Best movie MacGuffins.

Batutta

Batutta

Major Contributor
Was watching The Maltese Falcon, and started thinking what were the best movie MacGuffins. For the unschooled--

MacGuffin; a plot element that catches the viewers' attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction.

It's surprising how many of my favorite films have a great MacGuffin. Here's my list--

1. The Maltese Falcon. Possibly the first great movie MacGuffin. It's the stuff dreams are made of.

2. The Ark of the Covenant. An army which carries the ark before it, is invincible.

3. The One Ring in Lord of the Rings.

4. The Case in Pulp Fiction.

5. The Death Star plans in Star Wars.

6. The Microfilm in North By Northwest.

7. Letters of transit in Casablanca. No such thing actually existed by hey, who cares?

8. The money case in No Country For Old Men.

9. Dirk Diggler's wang in Boogie Nights. (alright I'm not sure if it qualifies).
 
Batutta said:
1. The Maltese Falcon. Possibly the first great movie MacGuffin.
Click to expand...

Have to disagree with you there.... by about a month. :)
one word.


Rosebud.


EDITED TO ADD:
I had to look it up to make sure.
Maltese Falcon was released in Oct of 1941, Citizen Kane was released in Sep of 1941
 
Luis Caffesse said:
Have to disagree with you there.... by about a month. :)
one word.


Rosebud.


EDITED TO ADD:
I had to look it up to make sure.
Maltese Falcon was released in Oct of 1941, Citizen Kane was released in Sep of 1941
Click to expand...

I've always had a hard time thinking of rosebud as a MacGuffin because nobody in the film knows what it is. I suppose that doesn't disqualify it.
 
Batutta said:
Was watching The Maltese Falcon, and started thinking what were the best movie MacGuffins. For the unschooled--

MacGuffin; a plot element that catches the viewers' attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction.

It's surprising how many of my favorite films have a great MacGuffin. Here's my list--

1. The Maltese Falcon. Possibly the first great movie MacGuffin. It's the stuff dreams are made of.

2. The Ark of the Covenant. An army which carries the ark before it, is invincible.

3. The One Ring in Lord of the Rings.

4. The Case in Pulp Fiction.

5. The Death Star plans in Star Wars.

6. The Microfilm in North By Northwest.

7. Letters of transit in Casablanca. No such thing actually existed by hey, who cares?

8. The money case in No Country For Old Men.

9. Dirk Diggler's wang in Boogie Nights. (alright I'm not sure if it qualifies).
Click to expand...

I was always to understand the following about the Macguffin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The element that distinguishes a MacGuffin from other types of plot devices is that it is not important what the object specifically is. Anything that serves as a motivation will do. The MacGuffin might even be ambiguous. Its importance is accepted by the story's characters, but it does not actually have any effect on the story. It can be generic or left open to interpretation.

The MacGuffin is common in films, especially thrillers. Commonly, though not always, the MacGuffin is the central focus of the film in the first act, and later declines in importance as the struggles and motivations of characters play out. Sometimes the MacGuffin is all but forgotten by the end of the film.

Most of these films I would disagree as being MG's

The Ark, The Deathstar, The Ring ....

All of these have an effect on the story outcome
 
Ronin... the case.

"What's in the case?"

They never tell us.


Battlestar Galactica... Earth

Adama pretends he knows the way to Earth and the 13th Tribe, so as to give the fleet hope.
 
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