That character's name is Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) and he's a detective whose got a no-nonsense attitude and a brain as quick as his chatterbox mouth. He's cool, suave but also detached and doesn't express much in the way of emotion, even after his detective partner, Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan), is offed during a seemingly routine investigation. The woman who hired them for the investigation that cost Miles his life is Ruth Wonderly (Mary Astor), a lady whose up to her neck in problems surrounding a mysterious object called The Maltese Falcon. It isn't long before Sam gets caught up in her plight too which may just end up getting himself a few bullets lodged in his head if all doesn't go right.
My first-time viewing of The Maltese Falcon was spurred on by a Facebook discussion regarding the movie, wherein one person commented that the world of detectives and mysteries in this movie were not depicted in a glamorous manner. That's very much true, as the world of The Maltese Falcon is a dreary though endlessly riveting one where Sam Spade is no superhero but rather a damaged individual simply trying to figure out the circumstances that led to his partner's death. There isn't much in the way of allure in the depiction of his occupation of being a detective and that fits perfectly with the more somber story the film is telling.
The moody atmosphere of The Maltese Falcon is just one aspect of the screenplay by John Huston (who also directs this motion picture) that works like gangbusters. All of the dialogue contained within the script may be the best facet of a movie (which has certainly got a horde of virtues to it) since it helps make Sam Spade such a distinctive character. Spade always has intricately detailed alibis and explanations for his actions at all times and he rattles them off in a confident manner that sometimes leaves surrounding characters scrambling to keep up with his motormouth tendencies. These lines are incredibly well-constructed and help demonstrate how shrewd and cunning of a man Sam Spade is, though it's doubtful they'd have the same zest that they carry in the final product if Humphrey Bogart wasn't the one delivering these pieces of dialogue.
Few actors can pull of the mixture of charm and weariness like Humphrey Bogart could, the guy more than earned his status as an acting legend just by the effortless way he pulled off that specific personality trait. For Sam Spade, he's able to deliver the uniquely written dialogue in an incredibly natural way that only reinforces the smooth nature of the character while also capturing the somber nature of Sam Spade. This is a guy who's seen far too many murders and horrors in his day, he's got no time for nonsense and such, he's very much firmly planted in reality. Even the final scene where he reveals to a pivotal character in the plot that they're the "Fall Guy" the police will apprehend for all the crimes and murders that have transpired is executed in a manner that's more mournful than triumphant.
It's a fascinating way to take this character that Humphery Bogart excels in while he also bounces off Mary Astor (also playing a persistently troubled individual) in an exquisite fashion. In terms of the cast, the antagonists of the piece are played with endearing refinement by Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet, both of whom would reteam with Bogart just a year after The Maltese Falcon for a little movie called Casablanca. The cast is firing on all cylinders, the atmosphere is intoxicating, the mysteries are unpredictable...The Maltese Falcon offers everything that you could possibly want out of a noir.
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