The Maltese falcon was what i would consider a traditional american mystery movie. It was the kind of movie you saw being seen in other movies where characters liked to see what they considered to be “the classics” or old movies in general. One thing that I noticed was that they used a lot of shadow play. From beginning to end there was always this ominous feeling that there could be something lurking behind the shadows, that the killer could have been around detective Spade the whole time the whole, and he just didn’t know it.

I noticed that there were many things in this movie that are still prevalent in movies today ( the conventions). it starts out in the very beginning when Detective Spade is questioning what he considered to be the damsel in distress. Its typical in many movies that the damsel becomes the protagonists love interest and then is actually just playing the character throughout the whole movie to get what she needs. (such is the case in this movie since shes the one that killed Archer.) Another convention that you see is the killers arm with the gun only being show, this type of convention is often used in beginning of movies just to make you wonder throughout the whole movie as well as make you suspect everyone around the protagonists. The terrifying shriek upon the discovery of a dead body can also be called a convention as its used in at least 90% of modern horror movies. Lastly i will mention a convention that you don’t see often but when you do, you gain a certain respect for a character, Joe Cairo he starts off as some weaselly little man with buggy eyes the type of person you would not give a second glance to, then within seconds of meeting him and getting that impression it changes and all of a sudden there’s a gun being pulled and that little man that you perceived to be nonthreatening just became the biggest threat in the movie.

When it comes to Detective Spade he is a complicated man, we can call him a womanizer, an alpha, mistrusting to those around him (although in the end we see if was for good reason.) he did not like police men, they seemed to just be in his way stopping him like barriers at every turn. With criminals, the man despised them all they did was set him back even more than the police did (drugging him and having him sleep for most of the day) but at the end of the day he was a man of morals, and did what needed to be done, he could have just let the femme fatale walk away, give her a chance at freedom but chose not to, instead he stuck to his morals and did the right thing,

This movie changed my perception of all old movies. I never liked black and white movies, it took me 8 years to watch the wizard of OZ because i didn’t believe that there was color in it till i was forcibly sat down and made to watch it. I tend to like graphics and explosions and most of all color, but thanks to this movie ive gained a new found fondness for the movies of the older generation and will be more open to seeing them more often.

The film “The Maltese Falcon” was very captivating to say the least. The story takes place at Spade and Archer, which is the name of Sam Spade and Miles Archer’s detective agency. When a stunning women named Miss Wanderly who seems to be constantly surrounded by dangerous men comes in seeking help. Sam soon becomes the only means of protection for young Miss Wanderly. This movie is a film noir because of its heavy use to shadowing and angels. A Film Noir usually have plots which deal with death, and mystery there is usually a murder involve on it.

I find the movie “The Maltese Falcon” an interesting piece of work. The atmosphere of the movie set the mood on how characters will act depending on the situation. You could also say that the sounds plays an important roll as well, like in the scene when Mr. Spade was being tag by an anomalous stranger. The camera angels are by far the most typical thing anyone would notice in any movie: when it zooms in or out on something interesting, like an important person talking or the death of someone.

Detective Spade could be describe in many ways in the movie, but I would say that he’s a bit over dramatic when it comes down to persecuting his enemy’s. Surly he is your everyday typical detective who has style and class with the ladies, but his persistent in finding the truth about the killer was to much. Spade has a great personalty that allow him to make friends really quick. His clever idea  as a detective plays a good roll as a way to befriend his enemy’s to gain some sort of knowledge against them: playing the typical good cop bad cop is an example in any detective genre. Spade in my opinion have great relationships with everyone in the movie, because he always know how to take charge of a situation and turn it to his favor.

I find old classic movies boring, but ” Maltese Falcon” was a good watch. The film was filled with a lot of great convention like drama, action, mystery also the suspense in the film was great. I never like how they talk so fast in classic movies. It makes hearing them really hard, as well as the mumbles.

This movie had multiple genre conventions for mystery and detective films. To start the movie it had the typical private detective office with the shaded windows that said private which I believe no longer is a convention in modern day detective films. Another convention that I noticed was when the main detective arrived to the scene of his partners death and already knew the crime scene and how it happened with seconds of arriving. That’s usually done to portray the abilities and skills of the characters in most films. Another convention I saw would be when he looked around and instantly picked something up and concluded it was a clue to the mystery.

The detective in this film was your typical superman. He was capable of describing a whole murder scene seconds after getting there. He lacked emotions which allows him to always be focused on the tasks at hand and hes witty, quick and can disarm a man aiming a gun at him with no signs of fear. He was also capable of spotting a man tailing him. His relationship towards other characters showed his knowledge of the law, the fear policemen had of him. He was a ladies man and was a very good speaker as well.

I’m not a fan of black and white but I believe this movie had a very good story line. I didn’t like how they made the main protagonist so fearless, emotionless, and extremely witty as I believe they went overboard to show his abilities in this film. Overall It did keep my interest as long as I ignored the lack of flaws the main detective had.

From lighting to music, scenery to characters, genre conventions are present in many, if not all of the films we see today.  Genres like horror, comedy, romantic and action, when we sit and watch a movie many of us find ourselves actually saying things like, “oh, this is about to happen” or “wait and see…” Most of the time it is because producers tend to make sure to play suspenseful or eerie music, and/or have an actor alone in a room to know that something bad/scary is about to happen when watching a horror or psychological thriller film.  Evidently, we can all say that genre conventions are present and we, many of us, for the most part, are unaware of it.

Although not a huge fan of film noirs, or so to say “black and white films”, when watching Maltese Falcon, genre conventions were present from the beginning to end.  The introductory itself gave way in letting us know it was a suspense/thriller film.  This alone allows the viewers to expect the unexpected and keep us on our toes as to who was going to do what, such as be the murderer, thief, throughout the whole film.  The dialogue scene at the beginning of the film with the woman and two detectives (sorry I do not recall their names) also build intensity as each camera went on each individual and the suspenseful music played. Yet, when the music stopped the camera angle was on all of them; thus enabling the viewers to become more involved and suspect more is to happen. Of course lights darkening during a killing scene, characters disappearing during a crime, rich folks turning out to be compulsive manipulators, someone passing out after they drunk something from someone they trust are all part of building the suspense. All of which were portrayed in Maltese Falcon and therefore giving the viewers the genre convention in a suspenseful thriller.

In regards to the main character, the detective and his relationship to those around him, as in any typical film, you have sarcasm, what appears to be lust, betrayal and trust issues.  The femme fatal, in connection with the detective uses her charm, mysterious, her desperate need for help and manipulative ways to get the detective to help her and of course he falls for it.  Although he is sarcastic and it appears as if he has everything together, this being the detective, he is not trusted by any of the police. Which is quite ironic since he is law enforcement himself.  Of course it is due to the fact of his involvement with the actual criminal.

Overall, as far as my opinion goes, although it is your typical crime/drama film, it still kept me wondering who could it be even though I had a feeling I knew it was that individual all along. I also kept saying, of course to myself,  “this is about to happen”.  Your typical genre convention film no doubt, but as usual, it keeps you watching, waiting to see what comes next.

I have never really seen a black and white fil from start to finish so this was a new experience for me. From past studies I knew that older movies rely on lighting to set the mood of the current scenario. With the lighting in the movie it was easy top see if the scene was serious or not so serious.
In Maltese Falcon we a what can be described as a hard boiled private investigator. He’s tough, rough, has bark and bite. We can see it from his attitude and the way he tries to get the upper hand in every situation. He also does a lot of things a bad guy would do. He lies to the cops and tries to keep secrets for his own personal gain. But he does it in the name of justice and the greater good. “The end will justify the means”
Because this a noir film shadows play a big role. We also see shadows over the faces of our hero when he is being portrayed in a series manner. When his partner was murdered we saw the shadow. When the mood was light everyone’s faces were illuminated nicely. Also the music played a big role in plot development. When scenes began to speed up or the plot was thickening there was music to accompany us at every twist and turn

Being a big fan of detective stories, I really enjoyed The Maltese falcon. No film is made in a vacuum, in other words, everything comes from something. To say that no film has taken ideas from Maltese Falcon is a lie; that’s not saying that this film is the original being base on the novel by Dashiell Hammetts, but it is a film that utilizes the ideas to make something wonderful and entertaining.  Sam Spade (played by Humphrey Bogart) is a fast talking detective that gets in over his head when a women named Brigid O’Shaughnessy (played by Mary Astor) comes to him with a simple tailing job that turns in to murder with his partner being the stiff and all eyes on him being the suspect.

Sam is an archetype that is recognizable in many films:  fast talking, quick witted, daring and a keen eye and mind for detective work. However behind all of that is a man who is greedy, misogynistic, ambiguous, scared and a bastard.  Bogart’s character is the antihero, someone that has done bad things but still tries to do the right thing. Many characters from this film fall in the cliché category as well with O’Shaughnessy being a femme fatale playing the victim; being as dirty and dangerous has her male counterparts. Cairo (played by Peter Lorre) is slimy, dimwitted, and a liar; but smart enough to trick Sam one time. Wilmer Cook (played by Elisha Cook Jr.) a scary intense character is a walking time bomb and that’s something Sam sees and uses to his advantage. The ringleader Kasper Gutman (played by Sydney Greenstreet) is a pompous fat man with a smile to match is obsessed with finding the falcon. He will stop at nothing to get it, even if he has to cross his partners in crime.

These characters are considered more cliché in today’s films because when everyone is a suspect, the leading man keeps everyone on their toes long enough so he can solve the case and deliver it to the authorities in a nice bow. This theme worked then and nearly 75 years later, it still works. You can take a basic archetype like Sam and Kasper and redeliver their essence in another genre of film such as in 1977’s Star Wars: Han Solo being the antihero and Jabba the Hut being the villain.

Having a good story and fun characters is not enough; you also need the visual to represent the world you are trying to create. The noir cinematography is a character in its self by paring a mysterious story with a mysterious city like San Francisco as its back drop for this film. Black and white contrasts and high angles make everything look intimidating and making the audience wonder what is in the shadows looking back at you. The cinematography is in full effect with dim lighting presenting a smoky night and the moon giving you enough light to reflect the heroes; and the “not so good guys” barely showing in the light.

The noir architecture has inspired countless works including the 1945 film Detour in addition to recent video games like Bioshock and L.A Noir. Bruce Timm’s animated Batman series stylizes is presented in noir style with the animation not too “cartoony”.  Movies like the Maltese Falcon, done with noir aesthetics set the standard of how to show a good dark detective drama.  Without Sam we would not have Colombo and without O’Shaughnessy we would not have Catherine Tramell (Basic Instinct). This film is “the stuff dreams are made of”- cue the music.

The Maltese Falcon is one of the first ever Black and White films i may have ever seen. Truth be told, it was a great film. The film introduces what seems to be two protagonists in the beginning of the film, detectives, Samuel Spade and Miles Archer. The story of betrayal begins when a women enters their offices and gives them a case, leading to the death of his partner and she is later revealed to be key element in the film and shows off the most secrecy in character in my opinion.

We circle around the main character of the film Samuel Spade the detective, who is very hard to pin point in the film. The character is very good at what he does and is a strong, and smart minded man. In a few words, “He knows how to play the game.” When it comes to the female character who was introduced in the beginning Brigid, their relationship is just as confusion as her mind, and trust. She gives of this persona of a very sweet, well mannered women, almost a damsel in distress. Still Spade is able to see right through her and plays her just as well. There is also a very comical feeling when ever the character of Gutman’s right hand man, the low leveled gun man compared to Spade. Through out the film he is easily out smarted by Spade at every corner and pokes at his short tempered mind at every given opportunity. Then there are the policemen who seem to want to convict Spade for the death of his partner, Spade easily due to experiences seems to know how to juggle them around so there not in the way of this investigation.

The Noir film of The Maltese Falcon is a great film and i would 100% recommend it to others. I enjoy the characters and all the diverse personalities each gave to the audience. It was truly a wonderful story of betrayal from every character, and always kept you thinking on who is telling the truth. The story line played well, and there wasn’t a scene where i wanted it to pass. All and all this was a great film to begin with hope the rest are just as great.

                As time passes in any given genre, the genre itself will get defined by certain plot points and character archetypes.  When this is occurring this is how very specific genre conventions are formed.  Genre conventions can sometimes be good while other times they can become inappropriately used or even misused.  After watching The Maltese Falcon, there were definitely a few genre conventions that could be seen.

                Genre conventions can be helpful when mapping out a plot.  One convention seen in the film is how the film starts off with a back story already in progress and the idea of trying to find an object.  This is then put into The Detective’s agenda as a case and he is caught between multiple forces trying to find the object.  The archetypal characters then use him as fit for their own agendas.  One character in particular that is a big genre convention is Brigid, the femme fatale archetype.  She is “playing” The Detective and has been the leading force of chaos from the start.  She is seen as a sweet and innocent woman but is merely just acting the whole time.  The genre convention of the femme fatale is then followed by how The Detective sees right through her and knows she is lying but then another genre convention of The Detective and The Femme Fatale characters having a connection; mostly sexual.  Another character that can be seen as a convention is Wilmer, the low level lackey gunman.  This character is undermined and has a hot uncontrollable temper.  In replay to that The Detective will specifically poke fun at him, outsmart him, and continuously push him on.

                The character of The Detective is always an important feature to get down.  To the audience The Detective is liked because he is doing the right thing (sort of) and winning.  Features that have generally stuck with the archetype of The Detective character is the idea that the character plays within the set of The Law but bends the rules to get results.  He is considered to be an untrustworthy force by both the policemen and the criminals.  In The Maltese Falcon, The Detective is not trusted by the police and they question him.  In response he puts up his tough exterior and mocks them and treats them with very little respect because they are on his back after he has done nothing wrong.

– Mike Lee

I’ve never been a fan of black and white films until we watched The Maltese Falcon in class, its old feel really drew me in . When  The Maltese Falcon first appeared on screen, Hollywood’s idea of a detective meant Sherlock Holmes.  Sam Spade introduced a clear alternative to the image of the well-mannered amateur sleuth: the to some extent notorious private eye who solved mysteries as a profession.

The plot to me seemed to follow Spade’s thirst for female attention and breaking the rules.  It was tricky to distinguish whether he was going to allow himself mesmerized by a manipulative female who uses her feminine tricks even obvious weakness and being ditzy to have her way. However in the end he does the right thing by solving the crime, turning in all the criminals including his love interest.