- John Huston won the Academy Award(R) for writing and directing this powerful saga that pits gold and greed in the wilds of Mexico and stars his father (Walter Huston) and Humphrey Bogart. Year: 1948 Director: John Huston Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim HoltRunning Time: 126 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR Age: 012569581623 UPC: 0125695816
John Huston won the Academy Award(R) for writing and directing this powerful saga that pits gold and greed in the wilds of Mexico and stars his father (Walter Huston) and Humphrey Bogart. Year: 1948 Director: John Huston Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim HoltRanked at No. 30 on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 all-time greatest American films, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a genuine masterpiece that was, ironically, a box-office failure when released in 1948. At that time audiences didn’t accept Humphrey Bogart in a role that was intentionally unappealing, but time has proven this to be one of Bogart’s very best performances. It’s a grand adventure and a superior character study built around the timeless themes of greed and moral corruption. As adapted by writer-director John Huston (from a novel by enigmatic author B. Traven) it became a definitive treatment of fate and futility in the obsessive pursuit of wealth. Bogart plays Fred C. Dobbs, a down-and-out wage-worker in Mexico who stakes his meager earnings on a gold-prospecting expedition to the Sierra mountains. He’s joined by a grizzled old prospector (Walter Huston, the director’s father) and a young, no-nonsense partner (Tim Holt), and when they strike a rich vein of gold, the movie becomes an observant study of wretched human behavior. Bogart is fiercely intense as his character grows increasingly paranoid and violent; Huston offers a compelling contrast as a weathered miner who’s seen how gold can turn men into monsters.
From its lively opening scenes (featuring young Robert Blake as a boy selling lottery tickets) to its final, devastating image of fateful irony, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre tells an unforgettable story of tragedy and truth. With dialogue that has been etched into the cultural consciousness (who can forget the Mexican bandit who snarls “I don’t have to show you any stinking badges!”) and well-earned Oscars for John and Walter Huston, this is an American classic that still packs a punch. –Jeff Shannon
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March 20, 2008
#1
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is like taking a bus trip with someone who has needed a bath for a long time. It’s not merely bad; it’s unpleasant in a hostile way. The dialogue is inane, the acting wooden. This is just a lumbering, poorly photographed piece of derivative drivel, full of grunting extras scampering around in animal pelts and more dank, trash-strewn sets than I ever care to see again. Humphrey Bogart overacts, and this is an understatement. He chews up so much scenery he probally got indigestion when filming was done. Anyone who questions this movie’s distinction as being one of the worst of the 20th century, has a few screws loose. A crime against celluloid.
March 20, 2008
#2
John Huston was a very smug, pompous man, and his films reflect a lot of his attitude. Treasure of the Sierra Madre is missing the emotional scope that many many imbue it with — in its place is a totally hammy performance by Bogart, a terrible Max Steiner score, and a lame take on greed. I find it an oddly disturbing film to watch because it portends to be so much, yet always keeps a macho distance from its characters. Bogart’s portrayal of Dobbs has the ring of untruth to it, and when this overweening character finally gets his own — it doesn’t feel like a great cinematic moment. This is a film I have tried to like for years and years. Also, the cinematography is wholly lacking — everything is staged like a 50s TV show. Oh the more I write about it the more I realize how much it stinks.
March 21, 2008
#3
Everything about this package is excellent. The only qualm, it’s not a widescreen edition. Movies like this are made to be viewed in widescreen format with the complete director’s framing (hence, only 4 stars out of 5). Still, it’s one of the classics necessary to support a collection.
March 21, 2008
#4
This is a good movie for John Huston,Boggie,and Bogie gave second best performance next to “Maltese Falcon”. “Maltese Falcon” is another collabaration of Boggie and J.Huston which was a very influencial movie,and it had a similar theme(GREED).
Even thongh Treasure of Sierra Madre described greed of a human being and Boggie gave one of his best performance it is not a great movie(only good).The reason is director J.Huston whitewashed the politics of the original story. When Maltese Falcon was released the description of human greed was okay without politics,real situation. Several years after Maltese Falcon was released he made Treasure of… with the same theme without politics. Greed is not good,but he had to describe the GREED in details including many elements. He described greed too simply,neutrally.
March 21, 2008
#5
This movie is good, but surely not a classic its made out to be.
The transformation of Humphrey Bogart from a decent, hard-working
guy in to a greedy, blood-thirsty man who wouldnt think twice about betraying his close friends is too abrupt.Its like you missed an important section of the film, I watched it again to make sure I didnt.
A fair amount of the film is in Spanish with no sub-titles.
Good for one watch , might get boring after that.