Review of The Wild Bunch (1969) by Nick A — 02 Jun 2009

The Wild Bunch (1969).

This is the ultimate guy flick and really made a name for director Sam Peckinpah. It was very controversial when it came out; ultra violent, and misogynistic. When I first saw this in the theater, I really didn't like it as much, preferring Peckinpah's other movies like The Getaway (1972), The Killer Elite (1975), and even Convoy (1978). Maybe it's the extra scenes that were cut from the theatrical release that are now in the Director's cut DVD, or maybe it's because I've gotten older and can relate more with the characters now, but I love this movie.

This movie basically influenced most modern directors. It's an American western that holds it's own next to the Spaghetti Westerns of the 60's. I don't want to analyze this movie too much because it has been the subject of countless discussions by film makers, film critics, and movie geeks. I'm way out of my league here.

Pike Bishop (William Holden) is the aging leader of a crew of ruthless bank and train robbers (Ernest Borgnine, Edmond O'Brien, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, and Jaime Sánchez). The railroad has set up a trap for him and forced him and his men to escape down to Mexico. The railroad has pulled one of their men out of jail, Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan) and is making him reluctantly go after his old gang or face going back to prison.

When the men arrive in Mexico they're confronted with a Mexican despot, General Mapache, played to it's evil best by Emilio Fernandez. (Ironically, Fernandez himself had fought for the revolution and brought film making to Mexico and influenced the golden age of Mexican film in the 40s.) General Mapache is anxious to get some U.S. military weapons stolen for him to help fight back Pancho Villa's army that is nipping at his heals. He offers Pike and his men gold to steal these weapons from the U.S. Army.

Pike sees Mapache as just another bandito, not unlike himself, but one of his men, Angel (Sánchez) knows that he will use these guns against his people. If the people from his village had just one box of these weapons, they could defend themselves from people like Mapache. There's a lot of things going on in this movie that aren't spoken, but you know what's going on by just a look or a nod.

Also, I need to comment on screenwriter Walon Green. He, Peckinpah and even Emilio Fernandez have created something amazing for U.S. film makers. A movie that celebrates the common people of Mexico and shows them in a much better light.