Western is the genre yours truly struggles with the most... What I deeply adore are those nasty and violent Italian Spaghetti Westerns from the 60s and 70s, in which the cowboys are sweaty pigs and the massacres are merciless. What I really dislike, though, are those polished classical westerns from the 40s and 50s, starring Gary Cooper or Johny Wayne, in which gunshot wounds don't leave any bloodstains and all the cowboys have perfectly clean teeth. "The Wild Bunch" definitely leans closer to the first category than to the second. It may not be Italian, but it sure is merciless and filthy. The squirmy and uncomfortable opening sequences, showing a group of kids torturing a scorpion by poking it into a sea of ants, already indicate this will not become a clean and orthodox Western tale with noble Sheriffs or poorly staged saloon fights. Does it genuinely destroy the "myth of the Old West", like John Wayne once stated with plenty of disgust? Well, yes... But you can't make groundbreaking films if you stick to the same old conventional routines, and besides, the Italians - and notably Sergio Leone - busted that myth several years earlier already. As far as I'm concerned, "The Wild Bunch" still can't hold a candle to, say, "Once upon a Time in the West" or "Django".
Another thing I love, however, are short and to-the-point movies with loads of action. Honestly, in between the heist turning in an ambush-shootout at the start and the insanely blood-soaking finale, "The Wild Bunch" is a rather boring and overly talkative movie that seemingly lasts forever. Peckinpah passes his messages, namely that the macho code of outlaws triumphs over the power and corruption of their opponents, but it's quite an ordeal to sit through. Luckily there are stellar performances to enjoy, with Ernest Borgnine and Warren Oates as my favorites.
Not (yet) an expert on the filmography of director Sam Peckinpah, but all I ever read about him is how impossible he was to work with. He reputedly also was an ill-tempered person, an alcoholic, and a serious misogynist. You definitely see some of those "compliments" reflecting in "The Wild Bunch". The only times the lead characters are having any fun is when they pass around a bottle of whiskey or visit brothels. Women don't have a place in Peckinpah's West, except if they can be bluntly executed for adultery or used as a living shield. And still the film is a lot more women friendly as "Straw Dogs", go figure!
Although often boring and unendurable, the long middle-section does prove that Peckinpah was a director with a vision. The transition from old western habits to new modern times (illustrated through mighty railroad tycoons, undisciplined soldiers, melancholic ageing gunslingers, and even one of the very first cars) is what makes this an unhinged American classic. That, and the extreme violence, obviously.
Another thing I love, however, are short and to-the-point movies with loads of action. Honestly, in between the heist turning in an ambush-shootout at the start and the insanely blood-soaking finale, "The Wild Bunch" is a rather boring and overly talkative movie that seemingly lasts forever. Peckinpah passes his messages, namely that the macho code of outlaws triumphs over the power and corruption of their opponents, but it's quite an ordeal to sit through. Luckily there are stellar performances to enjoy, with Ernest Borgnine and Warren Oates as my favorites.
Not (yet) an expert on the filmography of director Sam Peckinpah, but all I ever read about him is how impossible he was to work with. He reputedly also was an ill-tempered person, an alcoholic, and a serious misogynist. You definitely see some of those "compliments" reflecting in "The Wild Bunch". The only times the lead characters are having any fun is when they pass around a bottle of whiskey or visit brothels. Women don't have a place in Peckinpah's West, except if they can be bluntly executed for adultery or used as a living shield. And still the film is a lot more women friendly as "Straw Dogs", go figure!
Although often boring and unendurable, the long middle-section does prove that Peckinpah was a director with a vision. The transition from old western habits to new modern times (illustrated through mighty railroad tycoons, undisciplined soldiers, melancholic ageing gunslingers, and even one of the very first cars) is what makes this an unhinged American classic. That, and the extreme violence, obviously.