It's hard to avoid superlatives when writing about your favorite film of all time, so bear with me here if I tend to go overboard. The fact remains, however, that "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" contains what is arguably Humphrey Bogart's finest screen performance in a 25+-year career; one of John Huston's best directorial efforts; AND my favorite performance of all time--Walter Huston as the wise-with-experience prospector, Howard. For this terrific portrayal, Walter Huston won what is perhaps the most well-deserved Supporting Actor Oscar in the history of those dubious awards.
By now, everyone is familiar with the story of the three gold prospectors who go into the wilds of Mexico, only to be undone by gila monsters, banditos, and human and Mother Nature. This is perhaps the best (there's that word again) movie ever made on the subject of human greed...including the incredible 1925 von Streihem classic, "Greed" itself. The movie has so many quotable quotes--the "stinking badges" line is just one of dozens--and wonderful, classic moments, including a brutal fight in a cantina; the fight on the train with the banditos; Howard's jig when gold is finally discovered; the Bogart/Alfonso Bedoya conversation before the shootout; Bruce Bennett's arrival in the camp; and on and on and on. My personal favorite moment occurs when Howard looks straight into the camera as a pretty Mexican girl lights his cigar. The expression on his face is absolutely priceless. There is one extended sequence that takes place in a village where the banditos have come to sell their stolen burros. The entire scene is performed in Spanish, which I don't speak at all, but such is the power of the directing and the storytelling that no subtitles are required to understand precisely what is going on. This picture is a true American classic, and a wonderful retelling of a terrific Traven novel (which I also highly recommend). It seems to me that I may have given Humphrey Bogart (my favorite actor) insufficient praise in this minireview. The truth is, the actor's portrayal of a man transforming from a decent and generous human being into a venal and dangerous sociopath is little short of miraculous. This is a much more interesting performance than the one Bogart won his only Oscar for, three years later--as Charlie Allnut in "The African Queen." Go figure. To conclude, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" is that rarity: a perfect motion picture. If you're about to see it for the first time, I envy you; if you're about to see it for the 30th time with undiminished pleasure, then you're like me. 10/10
By now, everyone is familiar with the story of the three gold prospectors who go into the wilds of Mexico, only to be undone by gila monsters, banditos, and human and Mother Nature. This is perhaps the best (there's that word again) movie ever made on the subject of human greed...including the incredible 1925 von Streihem classic, "Greed" itself. The movie has so many quotable quotes--the "stinking badges" line is just one of dozens--and wonderful, classic moments, including a brutal fight in a cantina; the fight on the train with the banditos; Howard's jig when gold is finally discovered; the Bogart/Alfonso Bedoya conversation before the shootout; Bruce Bennett's arrival in the camp; and on and on and on. My personal favorite moment occurs when Howard looks straight into the camera as a pretty Mexican girl lights his cigar. The expression on his face is absolutely priceless. There is one extended sequence that takes place in a village where the banditos have come to sell their stolen burros. The entire scene is performed in Spanish, which I don't speak at all, but such is the power of the directing and the storytelling that no subtitles are required to understand precisely what is going on. This picture is a true American classic, and a wonderful retelling of a terrific Traven novel (which I also highly recommend). It seems to me that I may have given Humphrey Bogart (my favorite actor) insufficient praise in this minireview. The truth is, the actor's portrayal of a man transforming from a decent and generous human being into a venal and dangerous sociopath is little short of miraculous. This is a much more interesting performance than the one Bogart won his only Oscar for, three years later--as Charlie Allnut in "The African Queen." Go figure. To conclude, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" is that rarity: a perfect motion picture. If you're about to see it for the first time, I envy you; if you're about to see it for the 30th time with undiminished pleasure, then you're like me. 10/10
