The Wild Bunch
The Wild Bunch is a 1969 American epic Revisionist Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brien, Ben Johnson and Warren Oates. The plot concerns an aging outlaw gang on the Mexico–United States border trying to adapt to the changing modern world of 1913. The film was controversial because of its graphic violence and its portrayal of crude men attempting to survive by any available means.
Plot
In 1913 Texas, Pike Bishop, the leader of a gang of aging outlaws, is seeking retirement after one final score: the robbery of a railroad payroll office containing a cache of silver. The gang is ambushed by Pike's former partner, Deke Thornton, who is leading a posse of bounty hunters hired by corrupt railroad agent Pat Harrigan. The bloody shootout that results kills more than half of the gang. Pike uses a serendipitous temperance union parade to shield their getaway, and many citizens are killed in the crossfire.
More details
author | Sam Peckinpah Walon Green |
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contentLocation | Mexico Texas |
director | Sam Peckinpah |
editor | Lou Lombardo |
events | Mexican Revolution |
genre | western |
keywords | ambush bounty hunter brothel bury capture force former partner gang member german german empire gold coin huertista kill last second load mexican border mexican federal army needing money nothing pancho villa paralyze reward rio grande river stealing food temperance movement temperance union trestle bridge u.s. army victoriano huerta wound |
musicBy | Jerry Fielding |
nomination | Academy Award for Best Original Score, no Musical Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay |
producer | Phil Feldman |
productionCompany | Warner Bros.-Seven Arts |
publisher | Warner Bros.-Seven Arts |
recordedAt | Mexico |
theme | vigilante |