It's appropriate that The Maltese Falcon is in black and white, because Detective Sam Spade lives in the wide gray area between legality and criminality. He isn't a virtuous detective like the pie maker from Pushing Daises or Mma Ramotswe from The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Spade is a detective who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty…like a shovel. Spade. Shovel. Get it?
Questions about Criminality
- Why doesn't Spade ever tell the police the truth? Does his evasion of the cops make his job easier or harder?
- What would Gutman, Cairo, and Wilmer do if they weren't pursuing the Falcon? Would they still be criminals? What about Brigid? Does the Falcon turn people into criminals?
- How do you think Brigid fell into a life of crime? Was she ever a "respectable" woman? Does Spade find her dangerous side attractive?
Chew on This
Spade tends to side with the criminal element more often than he sides with the cops, but he never gets himself in too deep that he could be considered a criminal himself. There's a blurry line between associating with criminals and being a criminal, and Spade must always make sure the cops know he is firmly on the legal side of that line.
For Spade, who rides the line, he does believe there is a line that cannot be crossed, and that line is murder (or, specifically, murdering his partner). Once he finds out that Brigid kills Archer, he turns her in. The man has his limits.