Guide Note

The Wild Bunch is an American film from director Sam Peckinpah and Warner Brothers - Seven Arts Pictures about an aging gang of outlaws who face the modernization of the wild west.

Fast Facts

1. Release Date: July 18, 1969
2. Running Time: 143 min.
3. Producers:
   1. Phil Feldman
   2. Roy N. Sickner
4. Director: Sam Peckinpah
5. Screenplay:
   1. Walon Green
   2. Roy N. Sickner
   3. Sam Peckinpah
6. Distributor: Warner Brothers-Seven Arts
7. Cast:
   1. William Holden
   2. Ernest Borgnine
   3. Robert Ryan
   4. Edmond O'Brien
   5. Warren Oates
   6. Ben Johnson
8. MPAA Rating: R
9. Source Material: Roy N. Sickner short story

The Wild Bunch very nearly received an X rating from the MPAA due to what was, at that time, deemed to be gratuitous graphic violence. Peckinpah's use of multiple camera angles and numerous fast-cut edits enhanced the atmosphere of chaos during action sequences, and his use of slow motion effects was something fairly untried by American filmmakers at the time. The result would set the standard for Westerns and action movies to come, and became a Peckinpah trademark.