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Partners
The Treasure of the Sierra MadreJohn Huston's 1948 film takes us on the trail of gold with a band of three deadbeats, whose friendship is based on misfortune and a shared desire for riches. Humphrey Bogart plays Fred Dobbs, a cynical loner - no surprise there - who joins the more pure-hearted Curtin (Tim Holt) to journey to the Mexican hills for some serious prospecting. They are guided by eccentric old-timer Howard (Walter Huston, the director's father), whose knowledge of prospecting is almost equal to his intimate knowledge of the corrupting influence of gold ("I know what gold does to men's souls").
Huston's second film was written with both Bogart and his father in mind. For his father, he created a part of great humour, humanity and the opportunity for him to indulge in some lively and sometimes over-the-top character acting. For Bogart, the Dobbs role was an opportunity to take the cynical persona that would later be seen as his hallmark into dark, unforgiving territory.
Once they strike gold, the three friends attempt to manage their new-found wealth. Curtin yearns for the conviviality of communal living, family life - he has a good heart and shares a sense of humanity with Howard. Dobbs, however, responds to their fortune with increasing paranoia - his greed turns to fear that the other will take his loot.
The film's premise is a simple one, it deals with universal themes in a straightforward modern film parable - wealth is corrupting, not even friendship can withstand its effects (notably greed). What makes the film special is, firstly, the intensity of Bogart's performance - he creates a credible and chilling portrait of a man in serious psychological and moral disintegration, reminding us of the anti-hero that he played so well in films such as Casablanca or To Have Or Have Not.
The other notable star of the film is the Mexican landscape. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre was one of the first films to be shot on location in Mexico after WWII and very little of the footage was shot on sound stages - unusual for the time of its making. What results is a film whose visual style is not only imbued with a cynical, ironic, sharpness, including some very fine shot compositions and sequences, but is also both edgy and real.
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