Review of The Wild Bunch (1969) by Matthew B — 09 Jun 2010
"If they move, kill 'em!" So begins the greatest Western of all time - a symphony of gore and camaraderie. Critics will always chide it as chauvinistic, and the weak-stomached will forever deride its barrage of violence, but it remains one of the most compelling films of the 1960s and, furthermore, of recent American cinema.
The title clan - William Holden, Ernest Borgnine (Mephistophelean and giggling), Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Jaime Sanchez, Edmond O'Brien (venomous as the old codger Sykes) - mesh perfectly, and Robert Ryan maintains a convincing level of moral ambiguity as the conflicted Deke Thornton.
Sam Peckinpah's unique style may have been more characteristically manifested in Straw Dogs, but The Wild Bunch is undoubtedly his groundbreaking masterpiece. After forty years, it still packs a searing wallop.
This review of The Wild Bunch (1969) was written by Matthew B on 09 Jun 2010.
The Wild Bunch has generally received very positive reviews.
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