The Maltese Falcon 1941 Ending Explained

**Spoiler Alert: The following contains spoilers for the ending of “The Maltese Falcon.“** After a series of twists and turns throughout the movie, the story reaches its climax when all the main characters converge in a dramatic showdown at Sam Spade's office. The key players in the hunt for the elusive Maltese Falcon are Sam Spade (played by Humphrey Bogart), Brigid O'Shaughnessy (played by Mary Astor), Joel Cairo (played by Peter Lorre), and Casper Gutman (played by Sydney Greenstreet). Brigid O'Shaughnessy, who initially hired Sam to help her find the falcon, is revealed to be more deeply involved in the scheme than Sam had suspected. She confesses that the falcon is a priceless artifact she seeks to possess, and she has been manipulating Sam and others to get it for herself. Casper Gutman, a wealthy and unscrupulous man, is the mastermind behind the quest for the Maltese Falcon. He, along with Joel Cairo, has been pursuing the valuable statue for years. Gu