The Maltese Falcon - 7

This is the best detective/mystery film I have seen. It is riveting. Because it is from 1941 and made for a different audience it is hard to know what is going to happen next. The story follows a private eye, played by Humphrey Bogart, whose partner is shot and is drawn into the conspiracy for the ancient treasure of the Maltese Falcon. As with any treasure everyone is only as honest as they need to be for their own self-interest. The film has a few crosses and double-crosses, and a surprise ending. The dialogue is very well written and the characters are well developed. This is apparently the first of the film noir genre, although I think later films take this genre a lot further.