Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
Amazon.ca
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
Special Features
This special edition contains trailers and a 45-minute documentary look at Bogart's Warner Bros. career. Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart is hosted by Robert Osborne.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Nowhere Man
Format:DVD
Warner Brothers has one of the greatest film catalogs of any studio; yet they don't appear to take their DVD issues very seriously. Who on earth would put "Goodfellas" on two sides of a disc? or not release the "Director's Cut" version of "Eyes Wide Shut" (imagine the added revenue if they had)? or release a slapdash collection of Kubrick's films? or almost never digitally enhance the audio or visual transfer or provide any significant extras? Compared to the deluxe packages that Universal, Criterion, and, even, Paramount has mustered, Warners' issues - all released in cheap and easily breakable snap cases - are a peculiar desecration of a vaunted film legacy.
Case in point: "The Maltese Falcon". Arguably the greatest detective film ever made, Warners at least releases it with a decent video transfer. Unfortunately, the audio synchronizing is off during the last 15 minutes of the movie (by a second but it's still noticable) and I wasn't able to access all the people on the "Cast and Crew" menu (no, it wasn't a machine error, as I tested on several discs thereafter). Moreover, although I enjoyed the "Trailers of Humphrey Bogart" section, it would have been nice if Warners spent the money to create a documentary history of the film the way they did on Universal's "Casablanca" release.
Much ink has been spilt praising "The Maltese Falcon" so I won't go into any panegyrics here. It's just a shame that Warners doesn't take this market seriously enough to put more care into the DVD releases of their finest films.
By Jane
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Finally, I have a good copy of this movie that I can enjoy anytime. Bye, I'm off to watch it again.
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Excellent Humphrey Bogart mystery, he playing the private detective Sam Spade. Good supporting cast . Good quality DVD. Suspenseful and well worth it .
Want to see more reviews on this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 325 reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Commande non reçue
Je n'ai pas reçu cette commande et j'aimerais recevoir une explication. Je ne sais pas si ce message répond correctement à votre question, mais je l'espère.
Published 16 months ago by Jean Antonin Billard
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Bogart performance
I was very happy with this blu-ray, for the quality of the transfert and the extra features offered. This was one of Bogart's great performances.
Published 18 months ago by philippe
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Maltese Falcon (1941) ... Humphrey Bogart ... John Huston (Director)...
Warner Bros. Pictures presents "MALTESE FALCON" (1941) (101 min/B&W) -- Starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Barton MacLane & & Peter Lorre
Directed... Read more
Directed... Read more
Published on Mar 23 2011 by J. Lovins
5.0 out of 5 stars
1936 or 1941
The date given for this item is 1936 (why?), but the film was made in 1941.
Published on July 12 2008 by Stephen H. Ford
5.0 out of 5 stars
In 1539 The Knights Templar of Malta...
...paid tribute to Charles V of Spain, by sending him A Golden Falcon encrusted from beak to claw with rarest jewels..."
The Falcon was lost in time. Read more
The Falcon was lost in time. Read more
Published on July 22 2006 by bernie
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Bogart classic
Director: John Huston
Format: Black & White
Studio: Warner Studios
Video Release Date: February 1, 2000
Cast:
Humphrey Bogart ... Read more
Published on Jun 30 2004 by Joseph H Pierre
1.0 out of 5 stars
Sticking with my VHS copy for now
I would love to own a restored version of the Maltese Falcon on DVD, if it existed. I'll just stick with my 10 year old VHS tape for now. The film needs to be restored. Read more
Published on Jun 14 2004 by Bliggick
4.0 out of 5 stars
Defining Bogart
Of all the movies and reviews of Humphrey Bogart, let this one stand and pronounce that the scene when he slaps Peter Lorre's face and tells him, "shut-up and like it... Read more
Published on Jun 6 2004 by H Y Seo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should I stutter?
In order to follow merely the plot of this story the first time round you need a brain that goes clickety-click fast enough to match Bogart's machine-gun-like delivery. Read more
Published on May 24 2004
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Very Clever Film
The film is very clever and kind of twists you up a bit at the end. You have to pay attention to really capture the essence. Read more
Published on April 26 2004 by L. J Nary
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
