The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

I apologize for the delay in my response- real world issues have prevented me from focusing on my review. But, to be honest, I do not have much to add from Holly's review; having heard much about this film, it was a minor disappointment.

The film revolves around three vagabonds who attempt to strike it rich in the mountains of Mexico. The two primary treasure hunters are Americans named Curtin( Tim Holt) and Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart. Early on, they meet an old man named Howard (Walter Huston) who tells them of his previous adventures digging for gold. The three men form a partnership, and spend the rest of the movie searching for treasure arguing about their shares. Being the most experienced of the three, Howard warns the two younger fortune seekers about the negative effects of gold; and, as soon as the characters are warned of this, Dobb's transforms from bumbling vagabond to greedy monster.

This perhaps was the weakest part of the film, John Huston never casts Dobbs in a sympathetic light, and so his madness is never a shock the viewer. There is never a point where you can feel anything for Dobbs, other than boredom at his actions. Granted, this is partially because the film has been influential, but none of Dobb's characteristics are exclusive to film, anyone who has read literature can find similar instances of greed and paranoia. And, as Holly said, this is said to be one of Bogart's best roles, but for me it was quite forgettable.

And, one cannot review this movie without mentioning the line about the badges, which I have heard countless times; sadly that was even disappointing. But, again, I suppose this is because it has seeped so deep into our culture, sort of like: "Where's the beef?".

I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in seeing a classic. But, only if your Netflix queue is on the empty side, and you have a lot of time on your hands.