The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) ****

Release Date: January 6, 1948

Running time: 126 minutes

Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt, Walter Huston

Director: John Huston

When looking at a list of some of the greatest films in cinematic history several of Humphrey Bogart’s movies inevitably top that list. Casablanca, The Caine Mutiny, The African Queen, and of course, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Sierra Madre, more than any of the other films in Bogart’s oeuvre really digs deep into the psyche of of its main character and challenges Bogart to sell us on its central premise. The script also provides us scenes that serve that premise well making sure that if that premise fails to convince us, it would be through the weakness of the performances and not through a lack of material to back it up.

The setting is 1920’s Mexico and Bogart is playing Fred C. Dobbs, a man who is living day to day off the generosity of strangers whom he begs money off of. When he gets any money from them he spends it frivolously on beer and grooming ensuring he will rapidly be in need of more. After being called out for begging off the same man thrice Fred stumbles into an opportunity to make some decent money albeit for some hard work. He takes the job building structures for the booming oil plantations but, when the time comes to get paid, the man that hired him skips out on all of them. Dobbs and a friend he met on the plantation, Curtin, happen upon the man a few days later and assault him, taking just the money they are owed and nothing more, then decide to pool their finances on an opportunity they heard at one of the sleeping camps from Howard, (Walter Huston) an elderly man they overheard boasting about fortunes gained and lost while prospecting gold. Huston agrees to add his own money into the mix and set off with the two for the opportunity to find another fortune and wrestle it from the earth. He does caution them though that gold and riches change a man, a prospect that both Dobbs and Curtin dismiss outright.

The journey out into the wilderness ends up being harder than either man expected and just when they are ready to call it quits a rich vain is discovered and they set into mining their fortunes. The work is hard and difficult and they have to worry about wildlife and bandits alike on top of the dangers of the mining itself. Also, as their fortunes grow, so does Dobbs’s paranoia and distrust of his two partners. 

The central conceit of this film is spelled out by Howard early on and isn’t exactly subtle. This is a carry over from the novel by B. Traven who used his prose to delve deep into the minds of his three characters. A film cannot do this so director and screenwriter John Huston had to spell it out a little more than the book did and rely heavily on the acting of his star to sell the change that occurs with Dobbs as the story plays out. At first it seems abrupt but upon closer viewing we can see that even as Dobbs is losing it he occasionally realizes how he is becoming and feels guilt, even if he isn’t always willing or able to back down. By the time we get into the final act he is beyond all of that, especially during a short stretch where Howard has to exit the group for a while and Dobbs loses the last of his moral compass.

This was one of the first Hollywood films to be made at a exotic location rather than in and around Los Angelos. While some of it was filmed in L.A., large portions were filmed in Tampico, Mexico and the surrounding areas. This gives the film an authentic appearance and feel that would otherwise be absent. It also made the shoot overly expensive causing a strain on the relationship between John Huston and Jack L. Warner who believed this film may end up bankrupting the studio. It took nearly six months to film, mainly because of the location shots, something that Huston has misled Warner about when securing the film. Warner was further upset upon seeing the final film and believing the ending would upset audiences. At first this was true as the film underperformed on its initial release. But critical reviews were strong and word-of-mouth propelled the film to eventually earn back well more than the studios investment. 

The film is successful on more fronts than just financial though. It is a good character study of how greed and riches can corrupt some people. The paranoia that so easily grips Dobbs just as easily misses Curtin, a genuinely nice man who is in the same financial situation as Dobbs yet doesn’t let the wealth or prospect of wealth corrupt his soul. Likewise Howard has gained and lost many fortunes and knows the kind of hold it can have on a man. He has a sense of humor about the whole ordeal and is happy with whatever he can get be it large or small. He is content with his lot in life and that content somehow protects him from the darker side of greed and want.

It would be difficult to top such a powerful and entertaining film such as this. The novel manages it only because it allows us to delve even further into the minds of the characters, something inherent in prose but not in film. Still, without that advantage the film still manages to nail the characters and inner struggles all of them have to deal with in such a way that we never feel like we don’t know what is going on behind their eyes. This is a powerhouse display of acting on all parts and a truly beautiful film to see and experience. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre rightfully deserves its spot amongst the greatest films ever made.