Bring on the tough stuff. There’s not just one right answer.
- How would you describe detective Sam Spade? Is he a hero or an antihero? What makes you root for him?
- The Maltese Falcon had been adapted into a film twice before this version, but this version was the only successful one. What made it successful, and why is it still respected today?
- What tropes of film noir are established by The Maltese Falcon? Which tropes still exist in film today, and which have evolved or been done away with altogether?
- Why does the film explain the background of the Falcon itself at the very beginning? Is there any significance to the Falcon's backstory? How does the Falcon control the plot of the movie?
- How does John Huston use the sets, the wardrobe, long cuts, and camera angles to create the mood of the picture?
- Due to the Hayes Code, which censored motion pictures, certain aspects of The Maltese Falcon had to be edited or changed. What had to be altered, and how did the filmmakers get around the censorship when possible?