Time: 145 Minutes
Age Rating: R16 – contains violence
Cast:
William Holden as Pike Bishop
Ernest Borgnine as “Dutch” Engstrom
Robert Ryan as Deke Thornton
Edmond O’Brien as Freddie Sykes
Warren Oates as Lyle Gorch
Jaime Sánchez as Angel
Ben Johnson as Tector Gorch
Emilio Fernández as General Mapache
Strother Martin as Coffer
L.Q. Jones as T.C.
Director: Sam Peckinpah

There were a couple things I knew about The Wild Bunch before watching: it was meant to be an iconic western, and that it was directed by Sam Peckinpah, and I previously watched Straw Dogs from him. Having seen it, I can confirm that it definitely lived up to its reputation and acclaim.

The Wild Bunch has an engaging script; the story is well crafted, the central characters are well established, and the dialogue is gripping. It’s about aging outlaws, the end of the wild west and the end of the era, and it also happened to be around the end of the western as a movie genre. With the way that the story plays out, it’s something of an anti-western. It is definitely a grim movie, while also being entertaining. I heard beforehand that it absolutely lets loose in its final moments in the third act with its shootouts, and it definitely lived up to its reputation, it has to be seen to be believed.

It also benefits from a large cast of great performances, especially from the likes of William Holden, Ernest Borgnine and Robert Ryan.

Sam Peckinpah’s direction is top notch. The cinematography is stunning and captures the desert really well, the editing is excellent too. The action sequences are amazing and frenetic, largely consisting of chaotic shootouts. They’re incredibly violent, full of carnage and appropriately feel very messy.

The Wild Bunch is masterful on all fronts. With a riveting story, memorable characters and performances, and excellent direction, it’s absolutely one of the best westerns.