The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Play trailer

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Released Jan 6, 1948

2h 4m

Adventure

Western

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

54 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

In this classic adventure film, two rough-and-tumble wanderers, Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) and Curtin (Tim Holt), meet up with a veteran prospector, Howard (Walter Huston), in Mexico and head into the Sierra Madre mountains to find gold. Although they discover treasure, they also find plenty of trouble, not only from ruthless bandits lurking in the dangerous Mexican wilderness but from their own insecurities and greed, which threaten to bring conflict at any moment.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Remade but never duplicated, this darkly humorous morality tale represents John Huston at his finest.

Read Critics Reviews

Kate Cameron

New York Daily News

In Treasure of the Sierra Madre, John Huston has turned out the best picture that has come from Warner Brothers' studios since the war.

Rated: 4/4

Jan 12, 2023

Full Review

Edwin Schallert

Los Angeles Times

That gold changes the character of men who are fortunate enough to find it is the central thesis of this curiously powerful production.

Jan 12, 2023

Full Review

Rob Humanick

Slant Magazine

Transcends the medium to become a mandatory viewing experience for anyone that identifies themselves as a human being, period.

Rated: 4/4

Apr 20, 2011

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Unlike most studio releases of the era, the film's depiction of wretched moral depravity is not sweetened by a studio ending, where, say, the ugly impulses of greed are suppressed by a higher moral calling.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 14, 2022

Full Review

Matt Neal

ABC Radio (Australia)

Wildly unconventional for its time, it makes its A-list star a villain, there's no romantic subplot, and it's far grimmer than most movies of the age.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 30, 2021

Full Review

Sarah Brinks

Battleship Pretension

The film is about the power of human greed. From the moment Dobbs sees that first seam of pyrite, he is obsessed...

Apr 1, 2021

Full Review

Read all reviews

Ishara L

As far as movie making techniques are concerned, this movie doesn't invent something new. Where it shines in though is it's story, dialogue and acting. It's a great tale of morality; 3 guys set out to find gold and become rich. They do anything in their power to protect it when they find it, even amongst themselves. Greed is a vile thing and even the most thrustworthy of the two admits if he was younger, he might have been tempted by it. Sometimes a challenge along the way becomes an asset, an enemy can become a friend and aid in the mission. The greatest danger always comes from within though. Humphrey Bogart is excellent as Dobbs, jovial when everything goes well, crule and suspicious when he's in a bad mood. Fear drives him more than actual malice though. It's also because of him that he influences the rest of the guys, make them just as suspicious. If a character like Dobbs wasn't there, the party would have made it with less anxiousness. When in the end, all the efforts are futile, those that remain can't help but laugh about the fate of it. They tried and worked so hard for it only to have it blown away. What else can you do? But, along the journey for the one thing, they've found something else. Not the thing they were looking for that would make them rich, but something that will make them richer in life.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/25

Full Review

David S

Yes this is one of my favorite movies- a lot of people enjoy this so what!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/28/24

Full Review

William B

One of the best adventure movies. Great plot and casting.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/22/24

Full Review

Fer S

Great movie! Nice pacing, unpredictable plot.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/19/24

Full Review

Alec C

Sometimes, the most dangerous of enemies can come from within! As a trio of drifters attempt to strike it rich by gold mining, they have to ward off claim-jumpers, the intense heat and their own greed before it consumes them. Played by a memorable cast of actors, this is a tale where the treasure is just as dangerous as the men pursuing it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/03/24

Full Review

Jeff S

Moralistic without overreaching, this classic is filled with colorful characters and wild adventures.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/01/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

John Huston

Director

Humphrey Bogart

Fred C. Dobbs

Walter Huston

Howard

Tim Holt

Bob Curtin

Bruce Bennett

James Cody

Barton MacLane

Pat McCormick

Vera Cruz

87%

69%

Vera Cruz

Watchlist

Key Largo

97%

88%

Key Largo

Watchlist

All Through the Night

100%

71%

All Through the Night

Watchlist

TRAILER

for All Through the Night

High Sierra

92%

78%

High Sierra

Watchlist

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

92%

79%

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

AFI Announces Top 100 Movies of All Time … Again

The Weekly Ketchup: "Ghostbusters 3" Close To Fruition, Direct-To-Video Sequels Galore, "Ghost Rider" Screening Or Not Screening. Who Knows?

View more photos

Synopsis

In this classic adventure film, two rough-and-tumble wanderers, Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) and Curtin (Tim Holt), meet up with a veteran prospector, Howard (Walter Huston), in Mexico and head into the Sierra Madre mountains to find gold. Although they discover treasure, they also find plenty of trouble, not only from ruthless bandits lurking in the dangerous Mexican wilderness but from their own insecurities and greed, which threaten to bring conflict at any moment.

Director: John Huston
Producer: Henry Blanke
Screenwriter: B. Traven, John Huston
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Warner Brothers
Genre: Adventure, Western, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 6, 1948, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2015
Runtime: 2h 4m

Most Popular at Home Now