- In what ways, and to what extent, does this film fit into the stylistic category of film noir? Consider:
- Dark/light contrast lighting
- Dramatic, mood-creating music
- Gritty, dirty city of shadows and underworlds as a setting
- Sparse, simple set design
- Terse, slang-filled dialogue
2. What kind of man is Spade? How does he fit the mold of the smoking, drinking, double-crossing noir anti-hero?
3. What is the Maltese Falcon? Is the quest for it left resolved or unresolved? If it is a Macguffin (used only to drive the plot/storyline), then what point does it help make in the film?