The Maltese Falcon - Film Noir Analysis

'Fool's Gold' John Huston 1941

It begins with the establishing long-shot of  a Bridge and the city of San Francisco in the background- this is to let the audience know/establish the location in which 'The Maltese Falcon' is filmed, as well as letting them know on-screen in text which is a common convention of a teaser trailer.

There is a voice over a woman who says the word 'San Francisco' in a sentence as it appears on screen. her voice is gentle and forgiving, the audience would immediately associate her as the femme fatale. The scene has dull lighting, which sets an atmosphere for the audience to experience, it's also an enigma code as to what the rest of the trailer beholds.

The woman who is giving the voice over is revealed to the audience, she is the femme fatale. she seems to be an innocent character, the high key lighting on her face would suggest this. She is asking for help, this is a common element of the femme fatale.

The gunshot which the audience will hear and see next, sets off the trailer. Throughout, most shots are quick, snapshots to give the audience only a brief insight to the film being produced.

This shot shows several traditional codes and conventions of Film Noir. the first is the lighting, its not high key however it creates shadows on the walls and furniture, also the cigars the men are holding and the whiskey in crystal glasses, this suggests the men in this shot have a wealthy lifestyle.