The Wild Bunch

Sam Peckinpah
1969
Second Viewing

It may not be apparent on the surface, but I see Sam Peckinpah as the natural heir to John Ford in terms of Westerns. Each exemplified their respective cinematic zeitgeist - Ford, a holdover from the silent era with his static frames, macho humor, and earnest morality couldn't have been anymore "classic Hollywood." Meanwhile, Peckinpah with his gonzo violence, maniac anti-heroes, and roving-camera extremes would make a fine bratty poster child for the so called New Hollywood of the late 60's and 70's. "The Wild Bunch" put Peckinpah back on the map after a blackball period when he was shut out of films due to the debacle surrounding "Major Dundee" (1965), and from having been kicked off another picture. This neo Western is all blunt-force trauma with it's brick subtle metaphors and appalling humanity. The famous opening shot, children feeding giant scorpions to a swarm of fire-ants (and then setting the whole thing on fire) pretty much sums it up as the eponymous gang of crooks decide on a whim to turn a Mexican general's camp into a bloodbath of epic proportions. No matter how ghastly their sins, a charming, surprisingly vulnerable performance by William Holden, and a charismatic turn by Ernest Borgnine make these bloodthirsty rogues undeniably appealing. Forget the romantic notion of a quickly disappearing "old West," with it's freedom and lawlessness now anachronism - it's the cult of personality, the hero worship and star appeal that becomes most satisfyingly disturbing.