Review of The Wild Bunch (1969) by Byron B — 15 Nov 2013

I'm a big fan of William Holden and I've enjoyed a few other performances by Ernest Borgnine. They are practically brothers in this picture. However, I'm not so familiar with the other actors who make up the ensemble.

Maybe I would have liked it more if I felt more connected to the characters or the stars playing them. There wasn't much brotherly love. After watching the docuseries The Story of Film: An Odyssey, I was curious to see Mexican director Emilio Fernandez play Mexican dictator Mapache.

Angel (played by Jaime Sanchez) is the youngest of the bunch and a sort of sacrificial lamb. The bumpkins Coffer and T.C. (played by Strother Martin and L.Q. Jones), who try to help Robert Ryan's Deke Thornton track down his old friends, irritated me.

There are many rowdy, glorious, and desperate acts throughout. The bloodbath and body count at the end reenacted the symbolic swarm of red ants attacking the scorpions in the opening scene, but lacked purpose.