 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Maltese Falcon
- Review Date: January 10, 2005
- NR
- Genre: Drama
- 1941
Common Sense Media says
Excellent, but too mature for the littlest kids.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this crime drama has some intense scenes and a little drinking. While there's little in the way of objectionable content, this film noir is too dark for little ones.
What's the story?
In this classic film noir, private detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) gets a visit from Ruth Wonderly (Mary Astor), who asks him to help find her sister. Sam sends his partner, Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan) to follow her when she meets Floyd Thursby, the man she thinks her sister is with, and both Archer and Thursby are killed. It turns out that the woman is really Brigid O'Shaughnessy, and it turns out it is not her sister she is seeking, but a small, jeweled statue of a falcon, and she's mixed up with some people who will do anything to get it. One of those people is Joel Cairo (Peter Lorre), who comes to see Sam to insist -- with a gun -- that he be allowed to search Sam's office to see if it is there. Sam is not at all intimidated by Joel, but allows him to search. Also after the statue is Mr. Gutman, "the fat man" (Sidney Greenstreet), with his "gunsel," Wilmer. They alternately threaten and attempt to bribe Sam, while Brigid appeals to his protective nature and his heart. But Sam turns them all over to the police, including Brigid, whom he loves.
Is it any good?
One of the most interesting aspects of this classic movie is the way that Sam Spade thinks though the moral dilemmas. When he is deciding whether to tell the police about Brigid, he is very explicit about weighing every aspect of his choices. It is not an easy decision for him; he has no moral absolutes. On one hand, he loves her, and he didn't think much of his partner. On the other, he doesn't trust her, he doesn't think she trusts him, and he knows that they could not go on together, each waiting to betray or be betrayed. If he turns her over to the police, he loses her. But if he doesn't, he loses a part of himself, his own kind of integrity.
When this movie was made, moviegoers were used to cool, debonair detectives (like Philo Vance and Nick Charles, both played by William Powell), a sort of cross between Sherlock Holmes and Fred Astaire. But Sam Spade, created by Dashiell Hammett based on his experiences as a detective, was a modern day version of the cowboy, a loner with his own sense of honor.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about what Sam means when he says the statue is "the stuff dreams are made of." Where is Sam faced with moral conflicts? How does he resolve them? What are his reasons?
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Kid, 11 years old
July 2, 2009
AGE
9+
It was a good movie in general but they had some bad role models.
What other families should know:
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Parent of 13 year old
May 23, 2009
AGE
A Suspenseful and Thoughtful Thriller...
THE MALTESE FALCON is a great, thrilling movie, and a prime example of how great stories never fade with age. It's a great one to show kids who like thrillers or appreciate classics.
There are some tense scenes, and one man is shot onscreen. Another is seen after he's been shot, but there is no blood or gore. Sam is said to have an affair with his partner's wife, it is implied that he and Brigid O'Shaughnessy slept together. There is a lot of drinking and smoking, and several characters double-cross each other and have criminal motives, though the Bogart character always stays straight.
What other families should know:
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Teen, 13 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
Good Movie
The first time I watched this movie was bored by it. The second time I loved it. A good movie for kids over 1. Nothing bad in it just younger kids may not understand it.
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| Studio: | Warner Bros. |
| Director: | John Huston |
| Cast: | Gladys George, Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 101 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | October 18, 1941 |
| DVD release date: | February 15, 2000 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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