The Maltese Falcon Essay

A true classic should be able to stand the test of time, and still be relatable to readers. The Maltese Falcon was written in the 1920's, nearly ninety-seven years old and is still recognized and read today. It was the beginning of the detective and mystery genre. This book not only had a significant impact on the detective genre, but also in the film industry. The novel was turned into a movie three times, each with several adaptations of the story.

The first way Burton shows his thoughts in Edward Scissorhands is when he uses the tilt camera movement in order to add suspense and intrigue the person who is watching or the audience. For example, when Peg, the person who found him, starts walking up the stairs, Burton uses this camera movement to show the creepy adic Edward was staying in before bringing him to her neighborhood. This helps show Burton's ideas where intended to introduce the difference between Edward as a creepy and misleading looking person, and Pegs shine and heartwarming feeling. As a result, it shows why people that live in the neighborhood see Edward as a creepy person.

Athanasourelis’s article depicts Sam Spade’s individuality through his actions leading up to Brigid O’Shaughnessy’s conviction. Sam’s initial intentions are to help Brigid avoid the police. Upon coming to the conclusion that Brigid is the only suspect in the murder of Archer, Sam knows he has to turn her into the authorities. The article discusses that although it may seem as if Sam is acting justly, he is truly just turning Brigid in to avoid his own persecution for the crimes others committed. Hammett establishes Sam’s morals frequently throughout the novel by further describing his character as a “hard-boiled detective”.

Camera movement is used to shape meaning and move the audience. The camera trucks in this scene following the Joker around the room as he walks around the board members. This device shows the Joker’s domineering attitude and disregard for the people’s rights. His mind was already made up. He was going to do whatever he wanted regardless of them.

THE LOST FALCON IN FILM NOIR In written literature, writings that mention about crime is classified as “Noir Fiction”. From the second half of the 19th century, in cinematography, this genre is simulated as “Film Noir”. The audience will encounter with a crime throughout the film which is made by using this specific genre. Main characters in this genre are a criminal who is mostly a man, a female and a detective.

Beside Thursby, Gutman had also appointed Joel Cairo, dark-skinned flashily dressed agent, to find the Maltese Falcon. Cairo, noticing the officers, vigorously indicts Brigid and Spade to have attacked him after his arrival to the apartment and proclaimed that Brigid threatened to murder him. Thus far, Brigid had attempted to depict as an innocent and harmless lady that needs protection; depending on one’s view of Brigid’s ethical integrity, she could appear as the victim. However, in retrospect, if Cairo had attempted to attack her first, as Brigid utterly proclaims, Brigid could have cried for help, knowing that there were police officers nearby that would have helped her.

After watching the Maltese Falcon in class the past two days I was able to notice different symbols, elements that stood out, and different techniques used throughout the film. First, the different symbols that stood out to me were the Maltese Falcon, the different guns used, and the telephone. The Maltese Falcon symbolizes all the greed each character had within that is aroused very often. It tended to bring out the worst in people and show what evil things people are willing to do for wealth.

When analyzing the spatial relations of The War on Drugs’ “Holding On” and Sherlock Jr., the audience can explore the continuity and discontinuity within each film that will later suggest different messages and ideas. In “Holding On”, there is a clear line between continuity and discontinuity. There are many instances that the film offers continuity between shots by utilizing the 180-degree line and eyeline match. The 180-degree line can be seen by the audience when the man in the film walks from the left to the right side of the frame when in the pasture headed toward the woods. Then later in the film, the camera makes the 180-degree turn, making the man go from the right to the left side of the frame.

As a result, this film offers quite an interesting interpretation of Isherwood's material. As fosse enjoys playing with the camera angles such as close ups and worms-eye-view to capture the audience’s perspective.

The article portrays “The Lion King” as a story about society that began in the minds of the Disney’s makers. All’s not well in land of “The Lion King” by Margaret Lazarus, who describes how the gold maned lion Mufasa is good and the black maned lion Scar is bad along with the black hyenas. This article explains that Scar has no cubs and ultimately his voice determines that he is gay. Once Scar and the black hyenas take over the Pride Lands, the article assumes the gays and blacks will destroy the natural order.

Greed is an “Intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food” (Oxford Dictionary). In The Maltese Falcon, everyone has the aspirations of finding the falcon for themselves. This is the driving force behind the murders, and betrayals many of the characters commit. Brigid, Cairo, Wilmer, and Gutman all seek the falcon for the same reason, the unimaginable wealth it will bring them. Possessing this rare object seems to consume them and they will do anything to get their hands on it.

VII. Cinematic Device and Effects 1. Identify one example of each of the following shots and describe how the shot affected the presentation of the story told by the film: close-up, medium shot, long shot. -This is one example of close-up shot that is used in the film, the scene that the main character of the film is looking at herself at the mirror and think about what she gonna do to her life, it affects the presentation of the film because in close-up shot they only focus on one person or object that is important and the surroundings was blur. For medium shot there is a scene that the main character is practicing how to throw a knife, the medium shot affected the film in a way that we can see the whole scenario on the film but limited person

For instance, Hitchcock purposefully used specific shots to captivate the acting and emotions of each character. In The 39 Steps, Hannay and Pamela (Madeleine Carroll) estranged and juxtaposition relationship, is what saves this film from being more than just suspense but helps add a romance touch to the film. When Hitchcock used wide shots, he captures the Hannay and Pamela’s emotional discomfort. The primary shots that Hitchcock uses in The 39 Steps, are close-ups instead of wide shots. Hitchcock uses close-ups to create suspicion in characters’ faces.

The Maltese Falcon illustrates classical Hollywood cinema using key principles of classical narration and the continuity system, having a strategic use of various kinds of cuts, transitions and angles, but also tests classical narration

Novelist Dashiell Hammett wrote The Maltese Falcon partially based on his experiences with the Pinkerton Detective Agency and published it in 1930, introducing a new type of hero: the hard-boiled detective, who didn't operate by the rules of chivalry previously seen and admired by readers. The book and its detective took an unemotional view of crime, and the criminals were not seen as glamorous people who defy the law. Rather, they were flawed, and the reader knew that their actions were wrong, sympathizing not with the criminal but with the detective. Brigid O'Shaughnessy, Joel Cairo, and Casper Gutman all commit crimes in The Maltese Falcon, searching for the Maltese falcon, a statue supposedly worth massive amounts of money. The search for