Andy Summers 🤠’s review published on Letterboxd:
One of my favourite films of all time, I watched this for the first time on Blu-Ray and was astounded at the quality of EVERYTHING. Peckinpah directs this 1969 masterpiece with genuine love for the genre and with real vigour in his quest to re-establish himself in the film industry after his troubled time on "Major Dundee" and his firing from "The Cincinnati Kid".
Shot in Mexico, this was a labour of love for Peckinpah who cast some of the best middle-aged actors around at the time. Ernest Borgnine, Warren Oates, Robert Ryan and a rejuvenated William Holden give arguably some of the best performances of their careers in this blood-soaked epic. Holden especially is perfectly cast as the ageing leader of a gang of outlaws looking for one last score before retirement. The action is frenetic and poetic in equal measure and with more stylised violence than in Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" and "Inglorious Bastards" put together. This movie's violent intensity was condemned by all manner of groups back in 69' earning Peckinpah the moniker of "Bloody Sam".
A story of honour, loyalty and the march of time, The Wild Bunch IS the greatest western ever made and the template for every slow-motion action set piece shot since its release. The use of slow-motion in the gun-battles made for a such an extraordinary feel to the film you thought you were actually there and dodging the bullets yourself. Beautifully shot, from the stunning landscapes to the visceral slaughter of the majority of the cast this is truly an unprecedented milestone in movie history. Overlooked come Oscar time and overshadowed by the more mainstream "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid", this was a travesty to both a legendary film-maker and a wonderful landmark film. Excellent.
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