves a generally smooth quality to the soundtrack. Dialogue is always crystal clear and easy to understand.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Disc One (4K)
- Audio Commentary – Bogart biographer Eric Lax sits down and delivers a pretty insightful and informative commentary track. This isn’t new to the Blu-ray, but fans of the film will enjoy it nonetheless.
Disc Two (Blu-ray)
- Audio Commentary – Bogart biographer Eric Lax sits down and delivers a pretty insightful and informative commentary track. This isn’t new to the Blu-ray, but fans of the film will enjoy it nonetheless.
- The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird – A look at the making of the film.
- Breakdowns of 1941: Studio Blooper Reel – As the name entails, some outtakes of the vintage decree.
- Makeup Tests – we get a loo at some of the stars and their makeup tests.
- Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart – Hosted by Robert Osborne, more than meets the eye.
- Warner Night at the Movies – 1941 Short Subjects Gallery – Similar to that found on Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
- Audio Feature: 3 Bonus Radio Show Adaptations – Audio versions of the movie, featuring Edward G. Robinson.
The Bottom Line
Many find this to be Bogart’s best. I personally prefer Casablanca or Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but no matter which you choose – it’s hard to go wrong. Warner’s new 4K image is, yes, the stuff dreams are made of. The vintage extras on the Blu-ray are a nice addition as well. If you’re building a Bogart 4K collection, this is an essential piece.
