Rating: 
Summary: The diseased mind of Fred C. Dobbs
Review: One of the things that makes this classic so appealing to me is the way Bogey's portrayal of Dobbs gradually reveals himself as the personification of the Bible verse: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (I Timothy 6:10). The film opens with Dobbs as a sympathetic character, way down on his luck. He bumps into Tim Holt, a fellow American stuck in Mexico without a job or a way home, and in the course of their misadventures they hook up with an old prospector and eventually make a quite decent haul in the mountains. Dobbs's excessive paranoia mars their stay, but he's shown to be wrong and he is shamed....for awhile. His character eventually gives in to all of its demons, and the unraveling is quite something to behold, the mastery of Bogey working in concert with the mastery of director/screenwriter John Huston to an extent that shines through in almost all of their collaborations over the years.
For all the power of the early scenes in the flophouses and bars of Tampico, as well as those of the gritty, sweaty drama in the mountains, this film earns its fifth star of my 5-star rating in its final act, when the trio of nouveau riche prospectors begin their return to civilization. There are several ironic twists of fate that take place as the story unravels to its satisfying conclusion.
Finally, a sixth star could be rated to Warner Home Video for treating this masterpiece with the respect it deserves. With documentaries, old and new, as well as pleasant surprises like the cartoons and audio track of a radio play version, they have ensured that "Treasure Of the Sierra Madre" will continue to hold a very special place in movie history. Well worth watching and rewatching, even for those of us whose parents were kids when it came out. Most excellent.
Footnote in the interest of accuracy: The famous line "We don't need no stinking badges" is never uttered. As with the famous non-line "Play it again, Sam," from another great Bogey picture, the actual line has been truncated over the years. The line is actually "We ain't got no badges! We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinking badges!" (In "Casablanca," Bogey's line is "If you can play it for her, you can play it for me. Now, play it.")
Quick trivia that explains some continuity problems: Censors would not allow the inclusion of a second shot fired by Dobbs in an attempt on the life of one of his cohorts, which explains why we only hear one gunshot but the other character later says he was shot twice. Also, when the bandits catch up to Dobbs near the film's end they chop his head off with a machete; again, a bit too much for the censors of the day, which explains why we see the same bandit coming around the same burro twice and delivering the same blow. Looks like deja vu; this was done to cover up the fact that Huston was not allowed to show a decapitation. A "Director's Cut" would cure these imperfections, but trimmed footage is probably not available almost 60 years after it was shot, and after all this time these historical footnotes just add to the character of the film.
Rating:
Summary: No need to relate the plot; it's too well-known.
Review: JUst like Casablanca and African Queen, if you have even the slightest interest in film history, this is a must-see and must-own. End of story
Rating:
Summary: Unquestionably great, but an unflinching portrayal...
Review: "Treasure" is a treasure, one of those "great" movies you just have to sit down and watch if you love film. If you haven't yet seen it, you are missing a large part of your cinematic education.
It's not hard to watch...not in the least...but it's depiction of greed, ignorance and the disintegration of Bogart's character is "not fun" sometimes.
Bogart is note-perfect, and all the more harrowing to watch for that reason. It's a "descent into madness" that defines that cliche.
The direction and screenplay, both Oscar winning efforts by John Huston, are examples of their craft. There's nary a dull moment, a wasted image or an unnecessary word.
Walter Huston, in his best role, deservedly won the Oscar for his role...he's more alive on screen here than pretty much any actor from the Golden Age. Every cackle, spitfire sentence or wary glance is precious. It's one of the great movie performances.
Tim Holt, and in a smaller role, Bruce Bennett, are irreplaceable as well. As is said several times during the many documentaries, John Huston's masterful casting was the key to many of his successes, and never more so than here.
It's a lovely DVD...there are only a few reels where it looks like the restoration was a little "rushed". The "making-of" documentary is appropriately thorough and fascinating; the over-two-hour film on John Huston's life also adds depth to not only "Treasure" but to Huston's entire canon, and the history of film in the U.S. It's a remarkable document.
And don't miss the Bugs Bunny short "8 Ball Bunny"...definitely catch it after you watch the film (you'll need it). I guarantee a big smile will form across all who watch...
To sum up, I don't think the seduction of riches...of what happens after one finds the "mother lode"...has ever been more vividly portrayed. It's not a completely pleasurable ride...it's not meant to be...but it's immensely entertaining, provocative...you simply have to love filmmakers who are brave enough to tell a story that has such a strong opinion...a strong "point." And one that forces you to see an essential part of what makes us human, yet a part we do not like to admit we have.
Rating:
Summary: AFI's number 30 is as powerful today as 60 years ago
Review: Two downtrodden gringos (Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt), living in the hot dirty streets of 1920s Mexico, tire of waiting around for opportunity to come their way. In a cheap hangout for down-and-outers, they encounter an old, grizzled prospector full of stories of glorious scores found by brotherhoods of adventurous men set on trying to separate the most precious metals from the earth. The old man (played by director John Huston's own father, Walter) delivers sermons about the true value of gold and the inevitable turmoil that follows discoveries of pay dirt. "When the piles of gold begin to grown," the prospector says, "that's when the trouble starts."
From the moment he appears, Walter Huston steals the movie (remarkable considering many believe this to be Bogart's finest performance). Gold is his White Whale and his Maltese Falcon. While at once drawn to it with a lifelong thirst that could not be quenched by huge scores in the past (they only financed future digs), the old man also fears the darkness unearthed with its riches. He knows how gold can change a man's soul and has seen noble, steady miners become dangerous madmen once bags of gold dust came their way. Believing riches will not affect them in ways other than by solving their problems, the two men ask the prospector to take them on a dig, as the three of them set out to find The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
The story that follows rivals anything ever captured on film, as the action becomes both adventurous and thought provoking. As their bags of gold accumulate, the three men must face the dangers of other prospectors, bandits and the evil lurking in each other. Along with Apocalypse Now's Colonel Kurtz, Bogey's character represents one of the greatest depictions of one man's spiral into irrationality. Every man has his breaking point, and Bogart clearly reaches his.
Although its legacy will be as a powerful metaphor on the corruptive influence of wealth, The Treasure of the Sierra Madres also features many irresistible elements that just make the film fun to watch. Viewers get a thorough crash-course in gold-mining (and will dream about trying it), a young Robert Blake makes an appearance as an adorable street urchin and a Mexican bandit delivers one of those "To be or not to be", "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" lines that has become part of American culture.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic Film for Bogart and the Huston Family
Review: 1948 was an Oscar duel between the British import "Hamlet" by Laurence Olivier (with six nominations) and the American production of "The Treasure of Sierra Madre" by John Huston (with four Oscar bids). Both dramatic pictures were B/W and were heavy favorites to dominate the awards (and did so with seven wins between them).
John Huston deservedly won best director and best screenplay (with the joke that William Shakespeare wasn't eligible for "Hamlet" that year). The film is a dark one that explores the themes of greed and madness with superb all-around performances, especially by Walter Huston and Humphrey Bogart. By directing his father, a veteran character actor of stage and screen, to the best suporting actor prize, John Huston made Oscar history -- it mark the first time that a father and son won Oscars in the same year for the same film.
Inexplicably, Mr. Bogart was not even nominated for best actor in what arguably was his finest performance of his long career -- this oversight would contribute to his win three years later in another John Huston production of "The African Queen." He is mesmerizing as the American who literally and ever so slowly goes insane over his pot of gold.
At the end of the 1948 Oscar awards, "Hamlet" and "The Treasure Of Sierra Madre" were tied with three Oscars each -- "Hamlet" would break the tie by winning best picture and giving Mr Olivier his second Oscar win of the evening (to go with his best actor win). Similiar in themes, both films are worth seeing and the viewer can decide which they prefer more.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic movie, excellent extras
Review: This is one of my favorite movies. But I would like to highly recommend the many extras on this DVD. Many times the extra items on a DVD are just fillers, but each and every one of the documentaries, cartoons, radio shows, and trailers, are worth the price of the DVD even beyond this excellent classic movie. You have an audio track commentary that goes along with the movie that really gives you insight and trivia about the movie instead of just being a prattling nusisance. Then there is a complete documentary on John Huston hosted by the late Robert Mitchum. There is a piece by Leonard Maltin. There are 2, count 'em 2, Bugs Bunny cartoons. One on each DVD. There is a copy of an old radio show where Bogart and Walter Huston reprise their rolls. There were other short features from the era in their entirety.
I'm probably missing something, there was so much to enjoy. The quality of these extra features really made an already enjoyable movie even better.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: A western that will leave you fully awake! Great character study. Even for people like me who don't like most of bogart's material, this movie rocks.
Rating:
Summary: Truly One of the Greatest Films Ever Made
Review: This 1948 masterpiece written and directed by the legendary John Huston is truly one of the greatest films ever made. The film's unique screenplay and great cinematography, along with brilliant direction and superb cast have made this film a treasure worth more than gold to audiences worldwide for over 50 years.
Fred C. Dobbs (Bogart)is an American hoboe who's all washed up begging for meals in a small Mexican town. After listening to the wild tales of an old miner (Walter Huston) in a flea hotel, Dobbs and another young out-of-luck adventurer (Tim Holt) decide to put all their money in mules, gold pans, and guns to join him on a prospecting expedition in the Sierra Madre. As the characters begin finding gold, they start finding out what they're really worth.
The film's screenplay is unusual in that it primarily focuses on the character of Dobbs who's more of an antagonist in the story. The film has multiple themes and plots dealing with human nature and what men will do to strike it rich. The main theme of course is greed: how the presence of riches never seems to satiate once it's within one's grasp. Other thematic elements that flow from that central theme are similar to Dostoevsky's 'Crime and Punishment' in dealing with the thought process of a man who thinks he's superior to the moral confines of his conscience; how, being morally superior and smarter, one feels that they're entitled to be a supreme judge over others. Huston's brilliant direction brings these character studies and themes to the forefront with great camera work. Bringing to life the character of Dobbs is a challenging task for an actor but Bogart does it brilliantly. The acting of Huston and Holt is also top knotch and makes the film a completely believable and moving adventure.
This is a true cinematic masterpiece that everyone can enjoy. Its rich themes and piercing character studies educate as well as entertain the audience on the many facets of human nature. I strongly recommend this film to anyone who appreciates a great adventure story with moral insight.
Rating:
Summary: The greed , the fellow partner!
Review: John Huston made - in my personal opinion - his masterpiece with this movie . Inspired in the most shakesperian mood , Huston tells us the story of men in search of gold and the raise of the unknown dragons who live in the deepest of his soul . The greed that primary instinct - loads the screen .
Bogart in his most difficult role , won the challenge . The picture is the best shakesperian western ever made. All the prizes for Huston were widely deserved for this cinema jewel.
Rating:
Summary: A must see classic movie with Bogie
Review: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a classic movie that has to be watched by movie fans. Set in Mexico in 1926, the movie tells the story of two down and out Americans who have nothing to their name except their meager salaries. The two men, Dobbs and Curtin, decide to team up with a weathered, old prospector, Howard, to go prospecting for gold in the mountains of southern Mexico. Soon enough, the trio happens upon a mountain just full of gold waiting to be found. What follows is a condmenation of human greed and want of unlimited wealth and riches. The three men become suspicious of each other immediately, thinking that the other two might steal their share of the gold. At the same time, the three must deal with bandits who will stop at nothing to get their possessions. The ending does provide for a brief message of hope. Everything from the cinematography to the acting to the writing is great in this movie. Movie fans everywhere should see this classic movie. Humphrey Bogart gives an excellent performance as Fred C. Dobbs, a wayward American who believes that the power of gold would never make him change his ways and beliefs. Watching Dobbs morph into a money hungry, paranoid man is frightening. Walter Huston, father of director John Huston, plays Howard, the grizzled old prospector who is the only calm one in the group. Tim Holt stars as Bob Curtin, Dobbs' partner and the moral leader of the trio. The movie also stars Bruce Bennett, Barton MacLane, Alfonso Bedoya, and Manuel Donde. Also look for a brief appearance from John Huston as a well-to-do American who gives Dobbs some money for a meal. The 2-Disc Special Edition offers a ton of great extras. If you're a fan of this classic movie, you will love these extras. For a classic movie, ranked #30 in the AFI Top 100, with great performances, an excellent script, and beautiful scenery, check out The Treasure of the Sierra Madre!
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