GREAT CINEMAMASTER LIST
Menu

The Essential 713, made interactive

Find your next
great film.

Search 713 spoiler-free recommendations from 1916 to 2026. Filter by the night you want—not the list you’re supposed to finish.

Direct film viewShowing master rank #106 on its own—not above the ranking.
Refine this collection

Your canon

Back up / restore my film dataLoading your progress…Saved only in this browser
Artwork
DirectorAll directors

Most represented · 6+ films

More recurring directors · 3–5 films54
All directors · surname A–Z438
ActorAll actors

Most represented actors

Big Three membership
Major award winners

1 selected film

Master Rank balances Greatness, Engagement, and Ease. Sort by Greatness for the artistic-canon view.

Director:
Cast:
View The Treasure of the Sierra Madre film page
Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List

Spoiler-free premise

Two struggling Americans join an experienced prospector in search of gold in Mexico.

Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free

Americans Fred C. Dobbs and Bob Curtin meet veteran prospector Howard while stranded in Tampico. Pooling their money, the three travel into the Sierra Madre to mine gold, agreeing to divide the yield before suspicion can divide them.

Why it belongs

John Huston transforms a gold expedition into a severe study of greed, paranoia, labor, and the fragility of male trust.

Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case

Harsh Mexican locations and the physical labor of mining keep the adventure grounded. Humphrey Bogart's tightening posture and suspicious glances let Dobbs's greed emerge as behavior before it becomes accusation and violence.

Major award record

Metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Academy Awards3 wins1949 · official ceremony record ↗
Directing1949 · John Hustonofficial ceremony record ↗Writing (Screenplay)1949 · John Hustonofficial ceremony record ↗Actor in a Supporting Role1949 · Walter Hustonofficial ceremony record ↗
Golden Globes3 wins1949 · official film record ↗
Best Director - Motion Picture1949 · John Hustonofficial film record ↗Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture1949 · Walter Hustonofficial film record ↗

Plus 1 additional win

Venice1 win1948 · official Venice 1948 awards ↗

Plus 1 additional win

No headline-category win to name

Totals include every recorded competitive win. Only Picture or top-film honors, Direction, Screenplay, and lead or supporting performances are named.

Good for
Date NightFilm Club
Descriptive guidance derived from rating, genre, runtime, mood, and GCML scores.

Institutional reference ranks

Sight & Sound—IMDb Top 250159AFI 10038
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score

Great Cinema Master List scores

Greatness9.4
Engagement9.2
Ease8.6

English · Not Rated
Narrative Feature
Mood: Exhilarating & Gripping