AFI Top 100: #38
Greed is a theme very often explored in many films and one that can actually become tiring. People get what they have coming for them, money is evil, and our economic situation is the cause for much hatred throughout the world: all of these have been seen in countless movies and while they always seem to get one over on the audience, it's difficult to look past the tropes. John Huston's The Treasure of the Sierra Madre might have all of these tropes contained within its script but it also contains some of the most original and actually interesting characters of the genre that I have seen. Inspiring both financial films of today and the aesthetic of the classic Indiana Jones franchise, there is so much about this movie that I find easy to gawk over. Huston has inarguably created a classic addition to American cinema with this film and this is easily my favorite work of his that he has ever done.
Two homeless Americans living in Mexico named Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) and Curtin (Tim Holt) hear from the locals that a nearby mountain range might be rich for prospecting gold. They recruit the experience of an old man named Howard (Walter Huston) to help them search it out and along the way run into bandits, rival prospectors, and harsh weather in their search to find the hidden treasure. The most prevalent theme that courses throughout this film's veins is undeniable and unavoidable greed. There is really not that much else to expect when it comes to a film surrounding the world of gold prospecting but it is told by Huston and author B. Traven (who wrote the novel this film is based on) incredibly efficiently. Since greed plays such a big part in this film, it is even foreshadowed in one of the opening scenes of Dobbs and Curtin meeting Howard for the first time. Howard casually states that people, regardless of how good-natured they are, will always turn on each other whether it be violent or not. Howard warns them all from his own experience (and from being on both sides of the argument) that it will inevitably happen and whether or not it is justified, someone will always succumb to the greed. This opening scene is so important because it practically lays out the plot of the rest of the film while Huston continues to deliver little surprises in regard to plot twists. Perspective is also one of the most critical things to remember during this film because, in a sense, each man was right. They all wanted at least a portion of the gold and would do whatever it took but it really boiled down to who was the better man. As Curtin and Howard proved to be the strongest, the audience sees quite the psychological downfall of Dobbs. This decline is portrayed beautifully by Bogart and his performance absolutely helps to cement this film as one of the best examples of western greed.
John Huston's direction over the course of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is phenomenal and the way that he calmly lays out clues for the development of each character was fascinating. Like mentioned before, the dangers of greed were laid out by Howard and Dobbs ultimately fell victim to them by being nonchalant about it never happening to him. While this was an obvious story device for Huston to utilize, I adored the development in both Curtin and Howard as well. They proved to be the actual beating hearts of this story and their path makes way for an excellent and genuinely emotional ending. Which is strange considering that Humphrey Bogart was one of the biggest up and coming stars of the time and to put him in a more degenerative role was incredibly clever, however shocking it might be to modern audiences. Curtin and Howard both got what they wanted in the latter finding a home with the Native Americans and the former traveling to Dallas to get in touch with the wife of a late prospecting partner. While they might have learned the generic lesson of how money does not really matter and that what matters most is who you are as a person even with the temptation of wealth, this message came across loud and clear and it was done simply but beautifully by Huston. Tim Holt and Walter Huston's performances were also fantastic and they embodied their roles in such an obviously charming fashion. The cinematography by Ted D. McCord stood out to me immensely and his use of framing to reveal parts of the film's visual storytelling was outstanding. So many shots told one story and with a single pan over, revealed it to be different and that motif throughout the film never ceased to be entertaining. It also works very well given the western-inspired genre and leads to this movie becoming the framework for such films as Raiders of the Lost Ark amongst countless other adventure films.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a perfect film in and out and I adored everything from the performances to the iconic line delivery about badges to the way that it inspired one of my favorite films of all time. However, the greatest thing about this film isn't the way it was shot or the way it was directed: it's how no matter how selfless of a person you are or even how atrocious you can be to your fellow people, you will always get what is coming to you and that takeaway continues to influence writers and directors up to today.
My Rating: ★★★★★
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