The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Review

Continuing my stay in the era of Classic Hollywood, we have number 94 on the top 1000 films of all time: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) and Curtin (Tim Holt) are two Americans in Mexico, down on their luck.  They encounter Howard (Walter Huston) a veteran, ageing gold-miner.  Having little other option they decide to try their luck prospecting gold in the remote Sierra Madre mountains- a dangerous area crawling with bandits and federales.  Yet the biggest danger proves to be themselves.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is the ultimate tale of the corrupting influence of greed.  Dobb's story-arc is fascinating to watch, as he transforms from a pitiful, yet sympathetic protagonist to a selfish, paranoid antagonist.  In the beginning it is possible to feel sorry for him, as he has to ask strangers to treat a "fellow American to a meal." But as the film progresses and the promise of a big payout increase, Dobbs becomes ruthless and agitated, ready to kill anyone in his way.  Al credit goes to Humphrey Bogart for this great performance; Dobbs' transformation is entirely believable and quite true to life, I think,

Dobb's antagonist climaxes in his attempted murder of Curtin.  Curtin is a great character and Holt and Bogart play well off each other.  What makes their relationship so good is how in some ways, they are reflections of each other.  Both of them start off in the same pitiful position, but Curtin keeps a grip on his humanity, whilst Dobbs slowly devolves.  Dobbs symbolises the greed and selfishness of the gold rush era and Curtin is more indicative of the opportunity and wanderlust that it cold bring.

Rounding off our trio we have Howard, the ageing, world-weary gold prospector who joins Dobbs and Curtin for one last adventure.  To some extent, Howard is light relief, but he's also the neutral party.  Dobbs and Curtin are motivated by money, but for Howard, it's his love of prospecting and the Mexican landscape.  He proves an invaluable resource when it comes to identifying the best areas for prospecting and for defending the camp against Mexican bandits and federales.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is set in the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution, which made an interesting backdrop.  It isn't an area of history that I know a lot about, so it was interesting seeing it through the eyes of our heroes.  Although, for the most part, the bandits are a background threat, their presence is felt throughout the film.

Although by today's standards, the Treasure of the Sierra Madre is nothing new, it was still done well.  Even in monochrome, the visuals are strong, the context interesting and Bogart gives one of his best performances.  Having said that, the only other thing I've seen him in is Casablanca.