My friend got me into the Maltese Falcon. After reading the
book twice and viewing the movie three times, I have realized
that the story has a sublte but deeper theme. Sexuality. Gay
sex. Straight sex.
An article is Wikipedia
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Maltese_Falcon>reveals
the key--the gunsel. Joe Cairo was obviously gay, but the
gayness goes beyond Cairo. Sam Spade repeatedly refers to
Wilmer as "gunsel." I thought the term related to gun. Since
the Maltese Falcon was filmed, the term has come to mean a
petty crook and gunman. It turns out that an older meaning of
the word is a young gay man who takes care of (or services)
an older gay man. That term explains a lot.
In the movie, Sam Spade abuses and demeans Wilmer. Sam Spade
takes pleasure in beating up Joel Cairo. In the movie, Sam
Spade shows an evil grin while hassling Wilmer and speaking
to Joel Cairo. It originally occurred to me that Caspar
Gutman may have been gay, but primarily he was a wealthy
collector and probably a lawyer. Now it all comes together.
Wilmer was the gunsel for Gutman. Even if the relationship
was not sexual, Wilmer was more than a body guard. The
relationship of Wilmer to Gutman is about bonding.
The story is full of sexual tension. The promiscuously
heterosexual Sam Spade beating up the gay Wilmer and Joel
Cairo. The competition for the Black Bird between the flaming
heterosexual Brigid O'Shaughnessay and the gay Caspar Gutman.
The straight team of Sam Spade and Brigid O'Shaughnessy
versus the gay team of Joel Cairo, Caspar Gutman and
Wilmer.
Caspar Gutman is the most interesting character. I like his
laugh and how he avoids answering questions. Imagine him on a
witness stand. Maybe Wilmer and Cairo follow him for the
money--but maybe for more.
Then, there is the sexual tension around Sam Spade. Sam Spade
is unfaithful to a succession of women--- Effie, Iva and
Brigid (who he sells out to the cops)---all in 90 minutes of
film.
Beating up people because they are gay is evil. Sam Spade is
evil. Unlike other Bogart characters, there is nothing heroic
about him.
Does anyone have any thoughts on the sexual angle of the
Maltese Falcon?
-- Gra
AARON FINESTONE
Visit my websites: www.microbrewjournalism.com www.themightyzed.com www.usshermitage.com
and my blogs: babagafish.blogspot.com themightyzed.blogspot.com
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