Maltese Falcon, The (DVD)

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Yet it is not a depressing motion picture despite its surplus of shady characters and events. Huston doesn't allow it. The film's vitality and pacing do not permit us to ponder for long the consequences of any one scene or action. Instead, we're caught up in the pulse of the film, pretty much swept along by its deeds, not even particularly saddened or surprised by the pessimism of its ending.

Video:
Warner Bros. apparently obtained the best copy of the film they could find to transfer, and while it is excellent, it is not without its minor flaws. In general, the black-and-white contrasts are strongly delineated, the black tones, especially, almost always deep and solid. But there are occasional flecks, too, tiny intermittent scratches, and periodic secondary fading that remind us that this is not an absolutely pristine, digitally restored print. But I quibble. The picture quality is first-rate.

Audio:
The Dolby Digital monaural sound is also quite good for its age, coming up as well as could be expected. Dialogue is rendered crisply, and background music, naturally restricted in frequency and dynamics, is nonetheless clear and persuasive.

Extras:
The disc's extras are an intriguing lot. They begin with a documentary titled "Becoming Attractions," a look at the career of Humphrey Bogart as seen through the trailers for his movies, showing the various ways Hollywood marketed him. It's a novel idea. Then there's a brief but informative essay on the development of the mystery story from Poe through Conan Doyle and right up to the present. It's called "A History of Mystery." Next, there's a Bogart information file and filmography, plus a short cast and crew list. But when I said earlier, "trust no one," that goes for Warner Bros.'s extras, too. In their cast and crew list they misspell the fat man's name as Kaspar Guttman, rather than Kasper Gutman as noted in the film's closing credits. But neither the disc nor the film adheres to the book; Hammett spells it Casper Gutman. So, take your pick. Moreover, in the "History of Mystery" essay, the writer mistakenly tells us that Elliott Gould starred as Philip Marlowe in the 1978 British remake of "The Big Sleep"; sorry, that was Robert Mitchum. Maybe the writer was thinking of Gould's 1973 role as Marlowe in Robert Altman's "The Long Goodbye."

Parting Thoughts:
A testimonial to the enduring public approval "The Maltese Falcon" has garnered over the years is that both the film and its characters have been parodied many times over. "The Cheap Detective," "The Black Bird," "Murder By Death," and "The Maltese Bippy" are a just a few titles that come to mind, all of them affectionate tributes to the original. The film's new DVD transfer is one that will satisfy its legions of fans and help new generations of viewers appreciate a long-standing classic.

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