The Wild Bunch (1969)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Tim S

  
  A masterpiece from beginning to end, Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch is the quintessential bad guy hang out movie. These guys do some terrible things, but even so you still want to just hang out with them, and you'll follow them into anything. There's a terrific energy… More
  A masterpiece from beginning to end, Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch is the quintessential bad guy hang out movie. These guys do some terrible things, but even so you still want to just hang out with them, and you'll follow them into anything. There's a terrific energy to the film that I believe is lacking in some of Sam's other work, but it's full-on here. As with all of his work, it's very gritty and downbeat, but mesmerizing to watch. Most fans and critics seem to think it's his best film, and while I'm not entirely sure about that, I do believe that it's his most accessible on a pure entertainment level.

• Graham J

  
  Peckinpah at his best, he takes the western to a new level. The image of ants eating a scorpion will always remain in my mind.

• Chris W

  
  I could have sworn that I had already provided a review for this quite a while back. Odd. Anyways, this film, a revisionist western released ate the height of the Vietnam War (with Peckinpah saying there were some parallels, especially with reactions to the content), still manages… More
  I could have sworn that I had already provided a review for this quite a while back. Odd. Anyways, this film, a revisionist western released ate the height of the Vietnam War (with Peckinpah saying there were some parallels, especially with reactions to the content), still manages to be brutal and shocking. This film was meant to be the be-all end-all as far as screen violence was concerned, trying to provide content so graphic that people would stop glorifying violence, and see it for how ugly and awful it truly is.Unfortunatrly, this not only backfired, it caused people to get even more excited about graphic violence, something which greatly disturbed Peckinpah for years after. The story here is one of a gang out old school outlaws who are struggling to come to terms with the rapidly changing and modernizing world around them. 1913 seemed like a place not for them, and this film shows said gang making their last stand to relive their glory days. The action is incredibly well done, and some of the shooting and editing techniques were considered quite innovative for the time (but not so much now). The direction is quite sharp, and the amount of blanks and squibs used (especially during the big finale) is absolutely mind-blowing, with rumors going around that more blanks were fired during the filming of this movie than actual bullets were fired during the real Mexican Revolution. I don't know about all of that, but still, it's ridiculous how many bullets are let loose, and how much blood is spilled during the run time. There is of course a point to all of this. Besides just being a rip-roaring western action film, one can get all academic and stuff, especially concerning the portrayal of violence, the reactions to it, and how it fits into the context of Vietnam and stuff, with all of it earned, and not just shallow attempts to make something academic where it doesn't fit. The cast are awesome, and include several well knowns, including Ernest Borgnine, who is, as far as I'm concerned, one of the coolest/most bad ass humans/actors/icons this planet has ever seen, or will ever see. Definitely check this film out. It's awesome. It's violent, it's nuts, it's still shocking, and it is just a great yarn in general. It's also influential as all Hell. I mean, without this, there'd be no John Woo, no Robert Rodriguez, no Quentin Tarantino, and the world of the cinematic shoot-out would be a whole lot different (and not as exciting).

• danny d

  
  i feel like peckinpah might have done a bit much here, but the characters and the actors who played them were excellent and the overall story was great when it wasnt being distracted by everything happening on the sidelines. the violence worked well, and although the ending was… More
  i feel like peckinpah might have done a bit much here, but the characters and the actors who played them were excellent and the overall story was great when it wasnt being distracted by everything happening on the sidelines. the violence worked well, and although the ending was atypical for a western it fit well. overall, and excellent western.

• Tsubaki S

  
  Pure manliness, they don't make them like this anymore. Mostly because there are no more directors like Peckinpah around.

• Conner R

  
  Such an amazing western, very original and relentless for it's time. I think that this gave American Westerns the boost they needed. It's interesting to see a movie where there are no heroes, just different forms of villains chasing each other around Texas. The performances… More
  Such an amazing western, very original and relentless for it's time. I think that this gave American Westerns the boost they needed. It's interesting to see a movie where there are no heroes, just different forms of villains chasing each other around Texas. The performances are great from William Holden and Robert Ryan, as well as the ensemble bit characters. The visual style is perfect, it gives it the final touch on a stroke of genius.

• Cassandra M

  
  An incredible performance by William Holden is the high point of this sensational, landmark film. Holden made a whole career out of laid-back, easy-going, what-the-hell sort of characters but here, at his zenith, he departs from type and plays a character so mean and so embittered… More
  An incredible performance by William Holden is the high point of this sensational, landmark film. Holden made a whole career out of laid-back, easy-going, what-the-hell sort of characters but here, at his zenith, he departs from type and plays a character so mean and so embittered that in some ways he even out-Bronsons Bronson himself. The Wild Bunch is a group of disillusioned outlaws who are out of time and they know it. When Sykes says that they've got one of those things (a car) up north that can fly, they gloomily accept that this new-fangled 20th Century is not for them. It is a movie all about values and about a man's loyalty to his companions. Holden brilliantly declares that if you cannot stand by a man who rides with you, you are like some kind of animal. In the end, that is all these hunted men have: their loyalty to each other. And so they band together for one last walk to try and rescue their doomed Mexican comrade. The bloodbath that follows is an eloquent summary of their lives. They who live by the gun..... Superb performances by Holden in particular and also by O'Brien, Ryan, Borgnine, Oates and Johnson. Peckinpah's finest hour. Definitely ten out of ten.

• Jennifer D

  
  Let's hear it for blood packets! Make this the second Western I have ever liked. There was no point where I was bored while watching this movie, which usually happens in most Westerns. I was very much intrigued. Liking the bad guys - how unusual.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"The land had changed. They hadn't. The earth had cooled. They couldn't."</i> An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them. <center><font size=+2… More
  <i>"The land had changed. They hadn't. The earth had cooled. They couldn't."</i> An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Exactly 40 years after its initial theatrical release, "The Wild Bunch" has become one of the most enduring American classics. The movie is about a posse of older bank robbers who attempt to do one more job before retiring for good. But everything goes terribly wrong for the aging "bandidos". It is an extraordinary film; one of the best westerns ever made and definitely director Sam Peckinpah's bona fide masterpiece. From a technical standpoint, this is a must for students of cinema. Editing, camera work, sound, music, etc., are top notch. I found myself totally captivated by Peckinpah's amazing command of the film medium. This is the first time I saw the uncut version (I'm guessing the new footage is mostly composed of the flashbacks sequences since I didn't remember these sequences), and I have to say that with or without the new additions this is a magnificent film. It is a profound exploration of honor and old age in last days of the wild frontier that is not only provocative but has also remained relevant to modern audiences. Highly recommended (if you do not mind excessive violence).

• Randy T

  
  A Peckinpah masterpiece. One of the best westerns ever made.

• Daniel P

  
  Opening with one of the most ominous beginning montages and one of the best shootouts of any Western, the bar is set high. The brilliant soundtrack and breathtaking cinematography take up the torch, and lead us through a winding, suspenseful storyline. The three lead men (Holden,… More
  Opening with one of the most ominous beginning montages and one of the best shootouts of any Western, the bar is set high. The brilliant soundtrack and breathtaking cinematography take up the torch, and lead us through a winding, suspenseful storyline. The three lead men (Holden, Borgnine and Ryan) deliver strong performances for Sam Peckinpah and create a classic Western in the process, complete with double-crosses, shootouts and campfires aplenty. The Wild Bunch is a staple of the genre and a complete delight to look at, and everyone gets what they deserve - even if you're not sure until the end just what that is. A great film.

• Kalel J

  
  A brutal western venture that aims to blur the normalities of story progression and the thematics prevalent of this genre. Possibly more than any other film of its category, The Wild Bunch confuses the notions of good and bad, right and wrong, as we merely follow certain… More
  A brutal western venture that aims to blur the normalities of story progression and the thematics prevalent of this genre. Possibly more than any other film of its category, The Wild Bunch confuses the notions of good and bad, right and wrong, as we merely follow certain "sides". Peckinpah's seeming purposeful resemblances of Holden and Ryan add extra layers to the uniform stealing, citizen welfare abandoning antics of the characters to make us wonder - is it really worth the bloodshed when neither man is good?

• Ken S

  
  Peckinpah's poetic tale of masculinity is a sight to behold. A truly brutal and beautiful film about the death of the old west. Holden, Borgnine, Oates, O'Briejn and Ryan are marvelous as the last of a dying breed. Westerns, action and film were all never the same after… More
  Peckinpah's poetic tale of masculinity is a sight to behold. A truly brutal and beautiful film about the death of the old west. Holden, Borgnine, Oates, O'Briejn and Ryan are marvelous as the last of a dying breed. Westerns, action and film were all never the same after The Wild Bunch . It also features the most awesome director's credit in history. "If they move, Kill em'!"

• Lanning :

  
  The quintessential "death of the West(ern)" film. Peckinpah was honorably amazing in his quest for brutal realism on screen. Love what the Monty Python group did in tribute to him with the lawn party. <i>Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid </i> also salutes… More
  The quintessential "death of the West(ern)" film. Peckinpah was honorably amazing in his quest for brutal realism on screen. Love what the Monty Python group did in tribute to him with the lawn party. <i>Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid </i> also salutes Peckinpah's vision. <p> Possibly Holden's, and very possibly Borgnine's best work, although his <i>Marty</i> performance is justifiably legendary and hard to beat. <p>

• Michael S

  
  One of the all-time great westerns.

• xGary X

  
  Sam Peckinpah's eulogy to the old west is a classic of the genre, and one of the best films ever made. One of the most striking things about this film is the total lack of a "good guy vs. bad guy" mentality, something Peckinpah made clear right from the opening scene… More
  Sam Peckinpah's eulogy to the old west is a classic of the genre, and one of the best films ever made. One of the most striking things about this film is the total lack of a "good guy vs. bad guy" mentality, something Peckinpah made clear right from the opening scene when Holden's men arrive dressed as soldiers, seemingly about to be ambushed by outlaws. But everything is not as it seems. Holden and his gang are a bunch of outlaws and thieves, but operate with loyalty and a code of honour. Robert Ryan, an ex-partner, heads a pack of bounty hunters hunting them down who act like the vultures picking through the trail of corpses they leave behind. Boasting not one, but two of the most spectacular shoot outs ever committed to celluloid, the final scenes redefine the word "bloodbath" and make a John Woo set piece look like a Sunday school picnic. It does sag a little in the middle when there's one too many scenes involving tequilas and trumpets, but otherwise, a classic.

• moon r

  
  "what this scene needs is more bullets...lots of bullets...!"

• Michael G

  
  Peckinpah's end of the old west tale and a really great movie. Not the best western ever but definitely up there. Holden was amazing and gave me a whole new appreciation for the man. The first 25 minutes and the last 20 are nothing short of amazing. The middle drags at parts but… More
  Peckinpah's end of the old west tale and a really great movie. Not the best western ever but definitely up there. Holden was amazing and gave me a whole new appreciation for the man. The first 25 minutes and the last 20 are nothing short of amazing. The middle drags at parts but the shootouts are incredible, beautifully bloody and graphic even by today's standards.

• Tim S

  
  If they move..kill 'em.

• Khris N

  
  Well, if your a big western fan who wants to indulge in your taste for claret, then this is the movie for you. its the early 20th century, the last real outlaws are almost gone, and progress is leaving the wild west in history. Enter the Wild Bunch, led by Pike, an aged but steely… More
  Well, if your a big western fan who wants to indulge in your taste for claret, then this is the movie for you. its the early 20th century, the last real outlaws are almost gone, and progress is leaving the wild west in history. Enter the Wild Bunch, led by Pike, an aged but steely gunman who needs to secure his future the only way he knows how. With his group of outlaws, they are now the US's most wanted, pursued by an old friend Thornton all the way to Mexico. From the start, this movie pretty much sets the standard for a world war.... Peckinpah's taste for massacre and blooshed is visually marvelous.... the anti-heroes are a motley yet interesting group, comprimised mainly of 1st generation stars who show that despite their age, they are still some of the best Hollywood had to offer. The story is simple and played out well, as is most westerns of this era, though what sets this apart is its violence..... in 1969, most wouldnt consider the level of violence in this film would be imagined... but they are wrong There is no sense of morality or any sign of decency or anything which could instill a sense of empthay or attraction; from the start in the town massacre, there is no sense of civilisation or progress i humanity, and dont expect to see any. This movie is the raging storm after the eye has passed, releasing the west in all its fury before it dies a sudden and violent death, which is a common thing. This is considered a hardcore movie of its time..... but the catch is its excellent cast, director, script and everything else. I own a copy of the two disc special edition, which of course is digitall remastered and all that. I would have preffered seeing it in its original cut and format, but watching the DVD didnt really make me focus on that problem, I was really engrossed in the movie. Highly deserved 5 stars, for a movie which people tend to forget about.

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