The Wild Bunch (1969)

This Sam Peckinpah directed Western classic – with its star-studded cast – was dubbed a “symphony of violence” and nearly earned an X-rating when it was released but it pales in comparison to the blood guts and gore that one can see in today’s violent features. The director earned his only Academy Award nomination for collaborating on the screenplay with Walon Green who’d written the story with Roy N. Sickner. The film’s Score also received an Oscar nomination. Added to the National Film Registry in 1999 it’s #80 on AFI’s Greatest Movie list and #69 on AFI’s 100 Most Heart-Pounding Movies list.

William Holden stars as Pike Bishop the leader of the title gang which includes Ernest Borgnine as Dutch Engstrom Edmond O’Brien as Freddie Sykes Warren Oates as Lyle Gorch Jaime Sánchez as Angel and Ben Johnson as Tector Gorch. Realizing that their outlaw ways have a limited lifespan by 1913 the gang wants to make one final score retire and fade into the sunset. But a former member of their gang Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan) has helped to setup an ambush to capture or kill them. When it fails the gang flees across the border into Mexico. Still hungry for their last payday they agree to help a Mexican General – Mapache played by Emilio Fernández – hijack an arms shipment train which will help him in his fight with Pancho Villa. Charged with apprehending “The Wild Bunch” or face a return to prison by Pat Harrigan (Albert Dekker) Thornton leads a ragtag crew that includes Strother Martin as Coffer L.Q. Jones as T.C and Bill Hart as Jess into Mexico.

Bo Hopkins appears as Clarence ‘Crazy’ Lee a gang member that’s killed in the first ambush and Dub Taylor plays Reverend Wainscoat.

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