Treasure of the Sierra Madre [Blu-ray] [1948] [US Import]

This film directed by the legendary John Huston in 1948 is based on the cult 1927 novel by B Traven. It is unusual for the time in that it was filmed entirely on location in Mexico, which later became a very popular trend. It is set unusually in 1920s Mexico shortly after the revolution. The country was still in turmoil and patrolled by the ruthless Federales. A sort of local Police with attitude. Their justice often being of the summary kind, and the final verdict being decided with a bullet for the miscreant.

Into this arena enter three Gringo prospectors and general down and outs. Humphrey Bogart never at ease in Western guise plays Fred Dobbs the lottery ticket winner who invests all his money in prospecting equipment. He is joined by the younger Bob Curtin played by Tim Holt and the older and wiser Howard played by Walter Huston. Howard predicts trouble and he is not far wrong. The three strike it rich but the gold causes Bogart to lose his mind with greed. This leads to confrontation in the group and ultimately to tragedy. There is a rather fitting twist to the story at the end.

The film was nominated for an oscar for best picture, but lost out to Oliviers "Hamlet". Perhaps the films main flaw lies in Bogart's metamorphosis from Mr nice guy to a frothing lunatic in such a short space of time. A little heavy handed for someone as skilled as Huston. Bogart seems to have been rehearsing for his later role as Captain Queeg in "The Caine Mutiny", where he again loses his marbles big time. The film is a strong morality fable and could almost be taken from a Biblical parable. Gold and riches are not the most important things in life, and lusting after such wealth can lead to tragic consequences. It is a cautionary tale of old but still posseses great power.

Watch out for the brief one line appearence of Tim Holt's father Jack Holt the old silent screen hero. He is one of the men down on their luck. Overall the film is still very enjoyable despite the flaws. A fairly generous 4 stars.

The word Classic is sometimes over used in films but The Treasure of Sierra Madre fits superbly. Two down and outs, Bogart and Holt, try their hand at oil drilling, then fail to get paid by the boss, but they take their money in a bar fight later on. With the money left they team up with an old gold prospector, Walter Huston, who steals the film, to go GOLD hunting. An adventure beyond imagination unfolds but you will have to buy the film to see what happens.

excellent audio and picture quality shown in original aspect with plenty of audio and subtitle options.the extras include a fantastic 2 hour documentary on John Huston that is not in HD,radio broadcasts,commentary track, cartoons and suchlike.the steelbook is a nice looking item