It was interesting reading how Peckinpah wanted his audience to be sickened and repulsed by the excessive gore and violence and was disappointed to find that one of the films' main draws was the audiences lapping up the excess and revelling in it. Says a lot for the human race.
It was interesting reading how Peckinpah wanted his audience to be sickened and repulsed by the excessive gore and violence and was disappointed to find that one of the films' main draws was the audiences lapping up the excess and revelling in it. Says a lot for the human race.
Yeah, I'm not convinced about that. Peckinpah may have said that, but the way he filmed those scenes in slow-motion, violent death has never looked more beautiful, like a ballet (artful blood spurts & all). I think it's a masterpiece, & really deserves a new scan from the original negatives. The Blu-ray we have right now doesn't look at all bad for its age, but it's getting on a bit now.
Lukas ....are you ever going to continue your fantastic FSM releases? They are a big part in my collection.
We just pressed up the soundtrack and a blu-ray of my short film to fulfill our last perk to our Indiegogo donors...but sorry, that probably doesn't count!
It was interesting reading how Peckinpah wanted his audience to be sickened and repulsed by the excessive gore and violence and was disappointed to find that one of the films' main draws was the audiences lapping up the excess and revelling in it. Says a lot for the human race.
Yeah, I'm not convinced about that. Peckinpah may have said that, but the way he filmed those scenes in slow-motion, violent death has never looked more beautiful, like a ballet (artful blood spurts & all). I think it's a masterpiece, & really deserves a new scan from the original negatives. The Blu-ray we have right now doesn't look at all bad for its age, but it's getting on a bit now.
I remember seeing the film for the first time when it was restored and released theatrically in the early 90s, and I was disgusted. That's why I think the film's art, and makes its point. See it too many times and the effect will wear off.
Haven’t seen the movie or heard the music but so far Jerry Fielding is 2-0 with impressing me immediately upon hearing his music in “Outlaw Josey Wales” and Star Trek’s “Spectre Of The Gun”.
Haven’t seen the movie or heard the music but so far Jerry Fielding is 2-0 with impressing me immediately upon hearing his music in “Outlaw Josey Wales” and Star Trek’s “Spectre Of The Gun”.
Haven’t seen the movie or heard the music but so far Jerry Fielding is 2-0 with impressing me immediately upon hearing his music in “Outlaw Josey Wales” and Star Trek’s “Spectre Of The Gun”.
How does “The Wild Bunch” compare?
It was nominated for an Academy Award.
Well we do have that whole other thread about Oscar snubs...
But that aside, I listened to clips here and didn’t really hear a lot that caught my ear as much as Josey Wales and Star Trek:
I guess I’ll have to see the movie. I might have seen clips of it actually and I think I might be confusing it with “Ride The High Country”.
Cant tell you how many times ive seen it and its a faultless movie. Unbelievable cast (right down to the lesser roles), brilliant action, good story, quotable dialogue, great score, superb set pieces, two incredibly choreographed shootouts and just too many wonderful things to list - but its basically about atonement thru death, tired weary lost gunfighters with no future who choose their ultimate path. And duty. And honour among men. And other stuff. But the Bunch came after 25 years of endless white hat /black hat westerns where the conclusion was the villain got punched and disarmed and suddenly there was this proper unbelievably-grim, realistic uber-adult western. But if you dont "get" the Wild Bunch and cant see its magic, no amount of context or explaining and a million other observations is going to open eyes.
THE WILD BUNCH is indeed a classic movie, great roles for great actors. Jerry Fielding's score is a masterpiece too, it's a favorite of mine, just listened to it yesterday for the first time in years. (The WB release Nick Redman produced.) The music doesn’t have a prominent melodic "Main Theme" but emphasizes smaller motifs and atmospheric "tension" cues as well as music influenced by (or directly using) Mexican folk music. Works perfectly in the movie and is a great listen on its own. The "Main Title", underscoring the arrival of "the bunch", sets the tone. It's just a bunch of weathered guys riding into town, yet the music sounds tense and foreboding, you just know something's up.
It's been many, many years since I last viewed it. I'll give it another go when it's next aired on telly, although I can't imagine me liking the characters any more.
guess I’ll have to see the movie. I might have seen clips of it actually and I think I might be confusing it with “Ride The High Country”.
Ride The High Country has a very melodic, lovely score that is very different from Fielding's score to The Wild Bunch which seems very dissonant to my ears. Both westerns are very good and yet very different.
Cant tell you how many times ive seen it and its a faultless movie. Unbelievable cast (right down to the lesser roles), brilliant action, good story, quotable dialogue, great score, superb set pieces, two incredibly choreographed shootouts and just too many wonderful things to list - but its basically about atonement thru death, tired weary lost gunfighters with no future who choose their ultimate path. And duty. And honour among men. And other stuff. But the Bunch came after 25 years of endless white hat /black hat westerns where the conclusion was the villain got punched and disarmed and suddenly there was this proper unbelievably-grim, realistic uber-adult western. But if you dont "get" the Wild Bunch and cant see its magic, no amount of context or explaining and a million other observations is going to open eyes.
Lee Marvin was all set to play Pike, but he jumped ship to make Paint Your Wagon (just as well, as that film would be nothing without him), so William Holden came in late to play Pike, & he was perfect, his best ever performance as far as I'm concerned.
Well, how'd you like to kiss my sister's black cat's ass?
Regarding the controversy about violence in THE WILD BUNCH when it was first released, it wasn't all that shocking, really. There were more violent films before it (Cornel Wilde's LANCELOT AND GUINEVERE (1962) and THE NAKED PREY (1965) come to mind). I believe the initial reactions to THE WILD BUNCH had more to do with almost all of the characters' unpalatable demeanours and attitudes, assisted by Fielding's uncompromising score, than the slo mo shoot-outs. A brilliant film, in any case.
Regarding the controversy about violence in THE WILD BUNCH when it was first released, it wasn't all that shocking, really. There were more violent films before it (Cornel Wilde's LANCELOT AND GUINEVERE (1962) and THE NAKED PREY (1965) come to mind). I believe the initial reactions to THE WILD BUNCH had more to do with almost all of the characters' unpalatable demeanours and attitudes, assisted by Fielding's uncompromising score, than the slo mo shoot-outs. A brilliant film, in any case.
Yes, but I think even more directly related to the violence in the film would be the ending of BONNIE AND CLYDE. Warren Beatty, and director Arthur Penn in particular, wanted the violence to shock. But he (Penn) also wanted to make the final shootout "balletec" (Penn's own word when describing it).
