The Wild Bunch (1969)

An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Sam Peckinpah
Written By: Sam Peckinpah, Walon Green, Roy N. Sickner
Starring: Ernest Borgnine, Dub Taylor, William Holden, Edmond O'Brien, L.Q. Jones, Robert Ryan, Ben Johnson, Emilio Fernández, Albert Dekker, Warren Oates, Strother Martin, Jaime Sánchez
Genre: Western
Country: USA
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The Wild Bunch belongs to 106 collections
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Browse the full list of collections
Stars | User | Rating | |
9 | ![]() |
Alex Watkins | 5 91st |
Above all, amazingly entertaining, with fantastic action sequences and brutal scenes of violence. But it's also a swan song of the dying old west, and there's powerful emotional resonance with this group of ragged, hard-edged old cowboys, who, despite their misgivings, carry with them the weight of pride and honor. One of the all-time great movie endings.
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Nathan S | 4 74th |
One of the most brutal and intense westerns I've ever seen. The tension between the Bunch and the bounty hunters, and even the tension among the Bunch itself keeps things interesting. Then the sheer violence and chaos of the gunfights works as a big payoff. Throughout there's a certain sentimental quality, as the men are very aware that their way of life is coming to an end, and it lends a sense of balance that, I think, defines the movie.
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5 | ![]() |
Magb | 90 85th |
The Wild Bunch is a top notch western. It's got some truly classic sequences, the acting is terrific, the editing is very impressive -- especially in the fight scenes; and it's even got some surprisingly emotional moments. It's no chick flick, but the end in particular definitely resonated with me more than the average action movie does. There are of course some slower parts that aren't as exhilarating as some other scenes, but that's usually more of a strength than a weakness. Brilliant.
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5 | ![]() |
TheDenizen | 100 99th |
This is the greatest western ever made. Sam Peckinpah's masterpiece stars Bill Holden, Robert Ryan, Ernest Borgnine, and Warren Oates, and it blows me away every time I watch it. 3 massive action setpieces (a bank robbery, a train robbery, and the cataclysmic final massacre) highlight this somber tale of the dying old west, and old men who can't keep up with the pace of their violent lives any longer. Unbelievably bloody and sad. #3 in my all time top 10.
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5 | ![]() |
Anomaly | 93 97th |
"Brutal" is a word that gets thrown around a lot in the description of this film, and for good reason. Despite forty years of films trying to top and outdo each other in terms of violence, this film still packs a powerful punch today. But beyond the content, it is a very competently made film, with great direction, action sequences, and loads of tension. Slows down a little too much after the brilliant opening heist, but once it gets back into gear, it fails to disappoint.
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5 | ![]() |
cloak | 26 18th |
everyone can fuck off. i highly doubt peckinpah made a better film than pat garrett and billy the kid.
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4 | Landstander | 9 95th |
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I've read several interpretations, all of which worthwhile: as a look at the nature of humanity, it's bleak and powerful; as a take on the western with the removal of the "hero" element, it's refreshing and original. But most of all this is a visceral experience, complete with violence and smart characterization that's at once unwatchably brutal and highly entertaining.
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3 | ![]() |
fabfunk | 100 99th |
The death of the western in glorious Technicolor. Required viewing for any man.
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3 | ![]() |
Barthalen | 85 92nd |
The fact that this movie was filled with a sense of decay, depravity and man's capacity for cruelty made it a more interesting watch than a lot of 'heroic' westerns or ones that are all about the cool, badass factor. Some interesting characters and conflicts, and it was a good watch throughout.
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3 | waddayanuts | 52 7th |
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A great redemptive ending that connects all the dots and makes some thematical sense of it all saves it from being downright bad. But the first two hours aren't worth much. The humour is forced, there's never any real tension in either the plot or between the characters and the action scenes, albeit wonderfully brutal, have a poor sense of space. Maybe they're intended to be chaotic but I like my action to make spatial sense and not just to be a montage of people firing shots and getting killed.
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afx237vi | 40 23rd |
Can't say that this one struck much of a chord with me. It covers a lot of familiar Western themes - the encroachment of modernity leaving no room for the honourable outlaw and so on - but the pacing and the story just left me cold. Robert Ryan's character seems totally superfluous to the rest of the narrative and the lighter, more humorous moments didn't mix well with the grimy violence. The two main action sequences are worth a watch, but overall I found it fairly disappointing.
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2 | ![]() |
MartinTeller | 75 54th |
I can see the greatness of it, but at the same time I just didn't care. Peckinpah's view of the world as a place where the last shreds of human decency are snubbed out by relentless brutality and dishonor isn't necessarily one I disagree with, just not one I care to inhabit when I watch a movie. The action scenes were brilliant, though, really well edited and very influential. Overall, I thought it was good enough, but I'd probably never bother watching it again.
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2 | ![]() |
doctor7 | 88 89th |
A superb western masterpiece that's important to see simply due to how influential all the action sequences are. An excellent cast full of full rich and interesting characters with an incredible amount of depth all of whom drive a compelling story forward to it's tragic conclusion. Any western fan should see this.
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2 | ![]() |
ServantDagon | 99 97th |
Sam Peckinpah at the absolute top of his game. And that man's game... is tight.
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Moribunny | 78 88th |
The Wild Bunch is not one of Peckinpah's best. It's somewhat uneven, maybe even more so than the notoriously blundered final cut of Major Dundee which was all but disowned by Peckinpah. Still, it's the work of a master, and the ending is one of the most lyrical and deeply ironic endings ever.
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djross | 45 34th |
Generic Western seasoned with additional fatalism and antiheroism, and a dash of politics. Some impressive moments but overall still susceptible to the tedium that comes with the territory. Numerous scenes of delirious group cackling, presumably intended as laughing in the face of death. Women don't speak.
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Pickpocket | 5 44th |
I just didn't care, there's no one to root for. The influence this movie has had is striking and very apparent (Michael Bay must love this film) but it's an influence that I hate. There's something beautiful in letting a scene develop, all the fast cuts just make me dizzy. Still, there are some solid scenes but this is just overrated. This movie also owes a lot to Bonnie and Clyde.
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Bojangles | 40 22nd |
I don't know if I really care for Peckinpah's influence in action films (set up 8 cameras and cut furiously), but the violence (blood) and slow motion shots were often striking. It's basically a grittier version of Vera Cruz though...not that groundbreaking.
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TedDedon | 94 92nd |
The Wild Bunch is the kind of movie that exerts excellence in every way; it's score, acting, editing, direction, and above all else, entertainment value is at a level that is unrivaled by most movies, especially westerns. This is a heart-pounding, non-stop action western that shouldn't be missed.
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BillyShears | 80 77th |
I really didn't care much for any of the characters, but it sure was a ROOTIN' TOOTIN' GOOD TIME while it lasted.
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hehejaja | 85 84th |
Peckinpah expertly and elegantly fuses machoism and sensitivity in this western-classic.
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purgatos | 90 91st |
Great film with a great cast of characters. There are quite a few characters in this, but they never feel same-y, they're all very different people and it never really gives in to convenient good-bad stereotypes.
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janus | 70 51st |
Startling violence and innovative action setpieces that are still exciting after all these years, but the story between those sequences (opening, train robbery, closing) is slow and seems like means to an end, so the film doesn't carry much narrative oomph. On the plus side, good photography and music makes the period very convincing and the cast makes pretty standard lines ("If they move, kill 'em!") instantly memorable. Important and often entertaining, but it's no masterpiece.
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2 | ![]() |
billkerwin | 97 97th |
An elegiac masterpiece. Superb editing and atmosphere. It continually astonishes me how such a violent film can leave a final impression of sadness, sweetness and loss.
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Rufam | 75 72nd |
"The Wild Bunch" opens with a bombastic action sequence, featuring a bloody town massacre. What ensues isn't as fascinating, but enough to make Peckinpah's western an enjoyable if flawed picture. It suffers from glacial pacing during the middle segments, but the influence it has had on other films is apparent -the revolutionary use of violence and Peckinpah's direction of the action scenes have proved seminal. The moral ambiguity is appreciated, while there's also some fine acting on display.
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2 | ![]() |
backwardsuit | 87 94th |
Solid as all hell western that's somewhere between heroic romanticism & brutal nihilism. Human decency gets ceaselessly run over by the dynamics of the two. Peckinpah conjures up grave contradictions in story & style, wallowing in the wounding baseness of humanity. Uncomfortable & conflicting but to a point, I think. Excellent performances and a great balance in content. I still think that PG&BtK is more consistent & effective but damn, this commitment to misanthropy would make von Trier cringe.
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Ronin167 | 100 99th |
My favourite American western. Peckinpah at his best.
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kenche | 90 94th |
Its absolutely contradictious western film. You can't think it is just chasing and running, this is not the main idea. People are unhappy, both running and chasing team members are unhappy because they can't adopt the change, changing the world into capitalism.
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CinematicESP | 90 87th |
The action sequences are great, the cinematography is striking, and it stars William Holden. What's not to love?
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PeaceAnarchy | 93 98th |
Really entertaining, really gritty, really beautiful to watch. Peckinpah's misanthropy is in full force from beginning to end and makes for a dark, twisted unforgettable film.
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twincinema | 85 85th |
You know it's a group of tough guys because they pass around a bottle of whiskey and no one winces at the burn.
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1 | ThaneOfFife | 50 17th |
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How can a movie with as many gunfights as it has, and directed by Peckinpah be so very boring?
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1 | ![]() |
caiman | 93 96th |
The violence in this movie is unbelievable. Innocent people, including women and children, are put directly in harm's way and are often killed. The film and the characters are indifferent of who's being killed and who's doing the killing - it's all just meaningless violence. This is a notion we've seen many times since, but it originated here. Peckinpah's direction is tight, with just enough stylish splashes. Holden and Borgnine are a delight. This is one of the best westerns I've ever seen.
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frederic_g54 | 9 90th |
(2nd viewing, previous score 75) Badass characters and technically superb action scenes make up for a superb western (Red Dead Redemption owes a lot to this film). I feel like a kid again.
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sebby | 60 45th |
It's brutal and tense, but I couldn't shake the feeling that this was more a film pieced together from a fierce conglomeration of individual ideas for scenes -- some of which are incredible, to be fair -- than a truly gripping story with interesting characters. It came and went and I mostly didn't give a shit.
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rthornhill | 75 12th |
Have to admit it.....I wasn't too "wild" about this bunch.
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Zealot185 | 59 39th |
The action scenes are impressive, but I thought the story was muddled in oddly-timed flashbacks and excessive whoring.
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Jeb | 85 70th |
One of the greatest, brutal, intense and realistic westerns of all time. Just epic, and contains an incredible score ( Possibly the greatest score in cinema! ). Must see for any western or movie fan in general.
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Optimus_mike | 90 90th |
Amazing western with a refreshing take on the idea that really no one back then was a "hero"
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SNAKEFOOD89 | 80 43rd |
Lacks the 'cool' of a sergio leone / ennio morricone flick. Overrated. Very long and meandering.
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Bmunise | 97 91st |
One of the films that kicked off the big revisionist Westerns of the 70s. It shows. Directed by Peckinpah. It shows.
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WWallce4prez | 88 92nd |
A surprising modern appearing western that packs a brutal punch. Fantastic action sequences and a great pace allow The Wild Bunch to cement itself as a western classic. The list of films that owe their success to this predecessor is long.
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KAH | 2 40th |
A masochistic film, even for a western. Not to my taste, didn't care much for the ending either.
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Piglet | 90 99th |
A thing of beauty.
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yesistasty | 97 95th |
The Wild Bunch takes the form of the western and twists it into something deeper, assaulting the viewer with a landscape of violence rarely equaled elsewhere in cinema.
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SeanBerndorff | 50 26th |
Hmmm not my kind of western. Still watchable but hasn't got that Sergio Leone suspense or that John Ford charm. And the actors are just not as great or memorable as the characters of the Clint, Wayne, Stewart, Fonda or even Hill.
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hellboy76 | 95 99th |
Epic action and and the underlying defeatism of everything makes this a pretty epic watch.
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guy piranha | 75 81st |
so, a guy shoots the woman who left him for a general, whose lap she just so happens to sit in at that very moment. the whole garrison draws on the guy and asks why he took a shot at the general. someone explains: "he didn't. he shot the woman because she dumped him." silence. then they all start laughing and have a drink together. doesn't get much better than that.
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1 | pzingg | 98 96th |
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Suprisingly good on re-watching after 40 years (or maybe after never watching it before). There is hardly a weakness in this production, when you are looking at Lucien Ballard's photography, listening to Jerry Fielding's score (with Mexican corridos and musical tips to The Magnificent Seven), or following a great script by Walon Green and Peckinpah, so deeply interpreted by two good-bad guys William Holden and Robert Ryan (heroes of WWII and postwar films).
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fra paolo | 99 99th |
One of the greatest films ever made.
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1 | bratings | 94 94th |
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The Wild Bunch tells its story at numerous levels, and part of the film's brilliance is that it does so with such seeming ease that much of it is received subliminally.
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buffratings | 94 94th |
The Wild Bunch is a rousing and violent Western that benefits surprisingly well from placing its complex characters within a simple story.
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1 | Pickle_Man | 90 77th |
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One of those weird self-loathing movies that simultaneously decries violence as entertainment while being super ultraviolent.
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offlineoz | 85 83rd |
A superb cast, innovative direction, outstanding action set pieces, and a tight screenplay helps elevate this film among others within its genre. Ahead of its time by utilizing quick cuts, slow motion, and multi-angles, Peckinpah creates a one of a kind, brutal and dark western. Special shoutout to my hero, Warren Oates, who is the king of playing horny bastards.
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Average Percentile 71.04% from 2498 Ratings | ![]() |