#36 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Directed by: John Huston
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt

Let me start off by saying that The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is quite simply one of the best films ever made.

The main themes her
e are about human behaviour and how it's affected by greed, wealth and money. I think the films successes are reached by portraying these themes so well. We see regular, hardworking, honest characters turned into crazed, disillusioned, untrusting and uncivilised men. Watching this, delivers not only a harsh truth about the human state of mind, but it's also quite terrifying.

As for the acting, it's impecable. Walter Huston won the oscar for Best Supporting Actor and it is thoroughly deserved. One of my favourite scenes is the first time he meets the characters played by Borgart and Holt as they have their initial exchanges. The dialogue is terrific and the way Huston delivers his lines just blows me away every time.

The story itself is paced excellently. There is a lot that happens in the opening 25 minutes of the film, so much so that many films would drag this sequence out. Here though, the story moves quickly without affecting the impact that it has. It retains the character development without seeming rushed. I just love how the director has managed to get a story that pans for months, whittled down to just 2 hours of film time and yet retain every aspect that makes it great. In that sense, it's one of the best paced films I've ever seen.

The score is excellent here, and the grand panning camera shots of the wild west are done justice by the bold music. The cinematography is also of the highest standard.

While it's not my favourite ever film (See my list of favourite films on this blog), It's certainly close. I find it impossible to criticise and each time I watch it, I fall in love with it just that bit more. The Blu-ray transfer is immaculate too. I would urge everyone to watch this, you won't be disappointed.