The Wild Bunch. A Western and More

Essay , 2017 , 3 Pages , Grade: 95.0

Communications - Movies and Television

Few movies have so equally enthralled and shocked their audiences like that of Sam Peckinpah’s 1969 Western "The Wild Bunch". The epic Western is set in the year 1913 and follows the journey of protagonist Pike Bishop and his gang of aging outlaws as they look to make one last score in a rapidly modernizing American West. The movie is considered by many as one of the greatest Westerns of all time. Yet it would be a mistake to not recognize all the ways in which it goes above and beyond the traditional Western. What makes "The Wild Bunch" truly a remarkable movie is the innovative use of new cinematic techniques, it’s epic shootouts, and the subtle but powerful messages within it.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• The Wild Bunch: A Western and More
• The Revisionist Western
• The Opening Shootout
• The Destructiveness of Violence
• The Role of Children
• The Wild Bunch vs. Traditional Westerns
• The Wild Bunch: A Movie Based on Dualism

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This essay examines Sam Peckinpah's 1969 Western film, The Wild Bunch, exploring its unique place within the Western genre. The essay analyzes how the film challenges and subverts traditional Western conventions while still retaining its appeal as a genre film. The essay also explores how The Wild Bunch utilizes innovative cinematic techniques to explore themes of violence, morality, and the changing nature of the American West.

• The Revisionist Western
• The Destructiveness of Violence
• The Role of Children
• Moral Ambiguity
• The Transition from Traditional to Modern Western Society

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• The essay begins by introducing The Wild Bunch as a landmark Western film that goes beyond traditional genre expectations. It highlights the film's innovative cinematic techniques, epic shootouts, and powerful messages.
• The essay then discusses the concept of the Revisionist Western and how The Wild Bunch fits into this subgenre. It contrasts the film's morally ambiguous characters and gritty depiction of violence with the clear-cut good versus evil conflicts of earlier Westerns.
• The essay analyzes the opening shootout of the film, highlighting its importance in introducing key themes and characters. It also focuses on the theme of the destructiveness of violence as shown through the deaths of innocent civilians.
• The essay explores Peckinpah's strategic use of children in the film, arguing that they represent the cycle of violence and its impact on future generations. It examines how the film forces the audience to confront their own fascination with violence.
• The essay further examines the film's divergence from traditional Westerns, focusing on the absence of a love interest, the unconventional ending, and the film's overall message about the changing nature of the American West.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The essay explores key concepts including the Revisionist Western, violence, moral ambiguity, the American West, and the use of cinematic techniques such as slow motion. It analyzes the film's commentary on the Vietnam War and its lasting impact on the development of the Western genre.

• College: University of Westminster
• Grade: 95.0
• Author: Brad Sylvester (Author)
• Publication Year: 2017
• Pages: 3
• Catalog Number: V376836
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668543287
• ISBN (Book): 9783668543294
• Language: English
• Tags: wild, bunch, western, more