Review: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Directed by: John Huston

Written by: John Huston

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt, Bruce Bennett, Barton MacLane

Rating: [5/5]

There’s a reason the saying of money being the root of all people exists, seeing as the pursuit of it brings the worst out of people. The promise of what it brings pushes individuals down dangerous paths merely because of what the money represents and not the tender itself. This issue presented itself many times during the pursuit of gold because it mixed a sense of desperation with the excitement of going from nothing to incredibly rich. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre captures this sentiment expertly well as we get into all of the grunge involved in this tale of deceit. 

After getting the raw end of a deal in a labor deal, Fred C. Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) and Bob Curtin (Tim Holt) get presented an opportunity to achieve riches by an older gentleman named Howard (Walter Huston). As they reach their destination and find success in finding the gold, the paranoia begins to build to a precarious degree. 

Viewing this feature by its general structure finds something quite simple and understandable during a time when poverty contained its harshness and the promise of riches drove men to the brink of sanity. When these men find the gold, it comes as a major achievement and something they have worked tirelessly to retrieve. Something they have dreamed about and getting to it comes with a sense of euphoria. Finding gold in this time promises a more comfortable future and an escape from the vagrancy that has ailed the men in this story. However, obtaining the gold occurs fairly early on in the film, because the feature rightfully has bigger aims, which centers on what transpires between these men when the gold sits right in their hands and just how quickly they begin to turn on each other. 

One could tell the story of these three men and the glorious journey of getting to their dream of finding this gold, which would hold its entertainment value but John Huston knew the real potential of this story taken from a novel of the same name. This mostly happens through the character of Fred C. Dobbs impressively portrayed by Humphrey Bogart. He has the most paranoid mind of them all we can ascertain for differing reasons, which includes the experience he just came across where he was promised to receive compensation of $8 a day but was swindled away from. Already on high alert, this opportunity makes him ensure not only will he not get taken advantage of again but in the end, those who are willing to do the unpleasant actions can win out by the end. This occurred with the man who originally swindled him and he now has the opportunity to do the same. 

Fred, as a character has this gruff look to him as someone who has seen many winters and has grown tired of it. He has turned into a bit of a curmudgeon but he certainly knows how to work, and that cannot be taken away from him. Humphrey Bogart getting cast in this role makes for such a fascinating decision because of the preconceived notions we have of him as an actor and the type of characters he plays. When thinking of this legendary actor, the roles that most likely initially come to mind center on being this cool and suave character like in Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon but with this feature, he plays completely against type. Not only does not operate as the hero of this story but the man displays a level of evil in his actions that must have thrown audiences for quite the loop when this film first saw its release. He truly goes all in with the troubled nature of this character and certainly, he displays his flexibility as a performer where I had no idea what the man would do next and it only made it more disconcerting because it’s Bogart right at the center of it. Bogart as Fred does not exist to solve the problems but rather to cause them. 

This, obviously, differs from what Bob and Howard represent in this feature and how they get caught up in this situation. Howard represents this old-timer with the proper knowledge and know-how to find this opportunity with them while Bob adds in his youthful inexperience and energy to the table. In moments you can see how great these three men can work together, but the gold, once mined, causes all of the issues here. However, much of this comes as a one-sided viewpoint specifically from Fred, the one who sits right in the middle in terms of age but heeds much of the angst the film brings. The interpersonal battle between them brings much of the drama the feature has to offer, but it’s certainly not the only thing presenting problems in the overall narrative. 

As much as these men have these battles amongst each other, several external factors continually peer their heads in and make things difficult for these men, which includes Gold Hat and his gang. They enter and leave the story in different spritz but they definitely contribute to the issues plaguing these men and further add to the paranoia and distrust between them. In the moments with this gang, this feature goes fully into the genre bringing entertaining standoffs and showing off the landscape of their surrounding. They add a different element to the story making Fred worry about more than just the other two men he has mined the gold with. 

Thoroughly engaging throughout and a fascinating tale of the intersection between greed and paranoia, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre stands as a towering work in the Western genre. The brilliance in characterization mixed with the joy, anger, and fear that comes with this journey makes what stands as my favorite film in this genre. Humphrey Bogart enters this film and puts together a performance that ranks highly within a filmography already containing masterworks in acting. This feature did not let up in ratcheting up the tension of this circumstance and how it ends well and truly accentuates the points it sought to make by putting a nice bow on it all.