In my opinion, it’s becoming all too easy to slap the “classic” label on a film from the ‘30s, the ‘40s, or the ‘50s in this modern era as some people – young and old alike - mistake a film’s “age” for its “greatness”. Simply because a film is considered to be “old” doesn’t necessitate that film classification; there are plenty of films from those previously mentioned eras that don’t deserve the title because they simply never worked for it. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, as directed by the great and grand John Huston, earns that “classic” title not because it is over 60-years-old, but because it is one of the all-time best cinematic narratives dealing with the transformative power of greed and desperation that exists.
In a cinematic sense, most of the Huston-helmed films have turned into priceless Hollywood gold. His team-ups with Humphrey Bogart are legendary and certainly terrific gems from a by-gone era at Warner Bros: The Maltese Falcon, Key Largo, and The African Queen. Certainly, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is no different, transforming the soul of a somewhat likable – when he isn’t being an absolute bully - pan-handler named Dobbs into a greed-ridden brute. It’s a splendidly solid Bogart performance that kicks into a ruthless high gear with possessed and obsessed qualities. {googleads}
Alongside Dobbs in his search for elusive gold among the Mexican hills is Curtin (Tim Holt) and an old man named Howard (Walter Huston, in a role that won him Best Supporting Actor). Together, these three men dare to dream of possibilities free of work and worry, but only IF they can locate that prized metal and not tear each other up with suspicion, demonic obsession, and fear-based paranoia in the process. Along with a desire for gold, what they soon discover within their own selves as they work against the brutal backdrop of a savage land is more terrifying and more shocking than they would ever care to admit. Yet, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre remains grounded and believable, never once selling its psychological and grossly literate complications – with a screenplay written by Huston, too - short of anything less than absolute cinematic magnificence.
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre bares Huston’s stamp of top-notch quality in damn-near every frame. The movie remains visually enchanting in story and in location, being one of the first American features to be largely shot outside of the United States, but also draws the viewer in with the talents of its three leads. As a product of 1948, Huston’s narrative is blistering in pacing and in action, creating a dramatic tension unrivaled by most of its contemporaries.
While it is a Hollywood classic, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre isn’t for everyone. This is a very masculine yarn – more so than an Eastwood picture from the ‘70s – but it showcases Huston’s distinguished and remarkable eye for unspooling the male psyche – even from a comfortable distance behind the camera’s lens.
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Blu-ray Details:
Available on Blu-ray - October 5, 2010
Screen Formats: 1.37:1
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Catalan, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono; French: Dolby Digital Mono; Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono; German: Dolby Digital Mono; Portuguese: Dolby Digital Mono
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Single disc (1 BD)
This is truly a beautiful transfer, proving that black-and-white pictures can benefit from the HD 1080p/VC-1 treatment. The boldness in the picture is remarkably noticeable and a powerful statement of the power of the film medium – especially circa 1948. There’s no real softness to the transfer - only an unrivaled punch to the black-and-white starkness of Ted McCord's cinematography. The grain is crisp and so are the close-ups. The Blu-ray is presented with a very clean sounding lossless DTS-HD Master Audio mono mix. Presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a revealing transfer that makes all other releases of the film null and void.
Supplements:
The Blu-ray comes loaded with the same releases that were on the Warner Bros. last release of the film. They were excellent then, and they are still worthy enough to be included in this release. They are detailed and revealing, showcasing the true story of how this film got made and the effect it had on the motion picture industry. It also faithfully reproduces what a night out at the movies would have been like in 1948. Most of the features are feature-length documentaries and tell more about the director than the film.
Featurettes:
- John Huston: The Man, The Movies, The Maverick (2:08:13)
- Discovering Treasure: The Story of the Treasure of the Sierra Madre (49:57)
- Warner Night at the Movies (25:14): this includes a trailer for Key Largo, an original Newsreel from the time period, a cartoon (Hot Cross Bunny), and Joe McDoakes’ So You Want to Be a Detective.
- A Bugs Bunny cartoon: 8 Ball Bunny
- Radio Version of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Original Theatrical Trailer
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