Director
John Huston
Leading Actors/Actresses
Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet
Genre
Film-Noir, Mystery, Crime
Language
English
Awards
Nominated for 3 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Writing-Screenplay, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Sydney Greenstreet)
Date of Release
1941
Producer
Arthur Edeson
Setting and Context
San Francisco 1941
Narrator and Point of View
The film follows Sam Spade's perspective: it almost never diverges from his plot-line. We are only privy to events of which he is ignorant at a few moments in the film.
Tone and Mood
Film-Noir, Dramatic, Mysterious, Ominous
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist is Sam Spade, Antagonists are Kasper Gutman, Joel Cairo and Brigid O'Shaughnessy
Major Conflict
Sam's partner Miles is killed while investigating a case, which leads Sam to seek answers in the mystery surrounding the murder and the plight of Brigid O'Shaughnessy, while also escaping the suspicion of the police.
Climax
At the very end of the film, Gutman discovers that the Maltese Falcon is a fake. Sam discovers Brigid killed his partner. He turns her over to the police after the police have already captured Gutman and his associates.
Foreshadowing
Miles being shot and killed foreshadows the danger of Sam's enemies. The presence of Wilmer following Sam foreshadows the arrival of Gutman. When Sam finds the newspaper announcing the arrival of the La Paloma, we are clued in to the significance of the ship in the acquisition of the statue.
Understatement
Brigid thinks that Sam should forgive him for killing Miles, not anticipating the seriousness of her crime. Much of Gutman's dialogue is understatement, as he maintains a polite and pleasant demeanor while committing villainous acts.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Many photographic and cinematographic innovations for its time, with scenes shot from unique angles and perspectives to heighten the suspense.
Allusions
The story of the Maltese Falcon alludes to a long history of Western civilization, including the Crusades, and the conflicts between the East and the West.
Paradox
Sam tells Gutman that they are in a paradoxical dynamic when he acquires the Maltese Falcon, because Gutman cannot kill him so long as he has the statuette, so he will not be able to apply brute force to get what he wants and must cooperate.
Parallelism
The scenes in which Gutman and Sam share drinks parallel one another, while having very distinct arcs. Both Brigid and Gutman marvel at how "unpredictable" Sam is.
