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Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (The)
R4 - Australia - Warner Home Video Review written by and copyright: Tom Williams & Noor Razzak (13th June 2008). |
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The Film
 In "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", Humphrey Bogart plays Fred C. Dobbs, a down-and-out American in Mexico. Dobbs is not above begging to survive, appealing to rich folk he sees in the street to help a fellow American. His desperation and self-interest are persistent throughout the film, even as the misadventures he endures with his companions Curtin (Tim Holt) and Howard (Walter Huston) might create a bond to transcend greed. It is this tension Bogart maintains that makes "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" such a valuable classic. Dobbs meets Curtin, a fellow homeless American, and the two join up with Howard after being duped into working a week on an oil derrick without pay. They plan to search the rugged Sierra Madre mountains for gold, in the process facing bandits, each other and their inner selves. Bogart is incredibly watchable as Dobbs, and seeing his character deteriorate on screen is a brilliant performance. John Huston is equally laudable as Howard, who is endlessly patient and optimistic without being foolish or misguided, and Tim Holt is excellent in his role as Curtin, perhaps less worldly than Dobbs but possessing much more integrity. The film is moderately paced, but still clocks in at two hours. It’s hard to pin down specific scenes that might be in need of trimming, particularly given the film is such a product of its time, so instead you get a film that feels nearly epic in scope. The cast is small and the film takes place over a relatively short period of time, but the vast scale of Mexico (the film is largely shot on location) certainly contributes to a feeling of size and scope. The film is also psychologically deep. Once the trio get on the side of the mountain, their exposure to the elements mirrors the exposure of their characters – Dobbs’ avarice is nearly countered by Howard’s experience (except he knows Dobbs’ increasingly paranoid feelings will make little difference in the long run) with Curtin an almost naïve young man feeling like he’s forced to choose sides. Dobbs sinks deeper and deeper into his delusions, finding himself unable to trust his companions even though both have saved his life. The appearance of a stranger to the camp, and the choice he offers lead the three to take a vote that echoes psychological conflict of the kind associated with "12 Angry Men" (1957). It is Dobbs’ psychology that wraps the film up, and Bogart’s acting make watching it worthwhile. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" is worth watching, not as a blockbuster or an edge-of-your-seat film but as a skilled examination of character, an undertaking of vast integrity, scale and effort.
Video
Presented in the film's original theatrical ratio of 1.33:1 this full screen transfer does the film justice for the most part, however there are a few flaws that impair the overall image. These include excessive noise in dark spots, dirt and specks that pop up at times. Sharpness is OK at best as there's soft spots scattered throughout. The contrast is very good, and detail holds up well. I'm not entirely sure if this transfer is a new restoration, if it was I'd be sorely disappointed. While it's tolerable it cold use a lot of improvement.
Audio
Three audio tracks are included in English, French or Italian Dolby Digital 1.0 mono. The mono track is the film's original soundtrack and while it lack depth and range it actually works for the film, dialogue is clean and clear and the film's score comes across well. I can't see this film's soundtrack working as an up-mixed 5.1 (as some releases of older films seem to have) and I'm glad Warner Brothers stuck with the original soundtrack for this release. Optional subtitles are included in English, English for the hearing impaired, French, Italian, Italian for the hearing impaired, German, Spanish, Dutch, Arabic, and Romanian.
Extras
Warner Brothers has released this film with an audio commentary, a documentary, a theatrical trailer plus some text notes. Below is a closer look at these supplements. The special features on the one disc edition of the DVD are not as full as one might like but are not bad. There's a feature-length audio commentary by author and Bogart biographer Eric Lax and is by far this is the best addition to the DVD, which is full of the kind of perspective and trivia that adds extra layers to a film like "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre". "Discovering Treasure: The Story Of The Treasure Of Sierra Madre" documentary from 2003 runs for 49 minutes 56 seconds on the making of the film and is compelling, and the benefit of time means it’s more than just an extended advertisement for the film – there’s actual historical information that’s worth finding out. The original theatrical trailer is included as well and runs for 2 minutes 43 seconds, and is worth a look, although old trailers can be hard to watch given the high-impact events we’re used to watching now. There’s also a single text screen worth of information on the cast and crew as well as four text screen on the awards that are almost completely dull – but require no effort to add to a DVD release or to look over once.
Packaging
Packaged in an amaray case housed in a cardboard slip-case.
Overall
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