I watched it recently for the first time, and I really don’t get why it’s so loved. IMDB rates it as the second-best movie of all time, but it seems far worse than that to me. I like most old movies and see their hype, but The Godfather didn’t do it for me. What am I missing?
‘The Maltese Falcon’ seems like the most cliché ridden movie imaginable. Then you realize this is the movie that created all the cliches.
I rewatched this recently, and yeah, all the cliches are there (some rather clumsily filmed even by 40s standards) - but fuck me if Bogie still doesn’t blow it out of the water with that performance. I can’t think of a single film noir protagonist that matches what he pulled off in that film. He’s better here than he is in Casablanca by a long shot imho.
If you liked the movie, try reading ‘Red Harvest,’ by Dashiell Hammett, the original author. A tough private eye shows up in a corrupt mining town and decides to clean it up by starting a war between the biggest crooks. Now that’s an idea that’s been redone a few times.
Was thinking that the other day. I love the Maltese falcon, it’s got so many tropes for film noir. Then I remember, and then I recall showing my wife The Matrix and her eye rolling so hard at things that became so popular they were overdone. Didn’t expect a laugh at the slow mo bullet scene but it definitely cracks me up now too.
You got a point see? Mah!
*said while hand-rolling a cigarette with one hand