THE WILD BUNCH
A film review by Eric Grossman
Copyright 1995 LOS ANGELES INDEPENDENT
THE WILD BUNCH, Sam Peckinpah's magnum opus has returned to the big screen. The late William Holden stars as Pike Bishop, the leader of an aging gang of outlaws who are trying for their last big haul before they hang up their guns.
When it came out in 1969, the western appeared to be dying but director Peckinpah created a film that was fresh stylistically and thematically. Today, with its honest depiction of violence and how it effects men, women and children, THE WILD BUNCH is as relevant as ever.
Holden, with his mixture of bravado, humor and remorse, gave one of his best performances in this film. Bishop is morally ambivalent but we find ourselves caring greatly for him and his bunch because in the cruel, unlawful world they inhabit, they at least have their own code of ethics. Other members of the all-star cast include the late Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine and the late Edmond O'Brien.
Shot on location in Mexico, THE WILD BUNCH overflows with atmosphere and realism which contrasts sharply with the westerns that feel as if they take place on a movie set. Production designer Edward Carrere was so concerned with authenticity, he had 12,000 Red Harvester ants and 12 gray scorpions flown in. Peckinpah and cinematographer Lucien Ballard beautifully capture the desert landscape in all of its heat, dirt, and vastness.
Editors Lou Lombardo and associate editor Robert Wolf took action sequences to new heights by juxtaposing slow-motion images with footage shot at regular speed. A revolutionary technique at the time, it made the gunfights appear almost poetic. This type of action editing is copied all of the time today but the effect is generally nowhere near as potent.
In addition to a restored sound-track and color correction, THE WILD BUNCH has about ten minutes of additional footage that was excised from the director's cut before its initial release. Time has told, this movie is an American classic and the best way to appreciate all of its, fun, gritty, bloody grandeur, is on the big screen.
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