In 1941, Hollywood tough guy director John Houston directed the tube filming for the first time and brought the famous detective novel "The Maltese Eagle" to the screen. This suspense noir film pioneered the film noir ethos in terms of themes and characters, and is considered to be the originator of the atmospheric noir genre in the future. At the same time, it is also the famous work of Hollywood's chief tough guy Humphrey Bogart. He became the chief tough guy in Hollywood with his private detective role Sam Spade in the film. The film is adapted from the novel of the same name by the detective fiction master Dahir Hammett. It connects a mysterious beauty, an inexplicable weirdo, and a murder case. The film has a tight rhythm, witty dialogue, exquisite details, and impeccable performance of the actors. It can be called a classic representative work of film noir. This eight-week film costing $300,000 has achieved double harvests in art and box office. The film faithfully restores the novel of the same name by the master of detective fiction, Dahir Hammett, and presents the original mysterious and dark sense to the audience. Many symbols commonly used in detective novels, such as mysterious ladies, unreasonable weird people, serial murders, etc., are perfectly displayed by the director using video methods. As the plot deepens, the relationship between the characters, The plot clues are mobilized in all directions. From the perspective of characters, the extremely compact plot and wonderful dialogue have shaped the image of a tough guy who remembers history.
The plot of "The Maltese Eagle" does not seem to be very complicated now. There is an invaluable sculpture-the Maltese eagle left in the folk. In this film, many people want it. A woman, a man, and a fat guy are fighting for it. In order to seek protection, the woman brought in a private detective office. One of the detectives of the firm died because of this mission, and the other detective, the actor Spade, had to fight alone to find the truth about the matter and avenge his partner. As a result, the three groups are constantly fighting, the woman is constantly lying and deceiving the male protagonist to seek protection, and the male protagonist relies on his own wisdom and courage to circulate among the three groups. In the end, when everyone discovered that the sculpture they found was just an ordinary imitation, the private detective used a strategy to hand all three of them to the police station, which also made the truth known to the world and avenged their partner. The dialogue of the characters in this movie is very fast, the plot is very compact, there is almost no excess between the scenes, if you are a little distracted, you will miss a lot of the plot. To put it another way, this movie is a bit "rush", and it doesn't give the audience a little breathing time. This is a typical crime film, without any deep themes. The highlight lies in the intricate plot and the courage and wisdom of the hero in dealing with all parties. The story of the film is full of suspense. How did the partner die? How was the woman's assistant killed? What is the real purpose of the little man? Which sentence is true for a woman and which is false? All these suspense is always a mystery before the end of the film, waiting to be revealed. Such a setting makes the audience have a strong curiosity, forcing the audience to fully engage in the plot.
The actor is both wise and brave. He did not believe in women's words, nor did he take anyone lightly, using his clever mind and sharp language to play with the three of them. Moreover, not only the three gangs, but also the police and prosecutors can't help him. A character like him is rarely seen in movies, which is really admirable. The most incredible thing is that the male protagonist can not only escape from all kinds of dangers, but also never return empty-handed. He got a lot of money from the three groups of women, small men, and fat guys. Although the three groups of them were "fighting with a bamboo basket", the male protagonist did not suffer. The film’s tempo is too fast. It can be seen from the beginning of the film that it has no extra scenes and directly enters the theme-the woman enters the office and speaks directly, until the film ends after 96 minutes, the characters are constantly in Talking. There are lies in the dialogue, there are reasons for things, there are interactions between characters, in short, there is no nonsense. We have to follow the plot closely, think about it, and recall every line. Humphrey Bogart is very suitable for this cold, emotionless, but full of wisdom character. The male protagonist he plays in this film never reveals his inner thoughts, does not trust anyone, does not give any feelings, has a cold heart, this masculine and ambiguous private detective shuttles through the underground composed of women and homosexuals. world. Humphrey Bogart is a perfect rendition of this role, and he is the best candidate. The heroine actor Mary Astor is not pretty, and she doesn't feel like a "femme beauty". To put it bluntly, she doesn't look like that kind of poisonous woman. Not only did she fail in her image, but her acting skills were also quite satisfactory. The short man is played by Peter Lowe, who also starred in M in "Murder M". His performance is truly unique and deserves to be "the best actor in the world".
When Warner Corporation decided to make Dahir Hammet’s original "Eagle of Malta" into a movie again, Humphrey Bogart was a target of public criticism in the studio. He was drunk and grumpy, and actresses refused to take him with him. play. His anger, gloom and irritability put him on the verge of unemployment around 1940. "The Maltese Eagle" was on the screen in 1931 and was filmed again in 1936 under the title "Satan Meets a Lady", starring Betty Davis, but the achievements were not as good as the 1941 version. Because "The Maltese Eagle" is the third remake, the director is novice John Houston, so the big names are reluctant to play, and finally reluctantly find Humphrey Bogart. John Houston hit it off with him. The two men are alcoholics, and they both like to fight, and the cooperation is infinite. This version of "The Maltese Eagle" is romantic, witty, calm, and occasionally mischievous. Humphrey Bogart’s Spade has become an immortal image in film history. This man is melancholy, suspicious, and sensitive. Even when he kisses, his face still has a distorted anxious expression. He is cold and ruthless looking at the world, and When he perceives the conspiracy of the woman he is obsessed with, he will also reveal the weakness of despair for a moment. Because of his suspicion and desire for control, he can only be a cynical lonely man. His body is always tight, even when he laughs hideously.
The Pacific War and "Casablanca" changed Humphrey Bogart's career trajectory. In this half-toned noir film with wartime propaganda, Humphrey Bogart played Rich was asked: "What nationality are you?" He replied: "I am an alcoholic." An alcoholic, an attitude The ambiguous patriot became the image of Humphrey Bogart that penetrated into the hearts of Americans during the war: he was not kind, his personality was cold, cunning, and even cruel. He did not trust democracy, but he could stand at the pinnacle of the moment. The US side. The war contributed to the transformation of Humphrey Bogart, the villain before the war became an atypical hero during the war, and he ushered in the pinnacle of his career. And the only thing he cherished in his heart was "The Maltese Eagle". He once said: "I have nothing to be proud of except "The Maltese Eagle"." Until his death, he still yearned for a movie for him to relive the "Eagle of Malta". The excitement and joy of "The Maltese Eagle". In 1951, John Houston and Humphrey Bogart collaborated again, and "The African Queen" shot in the Congo became Humphrey Bogart's first color film. This movie has indeed become another milestone in Humphrey Bogart’s life, but it must be said that the name Humphrey Bogart is always associated with the black and white world. His vitality lies in the low-position camera. Under the lens, the dark city of damp, dirty, emptiness, an area of moral and sexual ambiguity-this is a man in a film noir.
History is not always fair, and when it is rare to be fair, it is often long overdue. The "Eagle of Malta", which is as famous as "Citizen Kane" (1941), is an example of this. Both have trans-epochal significance. Both are milestones in the history of modern film. At that time, Americans expressed their love without hesitation. As a result, history changed everything. The Pearl Harbor incident that year became a permanent injury to the United States. Due to their too dark personalities, the two classics have gradually been regarded as unpredictable by audiences and critics. However, gold will shine, and this truth has been verified countless times. After a long period of baptism, the once-degraded "Eagle of Malta" was gradually accepted by people and regained its own milestone.
View more about The Maltese Falcon reviews
