Director: John Huston
Same deal, folks. For this week's post, review a film that The Maltese Falcon reminded you of, either the way it looked (think lighting!) or the plot (think detectives! femme fatales!). You can check my last post for instructions on how to write a film review or you can just hop right to it. Use imdb.com to look up your film's director, screenwriter, and/or actors. Click 'Sign In' and then 'New Post' once you log in. Don't forget: commenting on your classmates' posts is extra credit! 5 points per detailed/insightful comment! Here's my 4-paragraph review of The Maltese Falcon as an example:
Humphrey Bogart stars as detective Sam Spade in the classic film noir The Maltese Falcon, a story about a mysterious missing statue, but also more so about deceit and betrayal. The movie kicks off when the attractive Ruth Wonderly, played by Mary Astor, arrives at Spade's office asking him and his partner Miles to find her missing sister, who she thinks has run off with a creep called Thursby. But of course this damsel in distress can't be telling the whole truth!
Bogart is probably better known for his infamous role as Rick Blaine in the classic romance Casablanca, but his experience as a sly detective in movies didn't end with The Maltese Falcon. He famously played another hard-nosed investigator in the unforgettable noir The Big Sleep in 1946. Clearly, the man has a talent for playing a good guy with a dark side.
The Maltese Falcon is one of the best film noirs of all time, if not the best, largely because of its shadow-enhanced lighting style that ended up populating many pulpy crime thrillers for years to come. By often using only a key light, and no fill light, the black and white cinematography is radiant and spooky, showing how easy it is to set a mood with a couple simple filmmaking tricks.
So obviously I would recommend this movie, but to who? Well you need to like mysteries and plot twists, because this movie's got plenty, but also I really do think anyone who can appreciate the art of photography would like Falcon. It really has a lot of impressive camera shots in addition to a suspenseful story!
