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The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
1948 126 min United States of America 12+
★9.0
Adventure, Drama, Western
Director: John Huston
🎭 Based on
«The Treasure of the Sierra Madre»
byB. Traven
Trailers
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Description
Two jobless Americans convince a prospector to travel to the mountains of Mexico with them in search of gold. But the hostile wilderness, local bandits, and greed all get in the way of their journey.
Budget:
$3.8M
US Gross:
$5.01M
Worldwide:
$4.31M
Starring
Humphrey Bogart
Actor
Walter Huston
Actor
Tim Holt
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 1949
— Best Adapted Screenplay
Academy Awards 1949
— Best Supporting Actor
Golden Globe 1949
— Best Supporting Actor
BAFTA 1950
— Best Picture
Golden Globe 1949
— Best Supporting Actor
Golden Globe 1949
— Best Director
Academy Awards 1949
— Best Director
Academy Awards 1949
— Best Picture
Golden Globe 1949
— Best Picture (Drama)
Key opinion
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is widely celebrated as a masterful psychological study of greed and human frailty. Its success is anchored by powerful performances, particularly Bogart’s departure from heroic archetypes, and John Huston's precise, thematic direction.
| Acting | Humphrey Bogart delivers a career-defining, transformative performance as the paranoid, crumbling Fred C. Dobbs. | |
| Acting | Walter Huston provides a masterful, nuanced performance as the wise old prospector Howard, earning widespread critical acclaim. | |
| Direction | John Huston’s direction successfully balances raw, gritty adventure with profound psychological and moral character development. | |
| Ending | The film’s ironic, morally poignant ending serves as a perfect final note to its cautionary tale about the corrupting power of greed. | |
| Production | The production’s commitment to authentic on-location shooting in Mexico adds a layer of atmospheric realism absent in many studio-bound films of the era. | |
| Pacing | The film transitions from a fast-paced urban opening into a deliberate, meditative study of isolation that some find perfectly paced while others might find its slow-burn tension demanding. |