The Wild Bunch - The Original Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)

I don't care how much people praise this film, it doesn't deliver and I turned if off half way thru. In my opinion Peckinpah is a hack, just look at that dog Straw Dogs, pointless as well. This movie plods along,
framed by the dichotomy of two old friends that are now enemies. Most of the dialogue is no better than a tv western program. Booze, whores, and wanton violence film up the scenes. Some of the cinematography and editing is abrupt and does add a jarring feel to the movie, which isn't bad. However, overall, there is little of value that is transmitted, and it turns out to be another prosaic Peckin' offering. This movie can't hold a candle to Stagecoach or The Searchers. 'Nuff said.

eventhough is an old movie still it is a classic, excellent feature and the performance of the mayority of the actors were excellent.

thank you....

I can't wait to see this movie in HD. I purchased the standard version last year but ended up selling it. The bloody shootout at the end is one of the all time great and influential gun fights ever filmed. Yes it's violent, gruesome and over the top but what else would expect from the late great Peckinpah! The cast led by aging Hollywood's golden boy William Holden is also first rate!! Straw Dogs is still me favourite film of his but I rank this a very close second. Enjoy!!!

Another tradional classic western, much action, anyone who hasn't seen it and is a fan of westerns should.

THE WILD BUNCH (1969) In 1913 at the height of the Mexican Revolution an aging band of outlaws from the last century known as "The Wild Bunch", to fund their retirement decide on a last robbery on a dusty Texas town. Unbeknown to gang leader Pike Bishop (William Holden) and his right-hand-man Dutch Engstrom (Ernest Borgnine) a rival and former gang member and friend Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan) has the bank staked out, ambushing the gang as they try to make their escape after a most violent shootout the survivors head for relative safety across the Mexican border, with Thornton and his posse of roughneck bounty hunters in hot pursuit.

Once across the border the gang the gang head for a small Mexican border town where Freddie Sykes (Edmund O'Brien) is waiting for them with spare horses and saddles, here they discover that their loot from the robbery is made up of worthless steel washers. They then head for the Mexican village home of Angel (Jaime Sanchez) one of the gang members. Bishop learnt from the village elder that General Mapache (Emilio Fernandez) and his troops had attacked the village.

In an effort to restore their fortunes Pike Bishop and his men head for the headquarters of General Mapache (Emilio Fernandez) to sell their horses,
No sooner have they arrived, than Angel spotted his girl friend Teresa in the arms of Mapache, he draws his gun and shoots her dead, when things have cooled down General Mapache and his German advisors hire the gang to hijack a US arms shipment for a price of $10,000 in gold. Angel insists to Pike and Dutch that he's allowed to take one case to his village for their defence, they both agree.

The gang hold up the train only to discover that Deke and his posse our also on board the train. Following the successful hijack of the arms shipment they head back over the Rio Grande via a bridge, which they dynamite just as the posse, is crossing over. The posse was also being followed by a "green" US cavalry troop who had been acting as train guard. After a successful getaway, Pike, suspecting foul play arranges for arms to be delivered to General Mapache in stages delivering the first one his-self in exchange for part payment in gold!

By the time Dutch and Angel ride in for the final exchange big trouble is brewing not least because Mapache knows of Angel's double-dealing and takes him prisoner, Dutch pretends he doesn't care and is allowed to walk away. Back with the rest of the gang Pike decides to try and buy Angel back from Mapche with half of his share of the gold. Meanwhile Deke and his posse are breathing down their necks indeed Sykes has already been seriously wounded in the thigh!

Pike, Dutch and the two Gorch brothers (Warren Oates & Ben Johnson) set out for General Mapache's stronghold, on arrival they find a fireworks celebration in progress along with drunken debauchery, Mapache's car is driving around with Angel tied and dragged along behind the car with children running happily along behind! Pike demands that Mapache lets Angel go. He refuses, Pike and the gang retreat and take solace in local prostitutes, apart from Dutch who waits outside whittling on a piece of wood. Having had their fill of whiskey and women Pike rallies the Wild Bunch and they walk out four abreast into the sunshine heading across town. On arrival he demands of Mapache that he releases the moribund Angel, the General refuses at the same time cutting Angel's throat, which precipitates the last violent shootout. At the end of it all only two survive the adventure of crossing of the River Grande into Mexico, one of the hunted (The Wild Bunch) and one of the hunters (The Posse), but which ones?

Sam Pekinpah had already made the critically acclaimed RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY aka GUNS IN THE AFTERNOON (1962) with those two Western stalwarts Randolph Scott and Joel McCrea. And although this film has a vastly expanded budget it still explores the same theme of men out of their time and place in the advancing twentieth Century! Brilliant Opening freeze-framed credits sequence to the sound of drums and cymbals as they ride past a group of Mexican children who are feeding live scorpions to a colony of red fighter ants. Several other set pieces are expertly handled most notable of which was the blowing up of the bridge over the River Grande The film was made midway through the Vietnam War and the American public by this time were used to scenes of violence on TV news reports. Many critics reported that the film merely reflected that violence. Still not to every ones taste then, or now!

This review refers to the Two-Disc Special Edition from Warner Bros. 2006 (The original directors cut) 139 minutes. Disc 1: The Film (restored) plus Sam Pekinpah documentary. Disc 2: Wild Bunch outtakes plus 3 documentaries. All represents Good Value for Money from Amazon.