The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1946, John Houston)
I knew this would be good but not quite this good.
The most novel aspect of it is the casting of Humphrey Bogart against type. I won’t spoil the plot but I think, as far as the film is concerned, anyway (haven’t read the B. Traven novel), Bogie’s character is involved in Houston’s point-of-view problem. That is, since Bogart gets top billing audiences go in assuming, not necessary that he’s the hero, but that our point-of-view is his. Now, this was 1946, post-War II in America and we’re introduced to a character begging on the streets of Mexico with “Help out a fellow American?” entreaties. He even approaches the same passerby (in a funny John Houston cameo) twice with the same line. He then has the nerve to tell a kid hustling for pennies, “Quit begging!” Right off the bat we’re presented with sympathizing with Bogie’s predicament but definitely not his unsavory character. It’s a strange place to be. Houston not only increases this tension as the film proceeds but (and I won’t say how) jettisons the Bogie/audience point-of-view altogether! Very few directors had the guts to do this in the Hollywood of that era. Few do now.
Good streamer