The Millennium Falcon
When Star Wars first came out in 1977, it was a game-changer in the film industry with George Lucas using masters in sound design, composers (John Williams), and visual effects to create a masterpiece. It was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards and gained a massive following. Oh shoot wrong movie.
The Maltese Falcon was a very compelling watch from start to finish with suspense throughout the movie regarding the Falcon. The director used great story-building through the first "act" of the movie to introduce the characters and what their motivations would be throughout the movie. Sam Spade is introduced in the movie and is very charismatic and gregarious. He seems very enthusiastic to help Mrs. Wonderly until his partner is mysteriously killed. The plot really moves forward well as its pacing allows the mystery to get tighter and more convoluted over time.
In regards to the mystery aspect of the novel, the whole plot seemed similar to that of a Sherlock Holmes novel based on the mystery and characters involved. Sam Spade is very similar to Sherlock Holmes as they both are very confident in their ability to solve the problem at hand. When questioned by people they deem lesser than them self which creates a tension between the characters who are trying to work together. The villain is quite Sherlock Holmes-esqe as he is bent on getting what he believes is rightly is (but actually isn't).
Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and thought it was a B on my grading scale.
The Maltese Falcon was a very compelling watch from start to finish with suspense throughout the movie regarding the Falcon. The director used great story-building through the first "act" of the movie to introduce the characters and what their motivations would be throughout the movie. Sam Spade is introduced in the movie and is very charismatic and gregarious. He seems very enthusiastic to help Mrs. Wonderly until his partner is mysteriously killed. The plot really moves forward well as its pacing allows the mystery to get tighter and more convoluted over time.
In regards to the mystery aspect of the novel, the whole plot seemed similar to that of a Sherlock Holmes novel based on the mystery and characters involved. Sam Spade is very similar to Sherlock Holmes as they both are very confident in their ability to solve the problem at hand. When questioned by people they deem lesser than them self which creates a tension between the characters who are trying to work together. The villain is quite Sherlock Holmes-esqe as he is bent on getting what he believes is rightly is (but actually isn't).
Overall, I really enjoyed the movie and thought it was a B on my grading scale.
I do agree that the pacing does allow the mystery to get more convoluted over time, though I do wish that there was more action. Also, I'm not really sure how similar Spade is to Holmes other than the fact that they are detectives who want to find the truth. In that sense, they are similar but Spade seems much more manipulative than Holmes and is actually involved in relationships that wouldn't be expected in a classic novel with Sherlock Holmes.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your claims, especially regarding the director's ability to keep up the suspense throughout the movie. I found that the cut scenes, the fading into black, and the ominous music in the background definitely contributed to the overall air of mystery in the movie. Holmes and Spade definitely have many similarities, and that is what makes this movie so much better, in my opinion, as we are already well used to the mysterious ways and means that these detectives use when they solve their cases.
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