There's something about Bogart

Seriously! He's such an ugly mother, and with baad attitude to boot, and ugly one more time. But the man's absolutely fantastic. Saw Treasure of the Sierra Madre a few days ago. Though he didn't seem to be the protagonist-think the gold was-he was the best thing about the movie. The last ten minutes or so after he dies is an anti-climax. I had, of course, seen Casablanca. Who hasn't? But, think I'm falling in love with that painfully tough ugly mug after I saw The Maltese Falcon and Treasure of the Sierra Madre. The latter is a great Hollywood production. Just goes on to prove that the LA filmland wasn't always as shitty as it seems now. The movie is gloriously fake, with all those 'heroic' bums marking time in Mexico and the amusing-but deadly-Mexican bandits...but its also quite real. When the actors get dirty digging for gold, they LOOK it. And when all the suspicions and jealousies surface after the gold has been found, that seems credible too. Although Bogart does spend too much time muttering loudly to himself. But the fire and brimstone of the Mexican wilderness comes alive beautifully.
And then there's Bogart. He cusses, spits, bums money, ogles at women, rubs his lips, kills, drinks like a fish...and generally lifts the movie a few notches by just being up there on the screen. I know I know. His legend is older than my father, but now that I seem to have 'discovered' him, he seems like a personal possession.