When the entire world or at least half of it is nervous about the economic break down or about an impending war in the Indo-Pak region, I am in the comfort of my house writing a piece about a 1940’s flick.
It’s not that I do not want to write about serious things and mind you ‘The Maltese Falcon’ is a serious thing for me. I have had experiences of breaking out serious things or the so called serious things of my life and people have found it light and funny, so it better I write seriously about what people find light and not so funny.
I have wanted to write this for sometime now, it’s been weeks since I have seen the movie and I let sink into me; it is by far the best detective movie that I have ever watched.
I had a different story to tell before I watched ‘The Maltese Falcon’ I would have voted for Roman Polanski’s Chinatown, which is in its own right a great movie.
Now I have been reading a lot of Ebert in the recent past, so if any of guys see some of his style; please do forgive as a mark of a coming of age writer trying to put his inspirations into practice.
Let’s first define a detective movie: in the past I was more accustomed to the British way of the classic detective stories which predominantly involved in a sub-superhuman eccentric detective with holdings at some prime location in London and having their own special qualities and punch lines. But the American detective is quite different which is quite evident from the fact that he is more human than all of his contemporaries or his seniors.
As is the case with Sam Spade played brilliantly by my favorite actor (move over Kamal) Humphrey Bogart; his voice remains in your head even after the movie gets over, it is the best performance by anyone playing a detective on film.
The Maltese Falcon made in 1941 by the Warner brothers was also the directorial debut of John Huston who later made the Treasure of Sierra Madre also with Bogart. The story is an adaptation of Dashiel Hammet’s classic hard boiled detective story of the same name.
I have been hooked on to these detective stories for sometime now and the thirst has increased after I did read Raymond Chandler’s ‘Farewell my lovely’ and is a sign that I have moved over from Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
The story is not a whodunit, it more than just a detective story, it seems to be about a falcon of the ancient times but is more than that. I would be called superficial as I quote one of the scriptures which describe the God as someone who is much more than what we define but I think it is the case with whatever we live, it is more than as it seems.
Sam Spade (Bogart) is ideally supported by Mary Astor and peter Lorre and with some stunning cinematography; indeed black and white has brought the best in the camera, I wonder how they made this movie in 1941, it’s as contemporary as any other recent movie at the same time keeping to its time which maybe in other words defining what a classic is all about.
And the effect of this I started downloading all other film-noir movies; I hope to write about them as well. Do watch it; if you like the movies and you believe that a good movie can tell a very good story and not just to showcase the money spending attitude of the producer or the pompous nature of the lead actor who has three fights and two songs and one opening song. Which in my country is called ‘commercial’ cinema and all those people reading this who think that I am one snob who feels that the ‘grass is always greener on the other side’ and that Indian Cinema is for the masses.
I wish to differ, I am a lover of Indian Cinema as it is and that one cannot be compared to another and that they are far advanced in terms of technology and other things, but the fact is Indian Cinema has hardly been Indian Cinema, it has never indulged itself in telling a good story…any story for that matter and even directors who have good stories have to compromise by bringing in some model from Mumbai for a scantily clad number.
This is definitely not an attack on our movies but I am just a simple man who believes that cinema is a simple medium which tells you a story visually and not anything else.
I wish Shankar would see ‘The Maltese falcon’ and understand that movies are not just about painting bridges and shooting Rahman songs in foreign locales.
Thank You
Satyeki
