The Maltese Falcon 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Score: 85
from 10 reviewers
Review Date:
The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "The Maltese Falcon" is a must-have, offering stunning visual and audio upgrades, with the classic 2.0 Mono track preserved in lossless quality.
Disc Release Date
Native 4K
HDR10
DTS HD-MA
Video: 91
The 4K UHD Blu-ray of *The Maltese Falcon* delivers a remarkable upgrade with native 4K, HDR10, and HEVC encoding, showcasing intricate details, superior grayscale, deep blacks, and minimal flaws. The film’s cinematography sees a new life, making this a must-have for devoted fans and an essential enhancement over previous Blu-ray versions.
Audio: 81
The Maltese Falcon's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track delivers a substantial improvement over previous Blu-ray editions, featuring clear dialogue, minimized background hiss, and enhanced music fidelity, ensuring a more refined auditory experience without compromising the original mono integrity.
Extra: 75
While the 4K UHD release of 'The Maltese Falcon' features a solitary audio commentary by Eric Lax, the included standard Blu-ray disc boasts an extensive array of supplementary content such as period newsreels, vintage cartoons, a making-of documentary, radio adaptations, and trailers. This comprehensive package balances both nostalgic and informative extras.
Movie: 98
The Maltese Falcon's 4K UHD release revitalizes John Huston's film noir landmark with exceptional clarity, emphasizing the meticulous direction, striking cinematography, and iconic performances—particularly Humphrey Bogart's definitive hardboiled detective Sam Spade.
Video: 91
The Maltese Falcon celebrates its 4K UHD Blu-ray debut from Warner Bros., boasting a remarkable native 4K presentation that greatly surpasses the previous 2010 Blu-ray iteration. Encoded with HEVC (H.265) and featuring HDR10, the transfer showcases a resolution of 3840x2160/24p in the academy aspect ratio of 1.37:1. This edition brings a significant leap in quality, presenting deep blacks, robust shadow detail, and vibrant grayscale. The upgrade reveals an impressive texture in elements such as fabric patterns and facial details without overbearing DNR or any visible filtering, maintaining the integrity of its nitrate roots.
While the previous Blu-ray release suffered from occasional murkiness and color imbalances, the new 4K HDR transfer eliminates these drawbacks, delivering consistently deep black levels and crisply defined whites. The image clarity is particularly striking; intricate details like the weave on Bogart’s tweed jacket and Mary Astor's fur stole appear with newfound sharpness. Film grain remains well-resolved and natural throughout the presentation, augmenting the film's vintage charm without detracting from its modernized pristine look.
Despite minor flaws including rare instances of compression artifacts and fleeting judder, the encoding is robust and consistently upholds a high standard. The HDR enhancement revitalizes light sources and background details effortlessly. This release, however, could have been even more inclusive if it had featured a newly remastered Blu-ray for collectors who haven't yet adopted 4K technology. Nevertheless, Warner Bros.' 4K UHD presentation is a near-definitive showcase for this iconic film, accentuating the expressive cinematography of Arthur Edeson with rich contrasts and fine detailing, making it an essential upgrade for devout fans.
Audio: 81
The audio presentation of The Maltese Falcon on 4K UHD Blu-ray is anchored by a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track that significantly improves upon previous Blu-ray versions. Restoration efforts have successfully minimized the background hiss and reduced upper-end harshness, ensuring dialogue remains crystal clear and intelligible. The mono track preserves the film’s vintage charm while enhancing overall clarity and resonance. Adolph Deutsch's score benefits from this restoration, coming through with unexpected richness without compromising the track’s integrity. Effects such as gunshots, car sounds, and physical impacts are well-balanced and distinct, contributing to an immersive auditory experience.
This restoration does not artificially modernize the audio but rather fine-tunes it, maintaining historical authenticity. The DTS-HD Master Audio mix now exhibits cleaner background noises and a more dynamic balance, with the persistent hiss of older tracks nearly eliminated. Vocals are impressively clear, capturing the nuances of performances from Bogart and his co-stars without sacrificing any of the gravelly tones that characterize his delivery. The audio maintains a robust fullness, allowing Adolph Deutsch’s score to shine with good fidelity while still respecting the film’s original sound design.
Audiophiles will appreciate the meticulous work put into this release as it provides an almost theater-like experience reminiscent of its original 1940s debut. Additionally, optional English (SDH) subtitles are available along with multiple language tracks in Dolby Digital, catering to a global audience. While there are inherent limitations typical of its vintage, this mono track stands as a testament to careful restoration work that honors the film's legacy and offers a commendable auditory refinement over earlier editions.
Extras: 75
The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "The Maltese Falcon" offers a robust suite of extras, predominantly available on the included standard Blu-ray disc. Highlighting the depth of supplemental features, the set includes an insightful audio commentary by Bogart biographer Eric Lax, though it's the accompanying 1080p Blu-ray that truly stands out. This secondary disc offers rich, historical extras including vintage radio adaptations, thematic shorts, and a thorough exploration of Humphrey Bogart's career. Regrettably, the lavish packaging of the WB100 collection does not extend to porting over all prior extras to the 4K disc. These curated bonus materials notably enhance the viewer's understanding and appreciation of this classic noir film.
Extras included in this disc:
Audio Commentary by Eric Lax: Detailed insights by Bogart's biographer. Warner Night at the Movies: 1941 newsreel, shorts, and trailers. The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird: Behind-the-scenes documentary. Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart: Hosted by Robert Osborne. Breakdowns of 1941: Warner Bros. blooper reel. Makeup Tests: Rare tests of the film's stars. Vintage Radio Adaptations: Three broadcasts featuring the original cast. Trailers: Includes previews from 1936's "Satan Met a Lady" and 1941's "The Maltese Falcon."
Movie: 98
John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon (1941) is a cornerstone of film noir, brilliantly adapted from Dashiell Hammett’s 1930 novel. The film follows San Francisco private detective Sam Spade, played by Humphrey Bogart, in a career-defining role. Hired by the enigmatic Brigid O'Shaughnessy (Mary Astor), Spade finds himself embroiled in a web of deceit and murder after his partner, Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan), is killed. As Spade delves deeper into the case, he encounters a cadre of eccentric villains - notably Peter Lorre as the shifty Joel Cairo and Sydney Greenstreet as the menacing Kasper Gutman - all vying for a priceless artifact, the titular Maltese Falcon.
Despite significant production hurdles and the limitations imposed by the Hays Code, Huston’s meticulous direction and Arthur Edeson’s atmospheric cinematography elevate the film. Edeson’s use of shadows and acute angles, honed from his work on Universal’s monster movies, imbues the film with an unmistakable noir aesthetic. The screenplay, faithfully adapting Hammett's novel albeit with minor liberties, captures the terse and lyrical prose that defines the source material. The dialogue, brimming with subtext and moral ambiguity, is rendered with rapid-fire delivery that brilliantly contrasts with the subdued performances.
Bogart’s portrayal of Spade is often considered the definitive hardboiled detective archetype. His performance weaves together toughness, cynicism, and a measure of vulnerability, characteristics that have influenced countless cinematic gumshoes since. Mary Astor's casting against type as the femme fatale and the interplay between her, Bogart, Lorre, and Greenstreet contribute to the film's enduring legacy. The Maltese Falcon not only catapulted Bogart to stardom but also solidified Huston's reputation as a master storyteller, marking his directorial debut with a film that remains a touchstone in the genre of film noir.
Total: 85
Warner Bros.' 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "The Maltese Falcon" provides a definitive upgrade for this timeless noir classic. Directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart, the film has been meticulously restored to offer an exceptional visual and auditory experience. The grayscale intricacies of the black-and-white cinematography are rendered with unparalleled sharpness and depth, thanks to the improved resolution and HDR application. The original 2.0 Mono track remains intact in lossless form, preserving the authenticity of the film’s soundscape, which is further enhanced by DTS-HD MA.
Though the 4K presentation offers significant improvements, it replicates most of the extras found on the nearly 15-year-old Blu-ray release. These legacy supplements continue to enrich the viewing experience for both longtime fans and new admirers of this genre-defining movie. The quality of the new 4K transfer easily surpasses that of previous editions, ensuring "The Maltese Falcon" looks better than ever. With an aspect ratio of 1.37:1 and comprehensive subtitle options, the technical specifications have been carefully managed to honor the film’s heritage while embracing modern cinematic standards.
Conclusion
The Maltese Falcon is a bona fide noir classic, predating many imitators that followed its firm foundations. For a directorial debut, it remains an impressive masterwork. Released as part of Warner Bros.' 100th Anniversary Studio Collection, this 4K UHD offers cinephiles a fabulous entry. Despite some missing extras compared to earlier DVD editions, the visual and audio upgrades in this release make it a must-have for any serious collection. With its crisp restoration and inclusive features, the 4K release cements The Maltese Falcon's status as the noir classic for fans and collectors alike. Highly recommended.
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AV Forums review by Casimir Harlow
Video: 90
It's not a perfect experience - for those who do require a more 'authentic' viewing experience there are clearly still some baked-in limitations at source, a fleeting instance of judder, a barely noticeable...
Audio: 80
Again, like the video, it's not flawless - it doesn't suddenly thrust the audio into the 21st Century, artificially, but the track is still gifted a new level of resonance and clarity, with dialogue prioritised...
Extras: 50
Unfortunately those who pick this up as part of the WB100 30-film Studio Collection will only have the 4K disc, which only attracted a single solitary extra to be ported onto it - the Audio Commentary....
Movie: 100
As is the same case today, the success of The Maltese Falcon saw Huston keen on making a sequel, Hammett approached for the screenplay, and Bogart interested in a further outing as Spade, but all of them...
Total: 90
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AV Nirvana review by Michael Scott
Video: 80
The aging master on the 2010 Blu-ray was always considered really good back in the day, but nowadays I’d mark it down a good half star to 3.5/5 simply because mastering and authoring Blu-rays has gotten...
Audio: 80
Extras: 70
"The Maltese Falcon" "Sergeant York" Trailer "Warner Night at the Movies" "New Highlights of the Roosevelt Churchill Parley" (newsreel) "The Gay Parisian" (1941 WB short) "Meet John Doughboy" (1941 WB...
Movie: 100
Every cog in the proverbial wheel was in tune to create the best that they could, with Bogart front and center with Mary Astor, but also Warner Brothers suits working behind the scenes to pick up some...
Total: 90
This disc blows away the decade and a half (almost) old Blu-ray with the new transfer, and the iconic 2.0 Mono track is still preserved in lossless without any altering....
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AVS Forum review by Ralph Potts
Video: 90
For casual fans that already own the previous Blu-ray release, the decision to upgrade will depend the desire to own it in 4K. For devout fans this offering must be a part of your video library and is...
Audio: 80
I suspect that this track will allow those seeing it for the first time to experience it as close to if not better than those that saw it in the theater over 80 years ago....
Extras: 60
The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Brid • Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart • Breakdowns of 1941 (WB short) • Make-up Tests • 2/8/43...
Movie: 80
Academy Award winner Humphrey Bogart stars in this classic film noir as tough San Francisco private detective Sam Spade in the classic, convoluted story of Spade's involvement with a deadly band of international...
Total: 78
For casual fans that already own the previous Blu-ray release, the decision to upgrade will depend the desire to own it in 4K. For devout fans this offering must be a part of your video library and is...
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Blu-ray.com review by Randy Miller III
Video: 90
Far and away, the biggest upgrade here is in the area of mid-ranges and shadow detail; while the old Blu-ray invariably favored harsher tones and, in some cases, clearly boosted contrast levels, the UHD...
Audio: 70
Jeffrey Kauffman's comments about The Maltese Falcon's overall sonic aesthetic (seen in the linked review here) still apply here, and the short version is that the old Blu-ray's already-solid mix has been...
Extras: 90
The Maltese Falcon: One Magnificent Bird (32:05) Breakdowns of 1941 (12:53) Makeup Tests (1:16) Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart (44:45) Warner Night at the Movies (38:14)...
Movie: 100
This new restoration replaces the one seen on WB's 13 year-old Blu-ray (despite that much older disc being included in this combo pack, unfortunately), and it's an outstanding effort that truly makes The...
Total: 80
The lack of a matching remastered Blu-ray and a few exclusive bonus features are the only mild disappointments for what's otherwise a near-perfect home video release....
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Blu-ray Authority review by Matt Brighton
Video: 90
The Maltese Falcon is replete with unusual low camera angles and intricate setups that draw one into the film, and all I can say is that this presentation makes the most of Arthur Edeson’s smooth, velvety...
Audio: 80
Most signs of background hiss and noise have been cleaned up in the mastering process, which leaves a generally smooth quality to the soundtrack....
Extras: 60
Warner Night at the Movies – 1941 Short Subjects Gallery – Similar to that found on Treasure of the Sierra Madre....
Movie: 0
It’s easy enough in this era to picture what disinterest talk of a remake elicits from our weary hearts, with nearly everything in our multiplexes being a rehash in some form, so picture this: you are...
Total: 80
I personally prefer Casablanca or Treasure of the Sierra Madre, but no matter which you choose – it’s hard to go wrong....
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The Digital Bits review by Bill Hunt
Video: 100
When Greenstreet (astonishingly, seen here in his first film performance) explains the history of the Falcon, you’re drawn to his every word and it’s only after the scene is over that you realize he’s...
Audio: 85
Additional 2.0 mono Dolby Digital tracks are available in German, Spanish, and Portuguese, while subtitle options include English (for the Hearing Impaired), French, German (for the Hearing Impaired),...
Extras: 80
...
Movie: 100
It seems the sister came to town with a man named Floyd Thursby, so Spade’s partner Miles Archer (Jerome Cowan) agrees to tail Thursby, hoping to find her....
Total: 91
As successful as The Maltese Falcon was upon its release in 1941, it only hinted at the greatness of actor Humphrey Bogart, whose rise to stardom began with High Sierra, grew with this film, and launched...
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Do Blu review by Matt Paprocki
Video: 100
Definition even in the mid-range betters most modern releases, the suits, hair, and other details forever preserved from what is an absolutely perfect presentation....
Audio: 80
Serene DTS-HD mono gives the score surprising range for the age, the crisp highs impressive and the surprising drums even catching the low-end slightly....
Extras: 80
Breakdowns for 1941 is a compilation of bloopers from the various Warner films of the day, followed by some brief make-up tests....
Movie: 100
Maltese Falcon needs a hero though and will eventually have one, but that detail is held until the absolute end, presenting a morally righteous detective that stands as the decade’s best, if not the greatest...
Total: 90
Economical, twisty, and classy, Maltese Falcon provided a genre formula that’s never lost its ability to captivate an audience....
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High-Def Digest review by David Krauss
Video: 100
Yes, the softness that afflicts some shots remains and any fuzziness in the frame is amplified, but that's the nature of 4K UHD....
Audio: 90
The exquisite dialogue, even when it's recited with rapid-fire alacrity, is mostly easy to comprehend (a few phrases uttered by Lorre and Greenstreet notwithstanding), sonic accents like gunfire, screams,...
Extras: 100
Rather than opening with a discussion of the original novel or a chronicle of the film's production, Lax immediately launches into a litany of dry bios of actors and crew members, then follows up with...
Movie: 100
Sure, he takes a few liberties - softening Spade somewhat, cutting the final scene, and only hinting at another character's homosexuality (due, in part, to the era's rigid production code) - but the tone...
Total: 100
The Maltese Falcon stands as one Hollywood's finest Golden Age films and one of the best detective movies of all time, and Warner Home Video honors this priceless cinematic gem with a knockout 4K UHD HDR...
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Home Theater Forum review by Todd Erwin
Video: 100
Where this disc really shines is in how it handles contrast, providing deeper blacks and better controlled highlights that often appeared artificially boosted on the previous Blu-ray release....
Audio: 90
Warner has cleaned up the audio of The Maltese Falcon for this release, improving on what was already a rather impressive 80+ year old mono mix by further reducing any noticeable hiss that was present...
Extras: 80
UHD Disc Audio Commentary with Bogart Biographer Eric Lax Blu-ray Disc Warner Night at the Movies: Includes Sergeant York theatrical trailer (480i; 2:00), a Newsreel (480i; 1:25), The Gay Parisian short...
Movie: 100
Since the film’s success, it has been parodied, paid tribute to, and outright imitated but, like the film’s titular object of desire, it remains both untarnished and sought after by collectors....
Total: 90
...
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Why So Blu? review by Brandon Peters
Video: 90
It features a wonderful silver screen presentation with good clarity and fine detail in this image that lovingly showcases the best attributes of a noir features in this restored image....
Audio: 90
2.0 Mono Dolby DigitalSubtitles: English SDH, French, German SDH, Italian SDH, Spanish (Castilian), Dutch, Spanish (Latin American)Dynamics:...
Extras: 80
Hiawatha’s Rabbit Hunt (SD, 7:47) Meet John Doughboy (SD, 7:00)Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart (SD, 44:45)Breakdowns of 1941 (SD, 12:53)Makeup Tests (SD, 1:16)2/8/1943 Lux Radio Broadcast...
Movie: 100
The film only adds and rewards with repeat viewings and I agree still can impress to the uninitiated eye today, potentially acting as the gateway drug to a larger world of one of Hollywood history’s most...
Total: 90
Unfortunately they still haven’t been able to must up the ability to match the big DVD edition they did with the other 2 earlier film adaptations of the book included as extras....
Director: John Huston
Actors: Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Gladys George
PlotIn foggy San Francisco, tough and skeptical private detective Sam Spade and his partner Miles Archer are approached by a mysterious woman who identifies herself as Miss Wonderly. She requests their assistance in tracking down her missing sister, who she claims is involved with a man named Floyd Thursby. Enticed by her allure and the promise of a lucrative fee, they accept the case. However, that night, things take a dark turn when both Archer and Thursby are found dead. The police suspect Spade due to his affair with Archer's wife, Iva, but he maintains his innocence.
As Spade delves deeper into the investigation, he encounters an eccentric assortment of characters all with one thing in common: an obsessive desire to locate a priceless statuette — the title relic. Among these figures are the effete Joel Cairo, the corpulent Kasper Gutman, and his lackey Wilmer, as well as the bewitching Miss Wonderly, whose real name is revealed to be Brigid O'Shaughnessy. They all believe Spade possesses knowledge of the artifact's whereabouts. Entangled in a web of deceit, treachery, and murder, Spade must navigate shifting allegiances and his own code of ethics to unravel the mystery surrounding the coveted falcon.
Writers: John Huston, Dashiell Hammett
Release Date: 18 Oct 1941
Runtime: 100 min
Rating: Passed
Country: United States
Language: English