Maltese Falcon or Casablanca, and why?

I love them both, but lean a little more towards Maltese Falcon. It's sort of an older version of the Star Wars vs Empire Strikes Back debate. I thought the casts in both films were wonderful, including the three actors who were in both of them.

So, what say you on the matter?


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OCWXw6InF70/TCdQgYsOkjI/AAAAAAAAAr4/vJSwntYMnqA/s1600/maltese+falcon.jpg

and I'm a sucker for Sam Spade stories. Or Philip Marlowe. Or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin%27s_alter_egos_%28Calvin_and_Hobbes%29#Tracer_Bullet">Tracer Bullet for that matter.

I hope they don't hang you, precious, by that sweet neck. Yes, angel, I'm gonna send you over. The chances are you'll get off with life. That means if you're a good girl, you'll be out in 20 years. I'll be waiting for you. If they hang you, I'll always remember you.

Casablanca has a memorable script but I prefer John Huston's direction and the cinematography of the Maltese Falcon. It's darker and tougher and set the benchmark for film noir. It's much more of an exploration into the art of film making than Casablanca.

Black and white has never looked better. As Gutman says, this is coin of the realm. With a dollar of this, you can buy 10 dollars of talk.

A kiss is still a kiss,
A sigh is just a sigh...
The fundamental things apply,
As time goes by.

And when two lovers woo,
They still say I love you
On that you can rely...
No matter what the future brings,
As time goes by.

Moonlight and love songs, never out of date
Hearts full of passion, jealousy and hate
Woman needs man, and man must have his maid
That no one can deny...

It's the same old story,
A fight for love and glory,
a case of do or die...
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by.

It's the same old story,
A fight for love and glory,
a case of do or die...
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by...

Why?

That part when the people in Rick's start singing The Marseillaise to drown out the Nazis singing Deutschland Uber Alles.

I love the love story, too, of course.

And Bogey is my favorite.

The writing and direction behind Bogart is great and he really seems to rule over the action like only a few actors can do. I'd point to the scene with Pete Lorre in the Hotel lobby and the climax where he turns everything to his own advantage without breaking a sweat.

This is Bogey's best work IMO.

wasn't interested in the role.

I like how even after being thoroughly humiliated by Spade, he still has enough moxie to calmly pull a gun on him. Doesn't work but that's not the point.

Ugarte's pretty cool too though.

The character had too much potential to be a sacrificial lamb for the plot. I guess Rick had to have something to redeem himself for.

I loved the scene in Maltese Falcon where Cairo was arguing with Mary Astor's character Brigid over a young man from Istanbul. The scene where Cairo was just about fellating his umbrella handle was also a hoot.

But I voted for Casablanca, as Renault never fails to amuse me.

One of a kind.

isn't she so perfect? :loveya:

Also this is the first movie I saw with Bogart, who I now have the craziest crush on :loveya: :loveya: I even have a photo of him from the movie on the wall by my computer.. so incredibly hot.

Perfect from beginning to end, and Mary Astor was brilliant (as were all of the actors)

:D

Glad to have them both in my collection, though. I think I like the Falcon better because of the Indiana Jones backstory to the Falcon, and the fact that the Mary Astor character starts off one way and winds up quite another without much foreshadowing. Movies nowadays don't trust the audience to be able to follow such a twist without a lot of telegraphing beforehand.

On the other hand, my fave Bogart film is probably The Big Sleep, and it's worth it to see both the 1945 cut (before Lauren Bacall became Lauren Bacall) and the 1946 theatrical release cut which features Bacall far more prominently. It imparts much insight to an amateur like me to see how much variation there can be in a movie; I see a movie, and figure that the way it comes out is the only way it could have been imagined, and that's not the case at all.

of acting - sort of a Bette Davis-esque melodramatic style that I just don't care for.

So, for that reason, I voted for Casablanca.

If there had been a different female lead in The Maltese Falcon, I probably would have voted differently.

On a morning from a Bogart movie
In a country where they turn back time
You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre
Contemplating a crime

She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running
Like a watercolor in the rain
Don't bother asking for explanations
She'll just tell you that she came

In the year of the cat...

And Maltese Falcon, as fine a film as it is, didn't spawn so many phrases that so many of us still use.

None of that romance shit to get in the way of a hard-boiled story about eccentric backstabbers sorting out their business.

When I get back, I want to see Falcon winning this fucking poll.

:D

Rick: How can you close me up? On what grounds?
Captain Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!

Croupier: Your winnings, sir.
Captain Renault: Oh, thank you very much.

Captain Renault: Everybody out at once!

Round up the usual suspects.