Moral Imperative Of The Maltese Falcon
Submitted by daczter on 06/30/2008 05:21 PM
- Category: History Other
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Moral Imperative Of The Maltese Falcon
The Maltese Falcon, one of the defining films of the film noire genre, reflects in it's theme of the dangerous woman contemporary society's fear of unrestrained female sexuality. America's fear of the lecherous single woman ignited during the second world war when with many men abroad fighting women claimed an increasingly empowered place in society. Elaine May, in her book on American families in the Cold War era, Homeward Bound, draws a connection between the war time characterization of the dangerous femme fatale and the post war insistence on female domesticity and subservience to men. The character of Brigid O'Chaunessy in The Maltese Falcon illustrates through her ruthless murder of Miles Archer, Sam Spade's partner, and her perpetual lies all the damage that can be done by a corrupt sensuous woman.
O'Chaunessy and Detective Sam Spade are typical characters of the film noir genre in that they, both villain and hero, are cynical and disillusioned. The term film noir was invented by French film critics to describe a type of film that is characterized by it's dark, somber tone and pessimistic mood. Film noir as a genre alludes specifically to those Hollywood films of the 40s and early 50s which portray a dark underworld of crime and corruption. The Maltese Falcon reveals itself to be in the film noir genre right at the start of it's dramatic trailer. The trailer begins with Mr. Guttman, one of the movie's villains, standing against a black background, in a black suit with only his wide white face and fleshy hand immediately visible. He beckons with his hand, saying "come closer, I have a story to tell you." As the camera zooms in on his black eyes, he begins his tale of the priceless Maltese Falcon, a story, he asserts, which always ends in murder.
The movie itself however begins with a bright sunny shot of the San Francisco bridge, panning to a view of the city. This shot is the most daylight that appears in the film. A moment...
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