Review of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) by Trent J — 09 Apr 2008

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is one of the finest adventure films ever created. More than just thrills, this film is wonderfully directed and perfectly acted with excellent performances from Humphrey Bogart and Walter Huston. Tim Holt holds his own as the third wheel but is vastly overshadowed. Bogart plays a character unlike most of his others. He shines when his character turns into the paranoid, deceiving, and greedy man that he isn't at the start of the film. This film brilliantly shows the exploits of greed on a small group of men. It can change a man, even if they swear that it won't, as Dobbs (Bogart) states before the men's expedition. Walter Huston is great as the grizzled veteran of the wild.

This film has the perfect combination of thrills, confrontation, dialogue, and character study. John Huston did a great job exploring the wilderness of the situation giving this a true epic adventure feel. The men face off against each other and the dangerous forces of nature and the territory. This is done in true western spirit. This is a must see film, if only for the brilliant acting. You'll also of course get to answer the question of how far you would go to have it all.