Review of The Hunting Party (2007) by Trent R — 21 Sep 2010

Nice level of grit and sadism here, not so unusual post Wild Bunch - especially considering the cast. But the pairing of Reed and Bergen brings some chemistry over time and interesting scenes of remorseful anguish.

Not over her rape, of course, but in relation to Reed's own men. The gunfight scenes are largely with early scoped rifles, so the typical focused pursuit has a different pitch when the action does arrive.

Hackman is fantastic here, leveling his rage at one moment then feigning class pleasantries the next. Ortolani's score is typically excellent, as is Cecilio Paniagua's cinematography. This is probably under-appreciated due to the accumulation of odd choices in romantic pairing, emotionalism, and ranged combat - rather than delivering stoicism and showdowns.