Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21073 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-06-01
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Black & White, Dubbed, Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English, Italian
• Subtitled in: Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 99 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Maltese Falcon is still the tightest, sharpest, and most cynical of Hollywood's official deathless classics, bracingly tough even by post-Tarantino standards. Humphrey Bogart is Dashiell Hammett's definitive private eye, Sam Spade, struggling to keep his hard-boiled cool as the double-crosses pile up around his ankles. The plot, which dances all around the stolen Middle Eastern statuette of the title, is too baroque to try to follow, and it doesn't make a bit of difference. The dialogue, much of it lifted straight from Hammett, is delivered with whip-crack speed and sneering ferocity, as Bogie faces off against Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet, fends off the duplicitous advances of Mary Astor, and roughs up a cringing "gunsel" played by Elisha Cook Jr. It's an action movie of sorts, at least by implication: the characters always seem keyed up, right on the verge of erupting into violence. This is a turning-point picture in several respects: John Huston (The African Queen) made his directorial debut here in 1941, and Bogart, who had mostly played bad guys, was a last-minute substitution for George Raft, who must have been kicking himself for years afterward. This is the role that made Bogart a star and established his trend-setting (and still influential) antihero persona. --David Chute END

Special Features
1.85 Wide Screen
DVD 9
Italian
English\Italian
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital Mono English Italian
Dolby Digital Mono
Original Theatrical Trailer
Humphrey Bogart Trailers
Arabic\Bulgarian\Dutch\English\French\German\Italian\Portuguese\Romanian\Spanish

Synopsis
Hard-drinking private eye Sam Spade sleuths the backyard of San Francisco in search of an elusive black bird statuette while evading the setups of three disparate miscreants: the duplicitous Brigid, the perfumed Mr. Cairo, and the scheming Fat Man. Huston's brilliant directorial debut is aided by first-rate performances, excellent camera work, as well as the director's acute attention to detail while shooting the film. Based on the crime novel by Dashiell Hammett. Academy Award Nominations: 3, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Sydney Greenstreet), and Best Screenplay. Previous versions of the story were filmed in 1931 (a.k.a. DANGEROUS FEMALE) and in 1936 (as SATAN MET A LADY, starring Bette Davis), and poorly redone in 1975 (THE BLACK BIRD).

Customer Reviews

falcon flies high
At least for two reasons, "The Maltese Falcon" is a milestone in the evolution of American genre cinema. First, this is one of the very first pictures that ushered the era of classic film noir. Its bizarre characterizations, twisty plot and cliché-drenched events serve as a perfect template that has been utilized in countless films through six decades after its making. Second, this is the movie that catapulted Humphrey Bogart's career into stardom. He had been a strong supporting character, mostly playing villains (as in "High Sierra" & "The Petrified Forest"). After his performance as hard-boiled private eye Sam Spade, he became a major star.

The movie represents a complex study of human psyche, especially taking a dismal look at human greed and pursuit of self-interest at whatever cost. All characters are well-drawn and well-acted. From cynical, quick-thinking and fast-talking Spade to prissy, gardenia-scented but psychopathic Cairo, there are no righteous, clean or likeable character. Everyone is either honestly abhorrent or has numerous ulterior motives hidden behind their masks, but all converge at haunt for wealth.

Even the "good guy" Spade's morality is questionable. Although he has a strong sense of idealism; his morality shakes wildly when things go awry. Spade might be considered as just crafty as other villains, but he adheres strictly to some kind of robust moral code and old-fashioned common sense that he tries to find the way out in the dark maze of confusion, deception and lies. At the end, he overcomes all obstacles and defeats bad guys, even at the cost of losing a love affair.

Good characterization, tight direction, strong performances and wonderful plot make "The Maltese Falcon" still an interesting & entertaining picture albeit more than six decades have passed after its making. This is a must-have for Huston & Bogart fans, as well as it's a good start to enter the film noir world...

John Huston directorial debut
Film noir was a term coined by the French when they began to see the wave of American pictures they had missed during the Nazi occupation of WW II. It didn't necessarily describe a style of filmmaking, but rather a mood. The pictures were dark, and peopled almost entirely with anti-heroes.
The Maltese Falcon established a whole new set of ground rules for the mystery movie, and its initial formula has been mimicked time and time again. The hard boiled tough guy detective. The sobbing damsel, who may or may not be a cold blooded killer. A virtual circus of greedy, slimy bad guys. The fisticuffs and gunplay. Toying with the idea of romance between the leads, but not always following through. All of these concepts became a part of movie vocabulary with The Maltese Falcon. It's no wonder that to this day it remains a fan favorite.

A classic worthy of the title
A no-nonsense tough as nails detective of the 40's finds himself caught up in a web of lies and deceit when his partner is murdered and a raft of outlandish characters appear to complicate matters.
Everybody winds up searching for the jewel encrusted falcon of the title and much double crossing and stabbing of backs ensues.
The story though plays second fiddle to a collection of actors who bring their characters to sparkling, seedy, life. Bogart is memorably iconic as Sam Spade, Mourning the recent death of his partner he casually tells his secretary to have the partners name scratched off the office doors & windows and to replace it with "Samuel Spade" instead. His is the focal character around which all others orbit, tough, ruthless and invariably working out a way to escape trouble he forever changed the film hero into something far darker and less morally reliable than filmgoers had been previously used to.
But Bogart was superbly supported by some unforgettable performances, Peter Lorre's Mr.Cairo slithers around the story and never really declares for one side or the other, Mary Astor's seemingly vulnerable heroin turning into something far harder and ruthless and the unforgettable Sidney Greenstreet, all affectation and manners barely covering a towering monster of a man who knows no barriers to his greed.
This is film noir at the height of it's powers and firing on all cylinders, lighting, camerawork, styles and dialogue all combining to make a masterpiece.
This edition is a suitable tribute with 3 versions of the original hammett story including one with Bette Davis.
There are a whole load of extras including cartoons and original trailers and documentaries. In truth the extras are fine and it's of interest to see the 2 other pre-Houston versions but it's the main feature that matters here and so what is wanted is some restoration of the original print. That's exactly what we get with a shimmering picture that is superbly cleaned up and as clear as a bell, sound too is given the once over and although surround isn't neccessary the dialogue is pin sharp and well centered.
All in all this is as good a package as you could hope for and is a fitting release for a hugely enjoyable and influential film, noir, Houston and Bogart were a dynamite combination and watching this remastered version is a real smack to the senses and as Spade puts it " when you're slapped you'll stay slapped and like it!"