The Corrosive Nature of Greed is on Display in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

“Badges? We ain’t got no badges.”

By C.A. Ramirez

This article originally appeared on Medium.com (8/17/2021). 

The promise of wealth tears apart morality piece by piece.

Two down and out Americans, penniless and homeless, try their luck at mining for gold when they come across an old prospector in a flop house. The three men pool their money together and set off into the bandit-specked desert of the Sierra Madre Mountain range. Starring Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, and Tim Holt, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is easily one of the best films of the latter century and should be required viewing for any aspiring screenwriter or film director.

John Huston’s fourth film was shot almost entirely in Mexico, which was completely unorthodox for Hollywood at the time. Had this film been shot on a soundstage, I don’t think I would be able to recommend it. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre might be shot in black and white but the changes our three hungry adventurers endure sets the screen alight with the visible tones of greed, jealousy, and betrayal. Bogart gives one of his best performances as Frank C. Dobbs, an American caught on the wrong side of the U.S. Mexico border without a red cent to his name. After being cheated out of their earnings from a cable rig job, Dobbs pairs up with Curtin, played by Tim Holt, and the pair become determined to make it out of their situation no matter the cost.

John Huston’s father Walter Huston plays the old prospector, Howard, that leads Bogart and Holt on the path of golden riches. Walter would go on to win an Oscar for best supporting actor while John would win for Best Director and after the first few minutes of our trio coming together, it is clear why. The chemistry between the three is so organic that it doesn’t take more than a few scenes for them to become as familiar as a well-loved sitcom cast. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, has excellent pacing and we are shown a great deal of who Frank C. Dobbs is, prior to him meeting up with Curtin through the way he acts and reacts to his destitute beginnings earlier in the film. We can see Dobbs is nearly a beggar here in Mexico but he has pride and ethics. When cheated out of his earnings, he and Curtin beat the foreman, paying themselves what they are owed and not a dollar more, throwing the rest into the face of the bloodied foreman as they leave.

Dobbs might start the movie out penniless and broken, but he maintains his standards. That foreman may have tried to cheat him out of his wages but he is not about to turn into a thief just because he’s got it rough. We like Dobbs after that moment, even though there are holes in his pockets he has class and the audience can’t help but respect that. The beauty of this film is that the draw of gold and wealth tears down Dobb’s morality piece by piece. Broken down by his greed and paranoia, he begins to suspect his two partners of plotting to steal his share of the gold. These tensions build and manifest themselves in Curtin and Howard as well. When Curtin witnesses Dobbs become the victim of a cave-in, we see Curtin run to help but suddenly, he stops in his tracks. Being the more honorable of the three, we are surprised that he has even started seeing the death of his friend as an increase in his own personal wealth. The thrill of riches begins to seep into the subconscious of each man, permeating into a fantastic culmination of gold gilded paranoia.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre has powerful performances and character arcs that make it stand out from its black and white contemporaries. Not since The Maltese Falcon or National Velvet have there been such dynamic performances from a cast and the dialogue is crisp and rustic, feeding off John Huston’s fantastic adaptation of B. Traven’s novel. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre has a script that scorches alongside its desolate desert setting and leaves the audience stunned with its tragically Greek end. Film buffs need look no further for an instant classic that inspired modern cinematic icons like Indiana Jones and Daniel Plainview, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is the backbone of some of our best modern dramas and deserves a shelf beside enigmatic works like Citizen Kane, if not above it.