Time: 115 Minutes
Age Rating: M – Violence
Cast:
James Coburn as Sheriff Pat Garrett
Kris Kristofferson as Billy the Kid
Richard Jaeckel as Sheriff Kip McKinney
Jason Robards as Governor Lew Wallace
Bob Dylan as Alias
Director: Sam Peckinpah

The main thing I knew about Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid was that it was a western from Sam Peckinpah. I liked the previous works I’ve seen from him, including Straw Dogs, The Wild Bunch, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Carcia and Cross of Iron. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid turned out to be quite good and even surprising in parts.

It’s worth noting that the original version of the movie was cut down heavily by the studio. Later on there was a restored version which attempted to make it as close to Sam Peckinpah’s vision as possible, and that’s the version I watched. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid is really about the end of the Wild West era. It’s fitting that with this being Peckinpah’s last western that he’d be almost making his final statement about the genre. Considering the director, it’s one of his less explosive movies, with not as many big and bloody shootouts as you’d expect. It is a sober, moody and mournful character driven western with a lot of character depth. Despite it being about Pat Garrett hunting down Billy the Kid, there isn’t much of a narrative drive and the pacing meanders a bit, but it’s nonetheless compelling to watch.

The acting is particularly great. James Coburn’s performance as Pat Garrett is fantastic and holds a lot of weight. Kris Kristofferson is charming as Billy the Kid, both he and Coburn bring a lot of presence to their parts. There is also a good supporting cast, including Harry Dean Stanton and Slim Pickins.

Sam Peckinpah’s direction is very strong. The cinematography is great and the production design and costumes are top notch. The violence and shootouts are impressive and carry the right amount of impact, though they’re definitely less graphic than you’d expect from Peckinpah. The soundtrack from Bob Dylan (who also has an acting role in this) is quite soulful and adds a lot to the movie.

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid is a melancholic, restrained, quiet and character driven western, greatly directed and with incredible performances.