Movie Guide: The Golden Years - 1969 – The Wild Bunch

New cinematographic exercise and, to begin this year 1969, the first film we have chosen is the one that, for the prestigious Filmaffinity list, has the best score in this year, 1969, no more and no less than an 8.

Excellent note that, surprisingly, falls on a film, which, at the time, was devalued by saying that it was one of those hackneyed westerns.

A western you say? Well yes. You heard right, a western, in this case, a twilight western and that, it can be summarized by saying, that it is a return to this genre, pushing it towards a cruder, more violent and, I would say, even more gore scenario.

And, glimpsing the figure of its director, Sam Peckinpah, we can well imagine what we are going to find.

And we are talking about one of the greatest directors who has taken this new turn in the Western genre. Therefore, an essential title to understand the evolution of what is, along with Film Noir, the most complete genre in the history of cinema. A film, then, worthy of our attention, and that, like a good Western, admits any subject with complete naturalness. You already know, the name of the director, Sam Peckinpah and the name of the western that we are going to dismember “The Wild Bunch”.

So, to begin with, let’s put ourselves in a situation, knowing that we are going to find ourselves with a film that, along with others that we will review in this year 1969, revitalized a genre (the western) that seemed doomed to decline. And that, frankly, after its time of greatest splendor in the 50’s, it had reached full decline in the 60’s. In short, with this “The Wild Bunch”, we are going to find a choral masterpiece that, having decided, we are ready to destroy.

And so, about this “The Wild Bunch” I can tell you that, as I told you, it is a twilight western, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures that, after an investment of $6M, obtained revenues of $11M, which is 83, 33% profits. And, if we assume that we are in the decline of this genre, this box office tells us that it is a film that was very well received by the staff. And more, if we say about this “The Wild Bunch” that, we are talking about, it has the following honors according to Filmaffinity: the 31st place for the best film of the 60’s, the 113th place for the best US film and, the number 12 as Best Western of all time.

The director of this film is the controversial Californian director, Sam Peckinpah. At the time, his films generated great controversy due to the violence reflected in them. Among all his films, two stand out as their own models: the first is this same film, “The Wild Bunch” and the second is the iconic 1971 film, “Straw Dogs” starring the great Dustin Hoffman and the actress Londoner Susan George. And which, by the way, we will recommend at the time.

Regarding its performers, and as in the future “Straw Dogs”, it can be said that it is a choral performance, removing in our case, the two main male actors, The first, one of the leading men par excellence of the years 50’s, the manly one, William Holden, and of whom, below his name I leave you a link to a special that I have done about him.

And the second, the great Ernest Borgnine, laureate in 1955 with the Oscar and Golden Globe for best actor for romantic drama «Marty» And who, like a good ensemble actor, to put a face to it, we can well imagine him, in his participation in the iconic 1972 catastrophic film, «The Poseidon Adventure«

What, you don’t give it a face? Well come on, a closer look.

And having said that, and having made it clear that “The Wild Bunch” is an ensemble film, we leave these two monsters of the screen, well accompanied by this exquisite range of excellent supporting actors, such as: Warren Oates, Robert Ryan, Edmond O’Brien, Warren Oates and, the Puerto Rican, Jaime Sanchez.

And so, having finished the interpretive section of this one, “The Wild Bunch”, we come to the technical aspects of this twilight western, so that I can mention that the script was co-written by the American screenwriters and writers Walon Green, Roy N. Sickner and Californian director Sam Peckinpah himself. And, work for which they were nominated for the Oscar for best original screenplay.

Meanwhile, finally, we can say that its score was composed by the composer, born in Pittsburgh, (Pennsylvania), the American Jerry Fielding, nominated for the Oscar for best soundtrack. And, helped in its orchestration, by the composers: Art Beck, Greig McRitchie and Albert Woodbury. A very southern music and of which we are going to enjoy a fragment of his Suite, clicking on the link that I leave below:

1969 – Jerry Fielding – The Wild Bunch – Suite 

And now that this “The Wild Bunch” has been dissected, what do you think we enjoy this, somewhat heavy western, knowing that, below the cover I will also leave you the post published on Ok.ru while, below its trailer, the link of the complete film in its original version. Good, really? Well let’s go there.

Synopsis: A group of veteran bank robbers who live outside the law and operate on the border between the United States and Mexico find themselves cornered by both bounty hunters and the Mexican army. (Filmaffinity)