Review of Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974) by Adrian M — 16 Apr 2008

Ok, ok...Straw Dogs is my second favorite Pekinpah film, as stated in my review of that film, I didn't mention what my favorite all time Pekinpah film is..well, this is it. Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia is not only my favorite Pekinpah film but its one of my all time favorite films in general.

This his most personal film with the main character as played by the coyote like Warren Oates being a complete facsimile of the auteur himself. This is not your typical protagonist, he is a loser and opportunist a scummy piano player in a shitty mexican border town. He is so nasty that in a scene at the beginning we witness him picking crabs out of his pubes, that is how fucking slimey this guy is...yet we follow him on his journey and in the end hope he comes out on the right side of things.

Warren Oates mostly played supporting character roles before taking the lead in Alfredo, in Pekinpah's hands Warren Oates is a God, this film is so deranged and unrelenting and so fucking cool...it's Pekinpah at his savage and cynical best, there are no good guys, there are no heroes just men trying to survive in a world of shit.