ups, underscoring the claustrophobic energy in the room. Whether the two cops Polhaus

and Dundy sit across from Spade, as if interrogating him, or the three characters gather

around to have a drink, the images portray the sparse interior typical of films noirs.

Spade's apartment reveals a tough, masculine style that simultaneously emphasizes noir's

minimalist aesthetic in close interior spaces.26 Every shot is carefully composed-from

the massive leather chair that Dundy occupies rather awkwardly, to the unmade bed

where Spade sits with his back to the camera, to the strategically placed lamp on a side

table that permits ominous shadows, only narratively significant details appear in each

frame.


Figure 3-3: The detective becomes a suspect: "you fellows trying to rope me made me
 nervous"