Review of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) by Jeff Q — 20 Feb 2008

First off, The Treasure of The Sierra Madre isn't my kind of western. The story is dialogue driven and I like my westerns to be atmosphere/situationally driven. So, how does the film stack up as pure entertainment? The main story arc of what happens to desparate men in the face of good times and adversity is decent.

The locations, sets, and ancillary characters are top notch and really give the film an authentic feel, which is rare for films from this time period. The film's direction does treat it's audience as children by spelling out every little plot detail, although.

The finished product would be helped out be reducing every scene by 20%. You know how some films add needless scenes. Well Treasure of The Sierra Madre doesn't really have any needless scenes, but each and every scene drags on to the point of exhaustion.