THE MALTESE FALCON (John Huston, Warner Bros., 1941)

The second half of my glorious film adventure was seeing the classic THE MALTESE FALCON (John Huston, Warner Bros., 1941). Like CASABLANCA before it, there is nothing I can write which tells anyone something new about this great film. So again, I'll just write what comes to mind for me, with no linear order or structured thought.

Humphrey Bogart is great as Sam Spade. In fact he is great period. AFI determined he is the greatest male actor of the twentieth century, and while I personally am a Cary Grant man and would also argue for Jimmy Stewart, the amount of iconic roles Bogie made is incredible. The iconic roles aren't the entire story with Bogie though. He defined a role for American males to admire and emulate, and his standard lasted longer than he did. The role of Sam Spade embodies this. Tough, never flinching, a ladies man when he wants to be, nothing gets to Sam Spade. The only way to stop him is to trick him as Kasper Gutman (Sydney Greenstreet) resorts to in the film. The only issue that doesn't hold up, for me, is this portrayal is rather over the top by today's standards. It's almost TOO much.

I love the cinematography in the film. To me, using natural light and keeping everything realistic in tone and mood is what the best films are about. When this is done correctly it almost feels as if the viewer is right amongst the characters within the narrative, living in the same spaces our heroes and villains are. But the great Arthur Edeson does another thing which I personally love. Taking a page from German Expressionism, he constantly changes the angles and positioning of his camera. He uses extreme angle camera placement as well as canted and oft-centered. Changing things from the norm give photography like this a freshness and vibrancy. I love it!

I have to admit I read this after watching but I love John Huston and the work he did directing this film. Extensively prepared he shot his script and allowed his actors time to do their work. And having seen many of his other works, you know he is truly a master at his craft.

I love true noir films. The darkness and the stark reality get me. The idea of the femme fatale strikes a chord. Honestly guys, who among us hasn't done completely foolish and reckless things for women, particularly those we know to be detrimental to us. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (Billy Wilder, Paramount, 1944) is the ultimate example of this. What Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) does for Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck) personifies what the femme fatale will do to a man. But noir films are dark and real and to me are a more accurate representation of what life is. And their rise through the forties is the perfect foil to the packaging the studios gave us during that period.

I love Peter Lorre as Coiro. I love the scene where he confronts Spade in his office and sticks a gun in his face not once but twice. I love that Lorre is smarmy and self serving, slick and cowardly. And I love that his face is not what Hollywood ever showed us during that period. He was different and that makes him stand out. And every time I see him, I want him to turn around so I can see if there is a chalk marked "M" on the back of his suit. Let's see who knows what I'm talking about there.

Finally I love that theaters like the New Beverly exist, and that stations such as TCM broadcast classics every day, and that DVR and Netflix exists so that cinephiles like me can get our fix!