[.ca] The Maltese Falcon (3-Disc Special Edition)

From Amazon.co.uk:
The Maltese Falcon is still the tightest, sharpest, and most cynical of Hollywood's official deathless classics, bracingly tough even by post-Tarantino standards. Humphrey Bogart is Dashiell Hammett's definitive private eye, Sam Spade, struggling to keep his hard-boiled cool as the double-crosses pile up around his ankles. The plot, which dances all around the stolen Middle Eastern statuette of the title, is too baroque to try to follow, and it doesn't make a bit of difference. The dialogue, much of it lifted straight from Hammett, is delivered with whip-crack speed and sneering ferocity, as Bogie faces off against Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet, fends off the duplicitous advances of Mary Astor, and roughs up a cringing "gunsel" played by Elisha Cook Jr. It's an action movie of sorts, at least by implication: the characters always seem keyed up, right on the verge of erupting into violence. This is a turning-point picture in several respects: John Huston (The African Queen) made his directorial debut here in 1941, and Bogart, who had mostly played bad guys, was a last-minute substitution for George Raft, who must have been kicking himself for years afterward. This is the role that made Bogart a star and established his trend-setting (and still influential) antihero persona. --David Chute END

Amazon.com Essential Video:
Still the tightest, sharpest, and most cynical of Hollywood's official deathless classics, bracingly tough even by post-Tarantino standards. Humphrey Bogart is Dashiell Hammett's definitive private eye, Sam Spade, struggling to keep his hard-boiled cool as the double-crosses pile up around his ankles. The plot, which dances all around the stolen Middle Eastern statuette of the title, is too baroque to try to follow, and it doesn't make a bit of difference. The dialogue, much of it lifted straight from Hammett, is delivered with whip-crack speed and sneering ferocity, as Bogie faces off against Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet, fends off the duplicitous advances of Mary Astor, and roughs up a cringing "gunsel" played by Elisha Cook Jr. It's an action movie of sorts, at least by implication: the characters always seem keyed up, right on the verge of erupting into violence. This is a turning-point picture in several respects: John Huston (The African Queen) made his directorial debut here in 1941, and Bogart, who had mostly played bad guys, was a last-minute substitution for George Raft, who must have been kicking himself for years afterward. This is the role that made Bogart a star and established his trend-setting (and still influential) antihero persona. --David Chute

Additional features:
This special edition contains trailers and a 45-minute documentary look at Bogart's Warner Bros. career. Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart is hosted by Robert Osborne.

Should I stutter?:
In order to follow merely the plot of this story the first time round you need a brain that goes clickety-click fast enough to match Bogart's machine-gun-like delivery. I can't believe anyone ever talked as fast as he did on film. Partly because the plot is so intricate, it gets better each time you see it: everything eventually falls into place with perfect logic. But there's very much more to it. There's a terrific undertow of all kinds of deeper meanings below the surface: the campy amorality of the misfit crooks with their greed and false values, pursuing nothing. The ferocious bitterness in Bogart's staccato angel, precious, darling, sweetheart. It's as if he hated the whole female race. There's no love here, just off-screen pairing. It's pointless to complain that Mary Astor is melodramatic. That's the whole point of her character: she doesn't lie in order to gain some advantage, it's her feminine nature to put on an act, deceive and mislead. Her opposite is the role of the staunch and loyal secretary: "You're a good man, sister!" In fact the whole movie is suffused with gender-bending confusion. The cops are a couple of boyfriends. The womanising jerk, Archer, is Bogart's partner. Add to this the fantastic character-acting of, especially, Sydney Greenstreet. An amazing screen presence, he really was. This is a film which matures the more you see it, and it is definitely for the mature. I didn't think much of it, the first time I saw it.

A Bogart classic:
Director: John Huston Format: Black & White Studio: Warner Studios Video Release Date: February 1, 2000 Cast: Humphrey Bogart ... Private Detective Sam Spade Mary Astor ... Brigid O'Shaughnessy Gladys George ... Iva Archer Peter Lorre ... Joel Cairo Barton MacLane ... Det. Lt. Dundy Lee Patrick ... Effie Perine Sydney Greenstreet ... Kasper Gutman Ward Bond ... Det. Tom Polhaus Jerome Cowan ... Miles Archer Elisha Cook Jr. ... Wilmer Cook James Burke ... Luke Murray Alper ... Frank Richman John Hamilton ... Bryan Charles Drake ... Reporter Chester Gan ... Bit part Creighton Hale ... Stenographer Robert Homans ... Policeman William Hopper ... Reporter Walter Huston ... Capt. Jacobi Hank Mann ... Reporter Jack Mower ... Announcer Emory Parnell ... Ship's mate This is a cult classic Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) film. The cast included all-time greats Peter Lorre, Sidney Greestreet, Walter Huston, Ward Bond, and other veterans like Mary Astor and Jerome Cowan. John Huston directed, and kept the tension high throughout. This is a story about a statue of a falcon that the Knights Templar had made as a gift for the King of Spain in gratitude. It was lost in transit to the king. Crusted with jewels of immense value, but covered with black lacquer to disguise its worth, it was lost for centuries. This story is about the struggle between factions of villains to get the bird. If you have never see Bogart in this movie, you have missed one which is partly responsible for his fame. Joseph (Joe) Pierre

Sticking with my VHS copy for now:
I would love to own a restored version of the Maltese Falcon on DVD, if it existed. I'll just stick with my 10 year old VHS tape for now. The film needs to be restored. Take a look at the way the second scene with Spade and Mrs. Archer ends. The film always seems broken at this spot, even when it runs on the movie channel.

Defining Bogart:
Of all the movies and reviews of Humphrey Bogart, let this one stand and pronounce that the scene when he slaps Peter Lorre's face and tells him, "shut-up and like it..." is the defining moment in Bogart's career and especially this movie. Well crafted, but a bit loose on plot developement, The Maltese Falcon is what too many mystery/suspense movies trying to live up to an assumed description of what a "noir" film is supposed to be about, pledge their loyalties. Entertaining more than a fine film, The Maltese Falcon is a tour de force performance for Bogart. If you are a fan, then this is a must see. The camera work is also a good source for cameramen wannabes.

1936 or 1941:
The date given for this item is 1936 (why?), but the film was made in 1941.