The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
I was very excited when I heard The Maltese Falcon was coming to Blu-ray, and didn’t waste much time in purchasing it. Thanks to Amazon, I was also informed The Treasure of the Sierra Madre was coming out, so I figured I might as well make a double feature of it. After all, it has Humphrey Bogart starring and was also directed by John Huston.
The film is about two American drifters in Mexico, trying to scrape enough money together to return to the United States. At a boarding house they meet an old man that tells them tales of gold prospecting in the mountains and the riches that can be had for those willing to take the risks. Soon enough, the two seek out the old man again and together they set off for the bandit-filled wilds of Mexico to try to make their fortune. The one thing that ends up being more dangerous than the bandits, however, is their own greed.
I have to say that I wasn’t sure what to expect out of it. I had definitely heard more about The Maltese Falcon, probably because it seems to be the more popular film. I think it might be my favorite Bogart film that I’ve seen. When you’re dealing in films like The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, and The African Queen, that’s a rather heavy claim, but I make it nonetheless. There was just something inherently dark and frightening about it. In the entire two hour running time, I never once felt comfortable. I can certainly see why it’s not as popular a film.
The reason I think it’s a great film and the reason I think it’s an uncomfortable film are one and the same. It’s a movie about the evils that normal people are capable of. I think it’s important when we see evil to try to understand how and why it happens, rather than simply dismissing it as the result of “other” types of people that are obviously just flawed in some way. If you can never entertain the idea that you yourself could commit evil, then it’s all too easy to justify your actions. The characters in this film vehemently assert they are good, decent people at the beginning of the film, but by the end we see they’re only human after all.
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