Rank on the AFI List: #38WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
LET ME EXPLAIN...
Having not read the synopsis for this film before watching it (I've done that for a handful of these movies because I sometimes like to go in with a blank slate), I was surprised that it's not so much an adventure film as it is a statement about what greed can do to a person. I was expecting to see a lot of action, but instead I got a lot of thought-provoking situations and performances, and those are what make this a good movie.
Humphrey Bogart, in particular, is phenomenal. In fact, this is my favorite performance of his (comparing that to his roles in Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and The African Queen, all of which are also on the AFI List). I was shocked to discover he wasn't even nominated for an Oscar.
What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
Besides being an all-around well done movie, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" is a great examination of what greed can do to people, and (maybe even more importantly) how a person's response to financial gain or loss can shape his or her entire life. This illustration of one of mankind's most primal and sinister desires is why I think it's considered one of the best films ever made.
Not really a complaint, but...
I wasn't sure how much I was liking this movie as I was watching it. While I expected an adventure, I got something else, and it wasn't until after the movie ended and I talked about it with my wife that I started to really like it. It's the examination of the characters and their actions that I really liked about the movie, and not so much the film itself.
LET ME SUM UP...
This is a well done and thought-provoking illustration of greed. It's also the best performance by Humphrey Bogart that I have seen so far.
MY RATING: 7/10
TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 70
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