The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Title: The Maltese Falcon
Director: John Huston
Genre: Classic
Highs: I now understand more Looney Toons jokes.
Lows: Acting was sub-par.
RhynoBot Grade: C+

This movie is the first in a series of movies I will be watching that are always listed on movie enthusiast's Top 100 lists as I attempt to figure out what exactly makes these movies so "great".

Well I watched this movie because it is currently listed as #23 by the American Film Institute's (AFI) 100 Greatest American Movies list. http://www.filmsite.org/afi100filmsA.html

However, I don't get it, this movie is in the top 25 greatest American movies? I personally have seen 25 better movies in the past 10 years compared to this one. In all fairness I wouldn't consider this movie a bad movie since it is entertaining for the most part but what I have trouble swallowing is the regard this movie has as a great American movie. OK, OK, I am aware that you cannot hold classic movies to the same standards as current movies, due to increase budgets and advancements in technology, etc. but still in my mind in order to be named "greatest" there is a minimum set of timeless criteria that makes a movie great. The most important of the criteria is acting ability, which is where this movie and many others like it made in the 1940's fail miserably as many of the actors of the time were trying to crossover from the over dramatized silent pictures into talkies. Luckily this movie isn't a complete disaster since Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre are undeniable the best actors in this movie and hold up pretty well over the test of time but everyone else are quite forgettable and often times annoying. The story is interesting enough filled with a little bit of intrigue, back stabbing, and double-cross but constantly has abrupt edits that make the movie not flow as well as it should.

Anyway, I can see why some people really like this movie especially with Bogart cast in a perfect role for his talents, on the edge, tough guy, private detective, but top 100 greatest American movie??? I say no. Maybe it has to do with a distinct lack of sophistication that movie made today have or my own personal bias (which is more likely) against movies from this era but it will be interesting to see as I move my way up the AFI 100 list if my opinion improves as I get closer to the #1 movie "Citizen Kane". Stay tuned.

This is an OK movie, it's worth a look.