The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

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Cast & Crew

Humphrey Bogart
Fred C. Dobbs

Walter Huston
Howard

Tim Holt
Bob Curtin

Bruce Bennett
James Cody

Barton MacLane
Pat McCormick

Alfonso Bedoya
Gold Hat

John Huston
Director

Jack L. Warner
Executive Producer

Henry Blanke
Producer

Buddy Kaye
Original Music

Max Steiner
Original Music

Ted D. McCord
Cinematographer

Owen Marks
Film Editor

John Hughes
Art Direction

Richard Maybery
Assistant Director

B. Traven
Writer (Novel)

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Critic Reviews for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Audience Reviews for The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

• Mar 27, 2021

  As fresh today as it was when it was released in 1948. Greed is the film's central theme, but the story digs out much more. Walter Huston was rewarded with an Oscar, but his performance as Howard, the wise prospector, transcends awards. Director John Huston masterfully constructs his visuals with a depth of information and focus that makes repeated viewings more and more powerful.
  

  Aldo G Super Reviewer
• Mar 23, 2018

  Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, and Tim Holt are three guys who are down on their luck and turn to prospecting for gold in a rugged part of Mexico known for its bandits. You can practically feel the heat and sweat through the screen, and Bogart's face is covered in grime for most of the movie. He turns in a brilliant performance, and it's right from the beginning, when he splashes water in a kid's face for harassing him about buying a lottery ticket. Walter Huston, directed by his son John, is fantastic as well, as the experienced old man who can scale hills like a goat, and who knows human nature after having seen men around gold over his lifetime. Bogart and Holt's characters seem so reasonable, but his words at the beginning are an omen. The way John Huston tells the story, though, is far from simple. Bogart's evolution through the film is intense and yet nuanced. It could easily have become a caricature, but didn't. I had a few small criticisms, though they didn't stop me from enjoying the film. It seemed to me that the gunfight scenes fell into old clichés, and the music was too intrusive at times. Also, the scene of the white man reviving the native boy, much to a crowd's appreciation as if he were a savior, seems like an overdone Caucasian fantasy to me. On the other hand, the tight shots on the natives, as well as the frequent use of untranslated Spanish throughout the film, were fantastic. I also loved how it was shot on location in Mexico, as that really translated in the cinematic experience. The dialogue throughout the film is great, and it's of course famous for its line from the leader of the bandits (Alfonso Bedoya), who says "Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinkin' badges!" I really enjoyed some rather stark events that were rather shocking, but what really made the film for me was its commentary on humanity. We see the inevitability of fighting over wealth play out in several ways. We see greed become so strong that paranoia grows like a cancer in the soul. And we see the enlightened reaction to it all, borne from having become wise with age, and that is, to understand your fellow man and laugh at life's misfortunes.
  Antonius B Super Reviewer
• Nov 10, 2016

  The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a brilliant film for many reasons. It's a beautifully looking film shot on location in Mexico, a true testament to the greatness that was Humphrey Bogart, and most of all, it's an unsettling tale of what greed can do to your soul. Out of all the characters in the movie, there are only a few that appear to have good intentions. But even those people, are fueled by greed or rage at some point or another. All of them go through fascinating journeys of either self-discovery or self-betrayal. Although it's a film that takes its time with its characters and story, there isn't a moment where I felt the film's pace needed to be picked up. That was just simply the way films were told back in the 40's. You're always in it for the long haul with these characters, even when there doesn't seem to be much left to the main character's souls. If I had to go through Bogart's career of award worthy performances (surprisingly, he was only nominated 3 times), his turn as Dobbs may be my favorite performance of his, and yes that includes The African Queen. There's something to be said about him moving away from his usual gloomy and somber characters to one that completely jumps off the rails. But it fits in with the increasingly unhinged tone of the film, so Bogart would get my vote. He, along with John Huston's directing are why this is one of the most interesting pieces of cinema from the 40's. It's one of the rare films with mostly unlikable characters that actually works. That deserves some props. 8.5/10
  

  Thomas D Super Reviewer
• Jun 29, 2014

  Walter Huston steals the scene and deserved the Oscar he won, but Bogart was unfairly not even nominated for his phenomenal performance in this classic that is all at once a light adventure, a riveting character study and a powerful morality tale about greed and paranoia.
  Carlos M Super Reviewer

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