Saturday, March 26, 2016

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Two American exiles (Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt) living on the fringe of society in Tampico and at the whim of pernicious entrepreneurs acquaint an old but assured miner (Walter Huston) who all but guarantees the riches to be found in the Sierra Madres, where the trio would then only have to contend with avarice, madness, and bandits. John Huston's The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, which he drew off of a B. Traven novel, is an insightful take on greed and human nature, brilliantly shot and boasting many memorable sequences. Bogart is unforgettable in his paranoid, maniacal performance as Fred C. Dobbs, Holt is strong in a straight supporting role, and Walter Huston (John's father) is tremendous in an Oscar winning part.
**** out of ****