Review of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) by Chris W — 19 Nov 2011

I can't believe it took me so long to finally see this. I'm sure glad I finally got artound to it though. This is, without a doubt, one of the most influential adventure movies ever made (especially on the Indiana Jones series, though it's not the only influence on those).

The film concerns a couple of down and out drifters in Tampico, Mexico who join up with a wily old man to go out on a treasure hunt for gold in order to better themselves, but encounter many troubles along the way such as the elements, bandits, and most dangerous of all, themselves. This is a wonderful study of greed and paranoia, but despite the heavy and dark themes, it's done in a very light and entertaining fashion, even though it is a morality tale.

Shot almost entirly on location, this has some great cinematography and everything just looks fantastic, no matter how ugly things get. Max Steiner's score likewise enhances the mood and makes the already epic adventure even more so. If not for it's cautionary message, I'd say this film would be quite great at inspiring people to go out on their own adventures.

All of the above are great, but it's the acting that really seals the deal for me. Humphrey Bogart, great guy that he is, really shines in a change of pace role as the disreputable antihero Dobbs who gets increasingly paranoid and dangerous as the film progresses. Tim Holt is really good as his likeable companion Holt, but the real scene stealer is director John Huston's own father Walter as the old timer Howard who, despite predicting that toruble would ensue, goes along anyway, showing that you're never too old for an adventure. All these guys are great, but Huston was the won who walked away with an Oscar for his efforts, and he deserved it too. He's just a joy to watch.

Watching this today, the film might not seem as fresh and amazing, but it is quite watchable and avery entertaining. I really dug it though, and think it holds up quite well. Definitely give this one a shot. It's one of the greats.