There are a plethora of terms that can be used to describe a movie or define a genre. One of the more esoteric of these descriptors is one coined by the father of the film noir detective novel, Dashiell Hammett. The term is ‘Blood Simple’ and it describes the situation when an otherwise reasonable man is presented with a consistent barrage of stressors that collapses the person’s world view to one of unremitting violence. At this point there is no possible consideration of rationale action or sensible pathways only mindless, brutal violence. Many filmmakers have dipped into this dark side of human experience but none have done so with such consistent flair and undeniable quality as writer/director Sam Peckinpah. Two of his seminal contributions, ‘Straw Dogs’ and ‘Wild Bunch’ are being re-imagined for a new generation and as such the original movies have been re-issued as fresh high definition releases. These Blu-rays breathe new life into both of these classic movies but for this consideration the focus will be on the ultimate adult themed western, ‘Wild Bunch’. This film has been praised for its redefinition of the traditional western with just about an equal groundswell of condemnation for its excessively realistic portrayal of violence in especially in its infamous climactic battle sequence. Films like this put Peckinpah on the map as a director and introduced the cinematic community to blood simple as a clearly delineated type of movie. Many of us grew up in the golden age of the western, the 1950’s. Movie theaters and television programming were dominated by the cowboys that introduced us to virtuous western heroes like Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and for those just a bit older John Wayne. All of these men exemplified virtue, honor and the American way of life. By the time this film was released the concept if the anti-hero had taken hold of the film industry as audience not only became more acceptant of these darker themes but they clamored for more. Despite the sizeable moral outrage that swept the country was just responding to a rising demand. ‘Wild Bunch’ would become a rallying point that gave greater influence to the MPAA and their then new rating system. Here was a film of excessive violence that could not be lumped in with cheaply made exploitation flick. This was a serious and innovative piece of cinema that had undeniable quality and contributed to Hollywood’s new, grittier age of movies.

For the majority of his adult life Pike Bishop (William Holden) has plied his trade in the only field he could make profitable, being an outlaw. He and his cohorts would ride the open land eking out a brutal existence by the expert use of his gun. As the story begins it is the 1913 and the social landscape has drastically changed. Thanks to the telegraph it was no longer feasible to rob a bank and get to the next town before word of the deed has spread to law enforcement. Pike and his kind lived in the saddle of his horse but now the age of the automobile has dawned. Pike realizes that his days are numbered and typical of his kind would rather die in a blaze of gunfire than slowly decay, a forgotten remnant of a less civilized era. The alternative that presents itself is to make one last really big score to provide for his retirement. I always felt that Pike realized the chances of getting away with this crime is far less likely than dying in a hail of leas but his nature is such that he cannot see beyond the moment. Even at this early portion of the story Pike was starting to fall it that psychological pitfall known as blood simple. The railroad is making a final push to eliminate desperadoes like Pike and hire a gang of brutal men to accomplish the task. At the head of this posse is Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan), a former partner in crime with Pike. If he is successful in bringing down his old friend Thornton will earn a complete pardon for his sizable list of crime. After a vicious initial confrontation Pike flees with the survivors of his gang; Dutch Engstrom (Ernest Borgnine), brothers Lyle (Warren Oates) and Tector Gorch (Ben Johnson). Also in tow is another career criminal, Angel (Jaime Sánchez). They ride off south of the border to a small Mexican town under the viscous domination of a local warlord, Mapache (Emilio Fernández), a general in the Federal Army. Violence has permeated the region on a much grander scale resulting from the Mexican revolution. The big score, a shipment of gold is coveted by all the players in this drama but from a cinematic standpoint it is a classic Macguffin; something critical to the characters from within the story but is not crucial to the audience’s appreciation of the film.

The fact that the details of the crime are insignificant, overwhelmed by the greater iconoclastic themes presented by the movie. This is the first true anti-western. It depicts cinematically the quagmire Pike faced, his world was rapidly disintegrating. There was no longer any room in the modern world for a man to live outside the boundaries of the law with only his horse and gun to define him. In a similar fashion the film destroys the iconic western myths starting with the morally steadfast heroes. This movie is entirely devoid of all archetypes and tropes that were so carefully established over the course of almost a century. There are no white hats to the good guys and the villains don’t spot black. Everyone here is morally ambitious, with a fundamental anti-social with a glimmer of a strict code of conduct. The smaller issues faced by Pike and Thornton are dwarfed by the social revolution exploding throughout the globe. The world was about to undergo changes accompanied by violent birth pangs including World War One and the Russian Revolution. Peckinpah Keenly infuses this world in turmoil into the story using it as a stage for a violent explosion mainstream film has never witnessed before. The basic theme at the core of this film is the loss of innocence, you might think of Pike and Thornton as innocent but you need to apply a different connotation to the term. In this case they are simplistic in their worldview. There were few factors beyond their direct control that influence their actions. Now, the world has moved on leaving them in its wake like a child who suddenly has to face new responsibilities. This is graphically shoved in the face of the audience’s face with a scene of the town’s gleefully laughing at a scorpion trapped on an ant hill being tortured. The same reaction is elicited as the group of boys enjoys a man being dragged to death behind a car. This was one of the first automobiles every yet what amuses them is not the novelty of new technology but the cruel death inflicted on a man. This is a difficult film to watch but one that remains pivotal in the history of film.