Friday, March 25, 2011

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre - 1948 - 5 Stars

Actors: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston
Director: John Huston

Some scenes are absolutely perfect and unforgettable - such is the conclusion to the Treasure of the Sierra Madre. It could be deconstructed in eighteen ways, all of which I won't bother with here. Regardless, the film is a pitch-perfect examination of greed and paranoia; Bogart is a master at conveying both states. It's a must-see classic.

The only disappointment in the film is the constant use of close-in shots, as is standard in films of this era - one imagines they shot this movie in Griffith Park, and couldn't use wider shots because it would be a dead giveaway. Still, the focus here is not nature, but man - wider shots may have distracted from the overall film.


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