Treasure Of The Sierra Madre Imperialism

Imperialism and the Bandit Character
The Mexican “Bandito” character is a popular archetype that has existed throughout film history. It is typically a stereotypical portrayal of a criminal that serves as an antagonist for the typically Anglo main characters to overcome and defeat. The films Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez are both films that serve as warnings and criticisms of the United States imperialistic tendencies. Each film features an outlaw Mexican character that reacts to the imperialist actions of the Anglo characters. However, one portrayal is that of a stereotype, while the other is a well-rounded individual. Here I will compare the two characters to show how each is used to illustrate the main theme of the films.
In Treasure of the Sierra Madre the type of imperialism being shown is of economic variety, the Anglo characters are concerned primarily with financial gain and have no aversion to claiming ownership of resources that belong to a different country. They express an entitled opinion that they are justified in their attempts to mine gold from the mountain and are willing to lie to the local population about their activities and hide their spoils. This film was made in 1948, at the time the U.S. had dropped its isolationist policies and was beginning to expand its influence throughout the world. At the time most would view this policy as beneficial and as such the characters showed very little regard for the effects that their action would have on the people around