Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Maltese Falcon,’ ‘The Treasure of the Sierra Madre’

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CHICAGO – Humphrey Bogart is one of the most beloved and iconic movie stars to ever grace the form. The legend of Bogart built through caricatures, impressions, and the rarified air in which some of his films exist can sometimes disguise his unbelievable talent. “Casablanca” may be his best film and we’ll be back with a discussion of more Bogie works in our review of the new box set later this week, but arguably the two best Bogart performances have recently been released on Blu-ray in 1941’s “The Maltese Falcon” and 1948’s “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.”

HollywoodChicago.com Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0
Television Rating: 5.0/5.0

It’s rare to have two films from the infamous American Film Institute Top 100 list released in HD in the same week but that’s exactly what we get with “The Maltese Falcon” and “Sierra Madre,” two of the most acclaimed films of all time. The pair being released on the same Tuesday might inspire some to pick favorites but both are well-worth your money with great transfers, fantastic special features, and films that are so much better than you remember.

The Maltese Falcon and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre were released on Blu-ray on October 5th, 2010
The Maltese Falcon and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre were released on Blu-ray on October 5th, 2010
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

One of my personal favorite films of all time, “The Maltese Falcon,” is one of those films that’s better than you remember it every single time that you watch it. I adore it and I still get a kick out of unbelievably-great noir lines like “I don’t mind a reasonable amount of trouble,” “When you’re slapped, you’ll take it and like it,” and “Keep on ridin’ me, they’re gonna be pickin’ iron out of your liver.

The genius of “The Maltese Falcon” and one of many ways that it inspired hundreds of films to come is that the plot and the item which the title refers to are secondary to the characters and their incredible dialogue. The actual Falcon is a merely a plot device to get a number of colorful characters into the same room, trying to be the last lowlife standing. Bogart’s Detective Sam Spade is one of the classic anti-heroes but Humphrey’s lead performance is only one of the great ones in this film and the movie is equally remembered for great supporting turns by Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet. And, of course, for being the directorial debut of the great John Huston. Any discussion of the best debuts of all time that doesn’t include “The Maltese Falcon” is incomplete.

My love for the film is clear but what about the Blu-ray? First, there’s the video transfer that’s one of the best HD pictures yet produced for a film from this era. It’s a full-frame 1.33:1 transfer, as the film was originally presented, and it is perfect. The black-and-white picture features just the right level of color, depth, and line detail, without losing too much of the grain appropriate for the movie. It’s fantastic, especially for those of us that remember seeing the film on the ancient form of VHS. The mono track is a perfect fit for the film. “The Maltese Falcon” in HD isn’t a showy transfer but it shouldn’t be one. It’s just “right.”

As for special features, WB continues a great pattern of including archival footage with their classic films in an attempt to more purely recreate what seeing “The Maltese Falcon” was like almost 70 years ago. To that end, they include Newsreel footage, cartoons, trailers, and shorts from the era. It’s not all old material, as the release also features a commentary, featurette, makeup tests, and 3 radio show adaptations of the film. It’s one of the best classic releases yet produced on Blu-ray.

The Maltese Falcon and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre were released on Blu-ray on October 5th, 2010
The Maltese Falcon and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre were released on Blu-ray on October 5th, 2010
Photo credit: Warner Bros.

And it happened to be released on the same day as another of the best classic releases of the form in “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.” Buy both films if just to see how Bogart and Huston had developed through the ’40s. Once again, Bogie is playing an anti-hero and Huston is playing with issues of greed and men’s willingness to stab each other in the back, but “Sierra Madre” feels like a “bigger” film and not just because of the expanded scope of the story and its international setting. An Oscar winner for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor (and probably just barely beat out for Picture by “Hamlet”), “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” is internationally beloved.

Naturally, the Blu-ray release of “Sierra Madre” is not that dissimilar in quality from “Falcon” although some critics have suggested that its transfer is even better than Bogart’s earlier film. I’m not sure I agree, although I can see subtle differences in the blacks of “Madre,” which look a little deeper and more intense. Both HD transfers are great. And “Sierra Madre” includes a stellar collection of special features as well with shorts, radio shows, and a fantastic documentary called “Discovering Treasure: The Story of the Treasure of the Sierra Madre.”

With great transfers, interesting special features, and two films that have defined the word timeless, “The Maltese Falcon” and “The Treasure of Sierra Madre” are two of the best Blu-ray releases of 2010.

“The Maltese Falcon” Special Features:
o Commentary by Bogart Biographer Eric Lax
o “The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird”
o Breakdowns of 1941: Studio Blooper Reel
o Makeup Tests
o “Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart”
o Warner Night at the Movies 1941 Short Subjects Gallery (Newsreel, Musical Short, 2 Classic Cartoons, Trailers)
o Audio-Only Bonus: 3 Radio Show Adaptations

“The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” Special Features:
o Commentary by Bogart Biographer Eric Lax
o “Discovering Treasure: The Story of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”
o Documentary Profile John Huston
o Warner Night at the Movies 1948 Short Subjects Gallery (Newsreel, 2 Classic Cartoons, Comedy Short, Trailers)
o Audio-Only Bonus: Radio Show Adaptation Featuring the Movie’s Original Stars

“The Maltese Falcon” stars Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George, Peter Lorre, Barton MacLane, Lee Patrick, and Sydney Greenstreet. It was written and directed by John Huston. It is not rated and runs 100 minutes.

“The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” stars Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt, Bruce Bennett, and Walter Huston. It was written and directed by John Huston. It is not rated and runs 126 minutes.

HollywoodChicago.com content director Brian Tallerico

By BRIAN TALLERICO
Content Director
HollywoodChicago.com
brian@hollywoodchicago.com

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