One of the more prolific movies from that time was Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch. It was released in 1969, the same year Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and True Grit, two other famous westerns, were released. The main difference between The Wild Bunch and those two? Let's just say The Wild Bunch isn't family friendly.
Man, and I thought the finale for Bonnie and Clyde was nasty. You only need to watch about five minutes of The Wild Bunch to see how Peckinpah earned his nickname "Bloody Sam". Ugh, nasty.
Don't get me wrong. Violence aside, I think The Wild Bunch is one of the best westerns I've seen. It shows humanity slowly adapting to changes in the world and those not willing to accept those changes. It's not for the squeamish, yes, but it's also not one to miss.
My Rating: ****1/2
Could not agree more! By far one of the best westerns ever made. I especially love emotional drama between Pike and Thornton.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favourites and one of the best of that new era of westerns.
ReplyDeleteThe final shoot out is over the top but I still get goosebumps every time I watch Pike and the others walk back to try and rescue Angel!