Film Study: "The Wild Bunch"

Taming The Wild Bunch


The late 60s and early 70s are among the creatively interesting times in cinematic history. So many new takes on genres, stories, characters, and themes were occurring that had never been an era with such energy and courage. One of the premier talents of this group was Sam Peckinpah, who like others of his generation, sadly  lived a self-destructive lifestyle that led to a young death. But his mark on film history is important and seminal. And his take on the western, The Wild Bunch, stands as his greatest work.

The story is classic: a former outlaw is hired by a train company to find and kill his old comrades. But it doesn't end there, with the gang traveling across the border into Mexico, quickly entangling them a Mexican civil war. There are brief flashback sequences that showcase the backstory of the two former friends, the "villain" Pike Bishop and Deke Thorton. One of my favorite aspects about this film was the amount of plot and story it had for a western. This isn't meant to disrespect the genre, as its one of my favorites. But The Wild Bunch manages to take many of the standard story tropes of the genre and a a new take of realism and urgency that I hadn't seen before.


The characters and performances really elevated this material into something great. You feel like you personally know each of these characters and genuinely care about what happens to them, whether they're just or not. William Holden fills a great role masterfully as the leader of the gang who isn't evil, but also is willing to kill to live long and prosper. The same complexity can be found in Robert Ryan, who's reluctantly forced to turn on his former brothers. Neither really likes what they do, but that's all they're good out and nothing else is available to them.

The whole theme and message is a blood-soaked one, echoing the Vietnam era it was originally made for. It sills plays particularly well for the post 9/11 world of today, with lines being crossed and questions being raised about if there even were any lines at all. The violence in the film is still shockingly graphic and upfront, stripping away any sort of romanticism and justice that was previously associated with that era in history. The editing is revolutionary in its choices and pace, leaving you ponder on certain deaths with certain guilt or shame. The action sequences are surprisingly great for their day, especially with the spectacular finale.

I have a great respect for classic westerns that attempt to romanticize the glories of the bygone age. But its gritty, in-your-face films like The Wild Bunch and Unforgiven, or particularly cinematic approaches like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly that have left me most satisfied with the genre. Sam Peckinpah's 1969 classic is a must see for any western fan and cinephile.