The Wild Bunch is Sam Peckinpahs masterwork. A pure piece of art. It has a richness to it that gives it lasting power. While other films fade or dissappoint when watching again, the Wild Bunch continues to mature like a good port. So many scenes that take the breath away. The carefully managed blowing up of the bridge. One of the great action shots in film history. A truly wonderful cast. The gaunt and ageing Pike Bishop played by an ill William Holden. Robert Ryan in perhaps the greatest role in his long career as the ex gang member. And what a supporting cast of old Peckinpah stalwarts. Ben Johnson ex world rodeo champion, Warren Oates, Ernest Borgnine and a gnarled and unrecogniseable Edmond O'Brien to name just a few. Great actors in their own right. Mexico provides the background as it did in many of Peckinpahs films. The old West is on the way out and it is clear the gang have had their day. As Alan Ladd says to the very bad Jack Palance in Shane before gunning him down. "Your… more »

The Wild Bunch is Sam Peckinpahs masterwork. A pure piece of art. It has a richness to it that gives it lasting power. While other films fade or dissappoint when watching again, the Wild Bunch continues to mature like a good port. So many scenes that take the breath away. The carefully managed blowing up of the bridge. One of the great action shots in film history. A truly wonderful cast. The gaunt and ageing Pike Bishop played by an ill William Holden. Robert Ryan in perhaps the greatest role in his long career as the ex gang member. And what a supporting cast of old Peckinpah stalwarts. Ben Johnson ex world rodeo champion, Warren Oates, Ernest Borgnine and a gnarled and unrecogniseable Edmond O'Brien to name just a few. Great actors in their own right. Mexico provides the background as it did in many of Peckinpahs films. The old West is on the way out and it is clear the gang have had their day. As Alan Ladd says to the very bad Jack Palance in Shane before gunning him down. "Your killing days are over." And so it is for the gang. The only difference is they have the choice of how to exit and boy do they take it in the famous finale. It is a simple tale well told as many great stories are from Homer onwards. I have ridden with the bunch a few times now and it gets better each time. Look out for the scene near the end with the dust swirling around a prancing horse and rider through an archway. Beautiful. I recommend you also take a ride with the bunch. You will not be dissappointed. Thanks to film they will thankfully be riding for many years yet and will not age as badly as us.

Anyone who has had the opportunity to read my review of "The Searchers" will realise that I have called the John Ford classic the best western ever made, Whilst I stand by that I believe "The Wild Bunch" comes a close second. The story of Pike Bishop and his "bunch" is a story of a West that is dying, The year is 1914 and the world is on the brink of war,The Motor car is king and modern technology is taking over from the horse and cart. This is a world that the wild bunch has trouble understanding. The movie itself is framed by two incredible orgies of violence. The start of the movie begins with an ambush on a railroad payroll where no innocent bystanders are spared and ends with a suicidal bloody battle at Mapache,s camp.
Violence in the Wild bunch is slow and balletic, Blood runs plenty and freely throughout, but to review this movie and only refer to the violence is an insult to the memory of Sam Peckinpah. This is a western that intends to destroy any myths created by the… more »

Anyone who has had the opportunity to read my review of "The Searchers" will realise that I have called the John Ford classic the best western ever made, Whilst I stand by that I believe "The Wild Bunch" comes a close second. The story of Pike Bishop and his "bunch" is a story of a West that is dying, The year is 1914 and the world is on the brink of war,The Motor car is king and modern technology is taking over from the horse and cart. This is a world that the wild bunch has trouble understanding. The movie itself is framed by two incredible orgies of violence. The start of the movie begins with an ambush on a railroad payroll where no innocent bystanders are spared and ends with a suicidal bloody battle at Mapache,s camp.
Violence in the Wild bunch is slow and balletic, Blood runs plenty and freely throughout, but to review this movie and only refer to the violence is an insult to the memory of Sam Peckinpah. This is a western that intends to destroy any myths created by the old school westerns, There are no good guys and bad guys, No indians, No morale message, No easy answers and No love interest (Not unless you count Angel's girlfriend who he dispatches without haste midway through the picture) This is a western that is hard through and through, An era when men were men and life was short.
Must see!