听 Although now hailed as a masterpiece, The Wild Bunch was a shock to the system on its initial release in 1969. Director Sam Peckinpah shattered the romantic myth of the American West with this bloody and furious tale of grizzled gunslingers out of synch with a changing world. A craggy-looking William Holden defied his good guy image to take the lead in this landmark western.
Born To Be Wild
In the 35 years since it received its premiere, the uncut version of The Wild Bunch has rarely been seen. Surprisingly though, this restored Director's Cut is not a chance to revel in more violence, but reflects Peckinpah's intention to counterbalance the bloodshed with rounded back stories for each of the outlaws. Much of the additional footage is devoted to Pike (Holden) and the events that take him to Mexico - most notably the regret he feels at having betrayed Thornton (Robert Ryan) who leads the posse on his trail.
Peckinpah asserts the importance of these back-stories in An Album In Montage. It's a polished and insightful, half-hour investigation into the making of the film using vintage behind-the-scenes footage and audio interviews. Crucially, the director explains that a better understanding of the characters means that the violence inspires "a wave of sickness in the gut" rather than titillating an audience. He also explains his attraction to the material, saying, "I suppose I'm something of an outlaw myself - I identify with them."
Legacy Of A Hollywood Renegade is a feature-length documentary on Peckinpah's life and work that confirms his rebel status. His career was at a standstill before The Wild Bunch came along because he dared to lock horns with the producer of his last film, the disastrous western Major Dundee. But that was the least of it, as this documentary reveals how Dundee's star Charlton Heston charged Peckinpah with a sword after the director told him he was riding his horse too slowly! Paul Schrader and Billy Bob Thornton are among the speakers who go on to talk about the influence of The Wild Bunch on modern portrayals of violence.
Jumping The Border
A Simple Adventure Story is a 20-minute excerpt from a documentary by Brit filmmaker - and Peckinpah nut - Nick Redman, which offers a more personal take on the legacy of The Wild Bunch. Peckinpah's daughter Lupita joins Redman and a group of biographers and filmmakers who travel to the Mexican town of Parras where the film was shot. Peckinpah biographers Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons and David Weddle contribute to this featurette and join Redman for a commentary to accompany the main feature on disc one. Inevitably their discussion focuses on the themes and intentions of the story as well as noting Peckinpah's creation of a "mythic super structure". But they also give due credit to writer Walon Green who contained all of the characters' "hard edges and viciousness" in his script.
An eight-minute reel of never-before-seen outtakes (featuring a lot of skittish horses) rounds up the package. Overall there's plenty of behind-the-scenes footage and the documentaries provide a thoughtful context, but above all, this DVD finally presents the film as it deserves to be seen.
EXTRA FEATURES
