Maltese Falcon Persuasion

950 Words2 Pages

The Maltese Falcon and Sherlock, A Study In Pink are indeed very different detective films. The Maltese Falcon came out in 1941 in the classic black and white. The use of rotary phones, elaborate fur scarves, classic fedoras and oversized trench coats dated the film to the fullest degree. Sherlock a BBC series that commenced airing in 2010, made use of special effects, it truly was a modernized film. In contrast to the rotary phones, the characters in Sherlock utilized cellphones and had the internet to aid in solving mysteries. In addition, to the obvious visible differences between the films, the characters, Sam Spade and Sherlock Holmes had many distinctive qualities. One of the first of many differences that came up, was Sam Spade was a self indulgent philanderer. Spade was able to catch the attention of every woman he met, he was the tough guy with desirable appearance. Spade could be compared to Philip Marlowe from Raymond Chandler’s short story, Trouble is my Business. Sherlock Holmes on the other hand, could have been described as being asexual, he had little to no regard for relationships. There …show more content…

At the end of the film the viewer has to come to the conclusion on their own, as to whether or not, morals was the defining influence over Spade’s decision. Sam Spade, had Bridgid O’Shaunessy turned over to the police, stating that he had to do something about her killing his partner. Spade also made mention that it would leave a negative impression on his business had he let a known killer have freedom. O’ Shaunessy also lead the viewers to question Sam’s morals. Brigid inquired if Spade’s decision might have been influenced in another direction had money been involved. Spade never answered this question directly, but agreed that perhaps it could have been. Thus brings the point into question, was it morals , or preservation of self image that lead to his

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