"The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" - Film Review

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is the tale of three men who go seeking gold in the mountains of Mexico and discover gold, yes, but something much bleaker as well. It's a story that becomes more compelling and darkly philosophical as it moves further along. Built on themes about greed, madness, and betrayal, Sierra Madre is a deliberately paced film that explores some of the darker elements about isolation and money-seeking.

The film has the quality of film's like Apocalypse Now. There's a journey that unfolds slowly, at times surreally. We have an idea of where this is going but the story keeps unfolding with a feverish intensity. There's a exceptional character study at the heart of the film, particularly of Humphrey Bogart's Fred C. Dobbs. Events conspire to pull at the frayed strands of Dobbs' psyche.  

The film is carried by the sharp dialogue of John Huston's script and the great performances of the three leads, including Tim Holt, Walter Huston (John Huston's father), and, most memorably, Bogart. Bogart as Dobbs, the most paranoid and desperate of the three, was born to speak this dialogue which crackles with his pronunciations, even as it also starts to sicken. Huston is also great as Howard, the old-time prospector whose seen it all, and acts as foil to Dobbs.

The film is fantastic at conveying the overwhelming sense of inevitability of the events that occur, which play out like a morbid Greek tragedy. Dobbs claims early on that he'd get a little bit of gold and get out before the desire for more overcame him, and in that moment we can foresee where this is all headed.

On one level, the whole film is a giant morality tale. A number of scenes are clearly staged on studio sets and there's a studio vibe to it at times (Much was filmed on location, though the night scenes weren't) - especially Howard's time spent in an Indian paradise. But it's also surprisingly dark for a studio film of this time.

Director John Huston does a phenomenal job of pacing and structuring this, and filling it with a keen attention to detail (The gold mining takes place a fair amount of time in after we've gotten to know the characters and see just how desperate they are). Blackly funny, adventurous, and wonderfully melancholy, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a classic.

Grade: A