Original Sin in The Maltese Falcon - Movie Review Example

Original Sin in “The Maltese Falcon” The Maltese Falcon is a ground breaking movie in terms of cinematographic technique and defining new genres. The movie was nominated for a number of awards and has been used as inspiration for subsequent productions, indicating its worth. The story revolves around a legendary jewel encrusted statuette of a falcon that is constantly changing hands as a private detective follows it around. A number of parties are involved in the chase for the falcon for different reasons.

Throughout the movie, it is interesting to notice that these pursuers use any possible means to lay their hands on the statuette including violence, deceit, betrayal and seduction. Put simply, the movie depicts a number of people using every dirty trick in the bag in order to achieve their personal aims. It could be argued that this movie presents the concept of original sin in many different ways and this text will analyze these portrayals in detail. The movie’s beginning depicts two private detectives meeting a client, Miss Rudy Wonderly, who is looking for her lost sister who was involved with a man Floyd Thursby.

The client asks the detectives to help her secure her sister’s release from Thursby and pays them handsomely. One of the detectives, Sam Spade, agrees to follow Wonderly around as she is about to meet Thursby in order to aid her in getting her sister back. Initially Wonderly’s plea seems normal and driven by genuine concern, but as the movie proceeds it becomes clear that the story was contrived in order to secure other objectives. The very night that Spade is supposed to aid Wonderly, he finds out that his partner Archer has been murdered.

When Spade checks at Wonderly’s hotel, he finds that she has already left. Police inform Spade that Thursby was also murdered. When police arrive on the crime scene, they suspect that Spade has murdered Archer and Thursby. Lieutenant Dundy, who is investigating the murder, suggests that Spade had both motive (an affair with Archer’s wife) and opportunity (pitting Archer against Thursby) to murder Archer. In this fashion, the movie depicts the framing of Spade at the hands of Wonderly who is nowhere to be found.

While Spade is innocent, he has been framed so that Wonderly can secure her objectives. The movie depicts the actions in a straightforward manner and leads one to believe that people are not capable of good but are only capable of doing bad to each other. Wonderly remained absent the previous night but the next morning she meets Spade again. By now, Wonderly has changed her name to Brigid and relates that Thursby was her partner. She suspects that Thursby might have killed his partner Archer but she claims to have no idea who killed Thursby.

Wonderly, now Brigid manages to convince Spade to investigate both murders using her pleas and deceitful manners. The movie depicts that Spade still does not suspect Brigid of having any real role in the murders and agrees to follow her lead. Meanwhile, a man named Joel Cairo contacts Spade and offers him $5,000 to find a “black figure of a bird” while pulling a gun at him. He attempts to search Spade for the statuette indicating his mistrust of Spade. This mistrust is also indicative of original sin, as Cairo believes that no good can be expected from people.

Spade manages to knock Cairo out and searches his belongings. Upon revival, Cairo hires Spade. The same evening Spade informs Brigid of Cairo, who later shows up at his office. Spade feels from the reaction of the two that they know each other previously. Cairo seems agitated when Brigid informs him that the “Fat Man” is in town. Spade manages to meet the “Fat Man” (known as Gutman in the movie) who offers Spade $25,000 and a quarter of the proceedings from the sale of the Maltese Falcon if Spade can acquire it.

Spade passes out shortly as his drink was filled with some intoxicant. Meanwhile Gutman, his bodyguard and Cairo leave the hotel. Again we notice the concept of original sin as Spade’s drink is tinkered with and as Cairo and Gutman join hands. As Spade awakens, he finds a newspaper with the name of a ship La Paloma encircled. When Spade arrives at the dock, the ship is already on fire so he returns to his office. Shortly the ship’s captain appears at Spade’s office and gives him a bundle containing the Maltese Falcon before he dies.

Wilmer, Gutman and Cairo confront Spade with guns in his office for the return of the statuette. Spade agrees at the condition that Wilmer is handed over for the murders of Thurbsy and the ship’s captain. Reluctantly Gutman and Cairo agree and knock Wilmer out. The pair’s action indicates their desperation to get the statuette and also indicates the notion of original sin in man’s fabric. Spade provides Gutman and Cairo with the bundle that turns out to be a fake replica of the Maltese Falcon.

Cairo and Gutman leave to return to Cairo in order to continue their quest for the statuette. Despite the bloodshed and violence, the pair still feels that forging ahead is justified. After the pair leave, Spade informs the police on where to arrest the pair. Finally, Spade confronts Brigid angrily and tells her that he knows that she murdered Archer in order to implicate her unwanted partner Thursby. Brigid still believes that Spade would spare her but he turns her over to the police. Brigid’s behavior and her scheming manners portray that human beings are filled to the brim with the capacity to commit sins.

Works Cited Dirks, Tim. Filmsite. The Maltanese Falcon. Web. 22 February 2012.