The Wild Bunch

The Wild Bunch (1969) starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brien, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson. Directed by Sam Peckinpah. A gang of outlaws, led by Holden, works the Texas-Mexico border during the time of the Mexican Revolution. The movie is marked by several big shoot-outs between the outlaws and the "good guys," who really aren't all that good. The film generated controversy when it was released because of the realistic depiction of violence, but doesn't seem so bad today. My problem with the movie was that there really aren't any "good guys" -- nobody with whom we can identify and root for. But that is only a minor complaint about what is a rip-roaring classic of a Western, and I would recommend that you see this movie and decide for yourself. (Subtitles in English are available; closed captions are also offered.) Grade: B+