the maltese falcon

the awesome 1941 version, directed by John Huston, and adapted after Dashiell Hammett's novel. I knew i should have watched this movie before "The big sleep" and "Chinatown", but, after all, i am really glad i could watch the three of them in a row.

Superb film noir, "The Maltese Falcon" has it all: thrilling detective story, beautifully-managed plot twists, actors who create powerful characters, in other words, both atmosphere and performance.

When a certain Miss Wonderly enters the offices of Spade & Archer detective firm, Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) doesn't believe a word she says, but accepts to take over her case. When his associate is shot to death the first night he goes to shadow Floyd Thursby - the man pointed by Miss Wonderly (Mary Astor), event followed closely by the very Floyd Thursby's death, things are starting to go wild. Miss Wonderly proves to be Brigid O'Shaughnessey, a woman surrounded by a dark mystery, who will attract Spade in a complication that might be worth a great deal of money or his very life. But for a man who claims that he doesn't mind "a reasonable amount of trouble", this is nothing. Also, impressive performances from Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet and Elisha Cook Jr..