The Maltese Falcon is a film beyond it's years, being recognized as one of the first film noirs of a detective genre. John Hustson broke the records with his directorial debut and impressed audiences with his use of camera shots and editing. The camera told us a story beyond the lines put into the screenplay; it showed us who the characters are, what they are feeling, and what the force of their actions have taken on their souls. Many tracking shots following Bogart through his journey of the unsolved case. One camera shot I enjoyed most was when they slipped Bogart a drug in his drink and the camera went out of focus, pulling us all in into his hallucinogenic state. When awakened clips of Bogart looking around the room for an address kept us still at a daze but with enough awareness to make the next move. This film is a masterpiece in being a breakthrough in not only the director's experience, but in camera works as well.
Review of The Maltese Falcon
