05 Jun THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE RE-REVIEW

This is part of my ‘Re-Review’ series, where I revisit a movie that I haven’t seen in several years to evaluate if my opinion has changed with time.

Old Opinion: Although I know I saw this in film school years ago, I didn’t remember a damn thing about it

New Opinion: A brilliant film deserving the moniker of ‘classic’ with a low re-watchability factor

Over the holidays, Apple had a massive sale on movies, and I bought a bunch for $5, including The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which I needed to revisit. So, I did!

And you know what? It is a legit classic.

Made in 1948, TTotSM follows two bumbling drifters who get swindled out of their pay in Mexico in the 1920s. Humphrey Bogart plays Fred Dobbs, the protagonist, and Tim Holt’s Bob Curtin is his partner. When they confront the guy who conned them, they beat their money out of him and, on a whim, decide to become gold prospectors, partnering up with an grizzled old prospector, Howard (played by Walter Huston), who has spent too much time prospecting up in them hills…

The trio spend all their money on supplies, head into Sierra Madre mountains, and quickly discover that they have found a VERY profitable gold mine. As their cache of gold grows, Fred becomes increasingly paranoid about the intentions of his partners. Bob and Howard are patient and accommodating, but Fred’s paranoia graduates into threats of violence. He is stopped from killing his partners only be the arrival of a stranger who offers to help for a share of the treasure. But when one person follows their trail, it is inevitable that more will come, and soon a posse of bandits shows up to rob them.

Everything quickly spirals out of the control, and ultimately Fred robs his partners, gets ambushed and murdered by the bandits, and the gold is lost. Bob and Howard reflect on the direction fate has taken them, showing that their moral center saved them, while Fred’s greed and paranoia led him to the only end he deserved.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a classic morality tale, and very pointedly shows Fred’s mental descent once he has possession of more money than he has ever imagined, expertly realized by Bogart. The central theme of the film revolves around how money can change people’s priorities in a radical, dangerous way. Bob serves as the moral foil to Fred’s madness, while Howard is a man whose lifetime of ups and downs has led him to simply want to help people with whatever he has to offer. Both of them are good men, and their survival is a direct result of their adherence to a moral code.

The film is great, though I don’t know if I’ll revisit it frequently. For being 73 years old, it looks and sounds better than ever in HD, and represents a particular era of Hollywood’s westerns, with clear, well-defined characters who take their place on either side of the line between good and evil. But I’m not typically a huge fan of black and white films, and the technical and content limitations of the time mean the film comes across as very dated.

Nevertheless, it’s a classic for a reason, and I’m really glad I watched it. The script, pacing, cinematography, and acting are all top-notch; worthy of study by any film student.

Pros:

• A legit classic, with a screenplay, cinematography, acting, and directing all essentially flawless
• Tells a powerful, relevant morality tale that resonates regarding the corrupting power of wealth

Cons:

• Come on…I’m not criticizing what is essentially a perfect film

Rating: 5/5
I mean, the movie is basically perfect, which is why I was transfixed 73 years later.

Review by Jim Washburn