|
The Wild Bunch
|
|
|
| Rated:
R |
1969 |
Color |
145
min. |
Awards |
|
|
| Starring:
William Holden, Ernest
Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brian, Warren Oates, Jaime
Sanchez, Ben Johnson, Emilio Fernandez, Strother Martin, L.Q.
Jones |
| Director:
Sam Peckinpah |
Produced
by: Phil
Feldman |
| Story
by: Walon Green,
Roy N. Sickner |
| Screenplay
by: Walon
Green, Sam Peckinpah |
| Music:
Jerry Felding |
Movie
Co.: Warner Bros. |
|
HugeReviews.com
Reviews:
|
Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch
by Joe De Matteo
HUGE
There have been countless movies and books
about the end of the Wild West era and the
men who couldn't make the transition. While
The Wild Bunch is another of these, don't
make the mistake of thinking that it is just
one
of many. This is an outstanding film
that will leave its mark on you each time
you see it.
|
| Pike Bishop (William Holden) is
getting too old for the life, and Dutch Engstrum (Ernest Borgnine) is not far behind
him, but neither is ripe for taking on the old-man gofer job in the gang;
a job that the once game
Freddie Sykes (Edmond O'Brien) has settled
into. These three rough men have put
together a new gang to steal a large cash
haul from a bank in a town civilized enough
to have a full-blown temperance movement.
Unfortunately for the gang, the railroad, whose money it happens to be
that they want to steel, has also
put together a gang, or posse, to bring an
end to Pike, once and for all.
Starting to sound a little like Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Don't worry,
while the premise is the same, the story
couldn't be more different. This is almost
as beautifully filmed as George Roy Hill's
movie, but it is much darker. Peckinpah has
made what might be called the noir western,
showing the ratty underbelly against blue
skies, red rocks and green foliage. |
DVD: The
Wild Bunch - Restored Director's Cut
A must
have! |
|
The magic of Sam Peckinpah's
direction, the excellence of the
storyline and screenplay, and
the captivating work of the
actors has given us a classic
film that will show future
generations of Americans what it
was like in the west as the
calendar gave birth to a new
century, a new era.
The familiar character actors
Warren Oats and Ben Johnson, and
Jamie Sanchez do excellent
portrayals of other gang
members. The word
believable best describes the
portrayals of the other actors
that fill out this compelling
world: those in the pursuing
posse, the village people, the
unfamiliar "Mexican" rebels and
the people that live around
them, and, of course, Robert
Ryan who makes it an even
foursome of great actors of
decades past that bring to life
the grit and emotion of a life
you will never live.
From the children laughing at the carnage of
two young scorpions they have thrown into a
nest of red ants, to the laughter of
fighting men going into battle against
staggering odds, The Wild Bunch is also a
witness to the side
of humanity that lurks in the cracks of
society...even today.
Well acted, well presented, The Wild
Bunch is one great movie!
|
|
Awards:
National Society of Film Critics Awards: (1) Best Cinematography |
| |
|
Sam Peckinpah always believed that it was irresponsible to depict
only the evil aspects of a villain. In The Wild Bunch, he
demonstrated his philosophy by showing a group of vicious outlaws in a
way that made you sympathize with them. This sort of filmmaking
has been repeated several times since by such directors as Scorsese,
Copolla, and Tarantino.
There are two versions of this film in existence: R Rated, and NC-17
Rated. The DVD version is currently only the R rated version, but
they throw in a great documentary called, The Wild Bunch: An Album In
Montage which is written directed, and edited by Paul Seydor, and
produced by Nick Redman and Paul Seydor. The documentary was up
for an Academy Award in 1996 and includes long-unseen footage of on-set
shooting as well as interviews. |
| |
|
