AFI Top 100: #31
Discovering the exact point at which genre films began has always been fascinating to me and while there has yet to be one that I dislike, this one came painfully close. John Huston's directorial debut The Maltese Falcon is a solid but quite dull start to the noir genre and one that has almost dissuaded me from seeking out any others. There is a lot to appreciate about the filmmaking that Huston puts into this movie, including his wonderful direction and the performances he gets from the entire cast but I guess I was just not meant to enjoy this type of film. With incredibly quick dialogue and a plot so twisted that it almost becomes unbearable to follow along with, I consistently found my attention waning. Thank God that the way this film was made kept it entertaining or else I might not have been able to make it all the way through. I have so much adoration and respect for Huston for practically kicking off this genre but I feel like there are plenty of much more engaging films worthy of someone's time.
Upon the death of his partner, private eye Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) meets with former client Brigid O'Shaughnessy (Mary Astor) to discuss an ongoing case that he feels she might be involved in. As their relationship grows, Spade is brought deeper into a web of crime involving a group of peculiar criminals and a priceless statue of a bird. The most evident thing about this movie that cements it as one of the "greatest" noir films of all time would be its plot. Films of this genre are typically known for the twists and turns that the story takes and this film is no different. My issue with it, however, is how utterly confusing it became. Right off the bat, the audience is thrown into this criminal world without much context, which could be a smart move if executed right, but due to the dialogue, I was completely lost. Perhaps I am just not smart enough to really understand the way that this plot snakes around but I found it to be quite tiresome after a while. The first act sets up the world really well and the third act wraps things up in a decent way, but the plot points riddling the middle hour or so of this film became far too unintelligible. It would definitely take a few, good watches of this film before one is able to really comprehend the actions and motivations behind these characters. Another issue I had, which is one that seems to be prevalent in the noir genre, is how bland and abrupt much of the writing felt. Right after Spade's partner Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan) was killed, he jumps right into action to get justice. His character did not seem to have any emotions about it at all and this lack of sensitivity prevailed throughout the rest of the characters as well. I could not get myself to feel for who was going to jail or who ended up with the falcon because the characters were written so stoically.
Even though the plot was incredibly difficult to get invested in, there are a lot of fantastic aspects of this film that make it so understandably iconic. The Maltese Falcon practically kicked off the noir genre and with its depictions of criminal activity and backstabbing, it was almost unseen in that era of film. Not only does this film have some of the most exciting action I have seen of this time (however rare it was) but it also has some great direction to bring it all together. It's strange to think that this movie was Huston's directorial debut, as his later works seem to be much grander in scale. What I really loved about his direction was how he hit the ground running from scene one. Huston wastes no time establishing anything that could be deemed unnecessary and while this might have been offputting for audiences in the early 1940s, it works very well for the atmosphere of how hectic this story became. One of the other, most impressive things about this film is how it all takes place in the matter of just a few rooms and buildings. This entire film could almost function as a bottle episode of a noir television show because of how little sets and special effects are used. There is something so admirable about making a film this way and still making it decently entertaining. The real standouts of this film, however, are the performances from the cast and how they each made their character so unique. Nobody looks better in an oversized suit and tie than Humphrey Bogart and his character of Spade really brings out that over-emphasization. Bogart is fantastic in this film and is aided by the performance from Mary Astor. The two have wonderful chemistry together and I could really feel the pain that Spade felt having to eventually turn her over. Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, and Elisha Cook Jr. were all great as well in their supporting roles as the eccentric bad guys and the story definitely would have not have been as chaotic without their talent.
If The Maltese Falcon is any indication of what I can expect from the noir genre, then they can honestly count me out. There is a lot about this film that I genuinely loved and appreciated, including the performances and the unstoppable direction but I just really could not get myself to care about the story. This film might be the most exemplary when it comes to fans of the genre but I do not find it the most accessible for easy viewers. Even though that is not necessarily the point, it was just a bit disappointing what the audience gets in a film with a poster as exciting as the one above.
My Rating: ★★★
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