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Amazon.com essential video: Ranked at No. 30 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 all-time greatest American films, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a genuine masterpiece that was, ironically, a box-office failure when released in 1948. At that time audiences didn't accept Humphrey Bogart in a role that was intentionally unappealing, but time has proven this to be one of Bogart's very best performances. It's a grand adventure and a superior character study built around the timeless themes of greed and moral corruption. As adapted by writer-director John Huston (from a novel by enigmatic author B. Traven) it became a definitive treatment of fate and futility in the obsessive pursuit of wealth. Bogart plays Fred C. Dobbs, a down-and-out wage-worker in Mexico who stakes his meager earnings on a gold-prospecting expedition to the Sierra mountains. He's joined by a grizzled old prospector (Walter Huston, the director's father) and a young, no-nonsense partner (Tim Holt), and when they strike a rich vein of gold, the movie becomes an observant study of wretched human behavior. Bogart is fiercely intense as his character grows increasingly paranoid and violent; Huston offers a compelling contrast as a weathered miner who's seen how gold can turn men into monsters. From its lively opening scenes (featuring young Robert Blake as a boy selling lottery tickets) to its final, devastating image of fateful irony, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre tells an unforgettable story of tragedy and truth. With dialogue that has been etched into the cultural consciousness (who can forget the Mexican bandit who snarls "I don't have to show you any stinking badges!") and well-earned Oscars for John and Walter Huston, this is an American classic that still packs a punch. --Jeff Shannon Customer Reviews: Rating: 
Date: 2008-06-20
Well-made movie, badly-made discs.
I love the movie itself. The dialogue is humorous and carries a great deal of wisdom but the real treat is in seeing Bogart's performance as he gradually slips into madness, corruption and paranoia.
The reason I give this 4 stars instead of 5 is because I had to buy this twice. On the second disc, there had been a part in the documentary about Walter Huston that the DVD froze on and didn't play any further. I didn't have this problem when I ordered another copy, though. If this type of problem is extremely uncommon for this particular DVD release, then I classify this as a "must-see". Rating: 
Date: 2008-06-06
Life altering film
I'm embarrassed to say that "Treasure of Sierra Madre" changed my life. I saw it as a child and was enchanted by three American ex-pats kicking around in Mexico and searching for Mexican treasure. By the age of 21 I was spending every other weekend in Baja and Sonora and did so for years. Since then, I've spent a lot more time there, bought a home in Jalisco and am, even now, living directly on the Rio Grande in South Texas. My interest in Mexico has culminated with my writing two novels, "Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God" on the glorious, brutal, gold-plated Conquest of Mexico.
None of these things speaks to the quality of the film itself but clearly this is one of the really great films. In my opinion, it is very nearly perfect. I only disagree with one part. There is a cave-in and the Dobbs/Bogart character suffers some kind of head injury. Afterwards, he shows signs of increasing paranoia terminating with theft, attempted murder and Dobbs' own death.
I have no doubt that the film was deliberately scripted this way so that the viewer had alternative options for Dobbs' deteriorating behavior--brain injury or pure greed. In that this is a story of greed, I would have ommitted the head injury. Dobbs' behavior springs from the depths of his own darkening soul. Other than that, the film is simply wonderful.
We learn a lot of interesting things. A down-and-out gringo can beg but he can't stoop to the level of a shoe-shine boy, otherwise his "goose is cooked." We learn that ordinary men are capable of murder when their financial interests are threatened and we learn that gold dust doesn't necessarily shine.
The banditos are terrific. I loved it when the one bandit tries to talk his way out of possessing a burro that belongs to somebody else. I love the rough-and-ready Mexican justice and I love it when the condemned bandito--unawed or too stupid to fear his impending death--asks for a pause in his execution as he retrieves his battered sombrero blown off by the wind.
I love it when the two gringos discover that their gold, which has been blown away by the same gusting wind, is gone forever. They erupt into hysterical laughter. After all, what the Hell else can they do? Months of hope and back breaking labor shot to hell. I love it all... especially the truth that the real Treasure of the Sierra Madre isn't the gold, at all. It's the love that the Indians have for the old man.
Ron Braithwaite
Rating:
Date: 2008-04-15
An Excellent Film Has Just Gotten a Whole Lot Better!
Now this is how you are supposed to treat a film classic! This DVD version of an all-time classic film that has a great storyline, excellent acting and compelling drama to the very end has been restored very well here and although there are still a few picture quality imperfections at some spots, overall, the restoration has been very well done. The only thing I would have liked to have seen is an audio option included that would allow for at least Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround or DTS/THX quality in addition to just the Dolby Digital Mono quality here which as far as Mono goes is very well remastered.
The mostly cardboard digipak packaging is also very well put together making me wish all dvds would be packaged in this way as well. This DVD represents great value for money as well as we get excellent bonus features on both discs and the best one of all is the 2 hour-long documentary on the life of John Huston. I enjoyed that documentary almost as much as the movie itself and I also appreciated the Bugs Bunny cartoons and the other documentary on the making of the film as well.
Until perhaps an even better restored version on Blu-Ray comes around, this here is the best version of the film that you can get. I thought this is Bogie's best ever performance and yet he pales in comparison with that of Walter Huston who put in among the best 5 performances that I've ever seen by a male actor. John Huston the director also shows that he's a good actor with his small part at the start of the film. Even the small boy selling lottery tickets was excellent and I can't think of any bad acting at all among any of the cast.
This film fully deserves its top 30 ranking among AFI's Best American Films list. The story of how Bogie's honorable character degenerates because of greed to the horrible lowlife that he became in the end as compared to what became of his companions is a study in great story-telling and great acting. You start out liking Bogie but end up totally hating his guts at the end. If that's not great acting, I don't know what is.
Excellent film, great extras, great value for money, excellent dvd makes this highly recommended! Rating:
Date: 2008-03-22
What Can I say ?
One of the all time great classic movies.... what can I say that hasn't been already said ? Rating:
Date: 2008-03-07
Badges? We ain't got to show you no stinkin badges
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Supposedly Walter Huston told his son, John, if you ever become a big-shot director or producer,be sure to have a part for me. Well, this is the part. The first time a Father /Son had ever won an Academy Award for the same film.
John Huston wrote the screenplay based onThe Treasure of the Sierra Madre and directed his father, Walter Huston along with Humphrey Bogart, Tim Holt, and Bruce Bennett in this classic). Walter Huston won an academy award as Best Supporting Actor in 1948 and John Huston garnered Oscars for his direction and his screenplay. I can't believe that Bogart won nothing, he did a great job, however.
The film is best remembered for the lines:
Badges, we ain't got no badges. We don't need to show you no stinkin basdges.
The movie had an earlier line that was key to the story.
Gold doesn't have to be a curse. It could be a blessing.
The movie is all about the corrupting influence of wealth.
Here's some awards it won.
Academy Awards, USA
Year Result Award Category/Recipient(s)
1949
Won Oscar Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Walter Huston
Best Director
John Huston
Best Writing, Screenplay
John Huston
Nominated Oscar Best Picture
Highly recommended for fans of the Huston family and Humphrey Bogart and ythe golden age of cinema.
Gunner March 2008
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