#79: The Wild Bunch (1969)

The western genre is a tough one for me to tackle. Like trying sushi, I'm hesitant to indulge in the medium, but I always seem to enjoy the outcome once I try it. I think Westerns either fit into the camp of highly entertaining and action-oriented (Tombstone) or methodical and somber (Unforgiven). I would place The Wild Bunch by Sam Peckinpah in the entertaining camp, but when examined closely, exudes a lot of thought-provoking ideas that the methodical Western often brings.

The audience is thrown into choosing the difficult task of liking or despising a gang of old, yet seasoned gang of cowboys led by Pike (William Holden) and Dutch (Ernest Borgnine). After a failed, epically violent, and supposed final bank robbery, the group reluctantly decides to get out of the game for good by helping a ruthless Mexican militia. As the gang tries to dodge hired bounty hunters while stealing American weaponry for an unpredictable Mexican general, Pike and Dutch must face their inner demons and determine whether or not they are any better than the despicable people they both help and avoid.

I won't lie, it takes a while to get into this movie. Now, I watched the director's cut on Blu-ray, so I was automatically invested into a two hour and thirty minute movie. I don't know how else you can view this movie, but I imagine that the shorter version gets rid of a lot of set-up in the first hour that just isn't needed. Once you get into the journey of these crippling outlaws, the movie really becomes an entertaining ride with some very dark undertones.

When I saw that the movie was made in 1969, it made complete sense because you can easily compare this movie's themes to those of the number #84 film Easy Rider. Like Wyatt and Billy of Dennis Hopper's trippy road trip, Pike and Dutch serve as rebels with no place to call home. They resort to brutal violence to get what they think will make them feel good, but there really isn't any amount of money that can blur out their troubled souls.

This is my first Peckinpah film, but I already knew that he was always criticized for glorifying violence. I was really shocked for what was shown in this film, especially for its day. The body count could rival any Schwarzenegger movie. Although the blood doesn't make you turn your head away from the screen, there is shock when you see innocent women get murdered. Often these type of acts are seen off screen, but unlike cheesy 80’s action films, I really think Peckinpah is trying to make you aware of how disgusting, revolting, and careless violence can be. During the time this movie was being made, America was going to war in Vietnam, and you can't deny that the undertones of senseless murders that happen in this movie correlate to the current events of America going into the 70's.

Technically, I think this film was really ahead of its time, especially in its editing style. Peckinpah was using new types of cuts, especially during the action scenes, that I hadn't seen in older movies like this one. His directing style is very calculated, and you can tell that the man behind the camera is intentional in every close-up and every cinematic wide shot. The acting is also really solid and there are actually some comedic moments at times, but every once in a while the film started to feel campy, especially in some flashback scenes that I think were just not needed.

Those few cheesy moments and a lengthy set-up prevent me from giving this film a higher rating, but I really was challenged by its themes of violence, new technology, inner turmoil, and knowing when to let go. All of that and it really has some good suspenseful, fun moments. If you are a fan of Westerns, this is a must see. Those who are weary of the Western genre could go either way with this one, but I believe if you give it a chance, you won't leave dissatisfied.

I give The Wild Bunch 4 out of 5 machine guns.

#84: Easy Rider (1969)

It's fitting that watching this film coincided with the recent death of Dennis Hopper, the producer, director and star of Easy Rider. It was known as one of his best works, and deservingly so. Easy Rider is easily the most experimental film to appear on this list so far, which is an understatement for a film that is laced with drug use. It's not often that you can feel the filmmakers’ presence behind the cameras when watching a film. It's not distracting though because you feel their own intentions, as well as the story's. Their approach happened to not just change the way films were made, but effected a whole generation.

Set alongside the southern roads of America, Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Hopper), hop on their motorcycles to head toward New Orleans after scoring some major cash after a cocaine deal. Invoking a Western-styled journey (influenced heavily by hippie ideals) Wyatt and Billy encounter both friends and foes as they embrace their ultimate destination of, well… life… man… Total freedom is the ultimate goal for these two nomads, but they learn that even their peace-loving ideals don't often bring the truest form of serenity.

This was actually the second time for me to see this film, and honestly, I wasn't as impacted this time around. Strangely enough, I almost feel like this film is best viewed just once. I love the editing (especially the transitional cuts) and the cinematography, but it's so easy to disregard the magic of what's happening on screen. It's widely known that most of the crew was just as strung out as the characters on screen, which in a way discounts the "genius" of this film. I just imagine that when this film was met with such critical praise, Hopper and Fonda had to feel like little boys who got away with stealing candy from the general store.

Nonetheless, you can't discount the impact this film made. Although at moments you may think to yourself, "What's the point?" you can't help but see what a new style of filmmaking this was. This film help usher in a whole new wave of counterculture filmmaking that made Scorsese, Coppola and Spielberg household names. It probably could be credited as one of the first, truly independent films that made the 70's, in my opinion, the best decade for both films and music.

This film is rated a little bit higher in my books more so for the impact then for the actual entertainment value, but to me it's a must see and highly deserves to be on this list. If anything, to feel the impact of the last shot.

I give Easy Rider 4 out of 5 Steppenwolfs. Read below my quick thoughts on the film from the first time I saw it in February of 2005.


I was a little hesitant on how I would view this movie. I knew not to expect too much (two hippies on motorcycles), so would this bore me? On the other hand, it is on numerous great movies lists. How can a buddy-road movie pull this off? While watching it, I enjoyed myself. It was entertaining, but I really didn't see the big deal about it. But, then the ending happened, and it all came together. As stated in the movie Adaptation, "Get them at the end. It doesn't matter what happens the rest of the movie, but if you got a great ending, then you have yourself a great movie." Once the credits rolled with the great theme-titled song, I actually felt what that time might have felt to a lot of hippies. Or maybe it was that joint I had been smoking the whole time.

Pro: The soundtrack! Oh yeah, and a great performance by Jack Nicholson.

Con: If you didn't live during the 60s/70s and have never done drugs (which I account for on both counts) the whole meaning of the movie might loose you.