"The Maltese Falcon".

Essay by omnidragon42High School, 12th gradeA-, September 2003

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The Personality of Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon

Sam Spade in the 1940's detective movie The Maltese Falcon is an interesting and dynamic character. He is the main character in the movie, a detective searching for a statue of a black bird known as the Maltese Falcon. At the beginning of the movie, Sam seems to be a nice guy. This, however, changes drastically by the time the movie is finished. I feel that Sam Spade is a sneaky character who uses deception and trickery to get what he wants and what is best for him.

Sam Spade uses his sly tongue and way of dealing with people to manipulate them. In several scenes of the movie, Sam talks his way out of a difficult situation with great ease and finesse. For example, when the policemen show up at his house, accusing him of the murder of his partner, Sam gets them off his back simply by talking so quickly to a point where it overwhelms them.

Similarly, Sam deals with Joel Cairo by acting calm when he is held at gunpoint, but then swiftly changing his situation by stealing the gun away. Near the end of the movie, Sam figures out a way to deal with Mr. Gutman by talking his way around his bodyguards. He also deceives Bridgid in a manner such as this, making her think that he loves her, when in the end, he's just looking out for himself.

Sam is a cocky individual, but this does not come without cause, as he is confident and capable. In the scene with Joel Cairo in Sam's office, Sam is able to calmly take the gun that Cairo was pointing at him away. He also demonstrates this ability on his way to Mr. Gutman's room, while being...