Review of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) by John M — 10 Nov 2016

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a brilliant film for many reasons. It's a beautifully looking film shot on location in Mexico, a true testament to the greatness that was Humphrey Bogart, and most of all, it's an unsettling tale of what greed can do to your soul. Out of all the characters in the movie, there are only a few that appear to have good intentions. But even those people, are fueled by greed or rage at some point or another. All of them go through fascinating journeys of either self-discovery or self-betrayal. Although it's a film that takes its time with its characters and story, there isn't a moment where I felt the film's pace needed to be picked up. That was just simply the way films were told back in the 40's. You're always in it for the long haul with these characters, even when there doesn't seem to be much left to the main character's souls.

If I had to go through Bogart's career of award worthy performances (surprisingly, he was only nominated 3 times), his turn as Dobbs may be my favorite performance of his, and yes that includes The African Queen. There's something to be said about him moving away from his usual gloomy and somber characters to one that completely jumps off the rails. But it fits in with the increasingly unhinged tone of the film, so Bogart would get my vote. He, along with John Huston's directing are why this is one of the most interesting pieces of cinema from the 40's. It's one of the rare films with mostly unlikable characters that actually works. That deserves some props.

8.5/10.