http://imdb.com/title/tt0040897/
Just picked up the new special edition DVD of this classic. I haven't gotten into the special features yet, but I did want to put a plug in for this classic. IMHO it's Bogart's best. A lot of folks rank "The African Queen" and "The Maltese Falcon" ahead of "Treasure of the Sierra Madre," but I feel this gem shows off Bogart's acting chops better than the others. In "Falcon" he's the stable straight man of the film, always cool. In "African Queen" his character warms up over the course of the film, but still remains fundamentally the same. In "Treasure," however, Bogart gives us a detailed view of a man slowly coming apart at the seams. Fred Dobbs isn't an evil character. Like any man he has his good and bad elements. But the bad parts slowly consume his soul as his wealth grows.
Along the way we're treated to an outstanding supporting cast. Walter Huston as the old goat Howard. Wise enough to know his own flaws. Tim Holt as Dobb's friend slowly grows in strength while Dobbs sinks deeper into paranoia and madness. In a critical scene, Holt realizes he was about to kill an innocent man. We see the pang in his eyes after the deed is done by bandits. He realizes he wasn't much different from the bandits. Dobbs has no such insight. All this is done with voice and facial expresses. Very subtle, but very effective.
The action is also very well done, with some memorable shootouts and fights.
A must-see.
Just picked up the new special edition DVD of this classic. I haven't gotten into the special features yet, but I did want to put a plug in for this classic. IMHO it's Bogart's best. A lot of folks rank "The African Queen" and "The Maltese Falcon" ahead of "Treasure of the Sierra Madre," but I feel this gem shows off Bogart's acting chops better than the others. In "Falcon" he's the stable straight man of the film, always cool. In "African Queen" his character warms up over the course of the film, but still remains fundamentally the same. In "Treasure," however, Bogart gives us a detailed view of a man slowly coming apart at the seams. Fred Dobbs isn't an evil character. Like any man he has his good and bad elements. But the bad parts slowly consume his soul as his wealth grows.
Along the way we're treated to an outstanding supporting cast. Walter Huston as the old goat Howard. Wise enough to know his own flaws. Tim Holt as Dobb's friend slowly grows in strength while Dobbs sinks deeper into paranoia and madness. In a critical scene, Holt realizes he was about to kill an innocent man. We see the pang in his eyes after the deed is done by bandits. He realizes he wasn't much different from the bandits. Dobbs has no such insight. All this is done with voice and facial expresses. Very subtle, but very effective.
The action is also very well done, with some memorable shootouts and fights.
A must-see.
