Review of Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) by Redpola — 14 Nov 2021

The first time I watched this film, I didn’t like it. It’s violent, gory, and much, much, much more /real/ than I was used to after being brought up watching spaghetti westerns. I persisted and soon realised that Peckinpah had captured a beautiful slice of the Wild West in all its glory and with all its faults.

This film is captivatingly believable, and tells something of an unconventional love story. The plot is very plain, but the story is told at times with incredible beauty and always with intensity. The two main characters and the depth of feeling between them is constantly engaging, and the final thirty minutes always has my heart racing and my stress levels through the roof.