The Wild Bunch consists of a group of aging outlaws who have passed their prime, and are looking for one last job to set them on their way for retirement. When that job goes wrong, the leader of the gang Pike Bishop (William Holden) brings what's left of the group down to Mexico, where they decide to rob trains for ammunition for General Juerta. In exchange they will have enough gold to live off of for the rest of their lives. However, the U.S. Marshals and bounty hunters are in hot pursuit, including Bishop's reformed partner Deke Thorton (Robert Ryan).
This movie was... interesting. I would definitely say it is not one of my favorites, but I didn't hate it. There was a lot of action and some great one-liners, but over all I didn't feel very connected to the dialogue. It was one of those movies where you really want to be cheering for the "bad guys", but I never really felt that emotional connection to them... I was indifferent about their success, when I felt like I should care.
I am going to chalk this up to definitely a guys guy movie, with a lot of jokes at their female counterparts expense that they will appreciate.
Did you know?
- The name "The Wild Bunch" originally came from real-life western outlaw Butch Cassidy. At age 30 he started his own gang of outlaws, who were quickly christened "The Wild Bunch" by the press.
- John Wayne complained that the film destroyed the myth of the Old West.
- In an interview, Ben Johnson said that the two Mexican women who "frolicked" with him and Warren Oates in the huge wine vats weren't actresses but prostitutes from a nearby brothel, who were hired by Sam Peckinpah so he could tell people that Warner Bros. paid for hookers for his cast.
When to See It:If you are really into westerns
Run Time: Just under 2 hr 30 min