AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Leofwine_draca Sam Peckinpah's western follow-up to THE WILD BUNCH is a very different kind of beast, but one that nearly equals that classic in terms of quality. This is an evocative western filled with violence, larger than life characters, and quite wonderful cinematography that brings the arid landscapes to life.James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson have a natural kind of camaraderie as the central twosome and a lot of the fun comes from their unhurried relationship and laughs along the way. Although this isn't exactly an action-packed movie, there's still plenty of the trademark Peckinpah slow motion and iconic death that the director was known for. The film's purpose is to bring to life two mythical characters from the Old West while at the same time looking at the changing landscape of the times and the dying out of the old ways. It's a fine film.

Spikeopath Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid is directed by Sam Peckinpah and written by Rudy Wurlitzer. It stars James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, Slim Pickens, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills and Barry Sullivan. Music is scored by Bob Dylan and cinematography by John Coquillon.One time they were friends, cohorts in crime, but now Pat Garrett is the law and his objective is to bring down Billy the Kid.It seems to be an absolute when writing about a Sam Peckinpah film that it was plagued by studio interference. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid is no exception, the back story to which tells of behind the scenes clashes, bizarre cuts and a disownment of the film by cast and crew. Thankfully through the advent of time and technological advancements, it's one of the Peckinpah movies that can now be seen in a true light. A good job, too, since it's one of Bloody Sam's finest movies. My personal preference is for the TCM Preview version, and that is what is reviewed here.Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid finds Peckinpah at his lyrical and elegiacal best, the old west is dying and as it is told through the eyes of aging Pat Garrett (Coburn), it's meticulously played out via an unhurried narrative structure. Time is afforded the key players, helping the story unfold its bitter take on the frontier changes as greed begets violence, Peckinpah wryly observing that the newly appeared good guys are no better than the bad guys, hence The Kid's (Kristofferson) reputation as a dandy likable outlaw becomes assured in spite of his less than honourable traits as a human being, but he at least is honourable to his codes.Film contains many memorable scenes, scenes fit to grace any Western. A shoot-out and aftermath involving Pickens and Jurado has poignancy in abundance, Dylan's Knockin' On Heaven's Door tenderly filtered over the top of it. A duel featuring Jack Elam is another that resonates highly, great character moments are plentiful, performed by a roll call of Western movie legends, Peckinpah knew how to pick a cast and then some. Moments of violence are dotted throughout, Bloody Sam's trademark, as is cross-cuts, sepia tones and slow-mo. The great director even makes a Christ allegory not come off as cheap, and a self loathing mirror sequence strikes a significant chord.This is a film big on characterisations, it's not just a film of visual touches, be it the dual psychological conflict between Pat and Billy, or the ream of peripheral players, everything they do is detailed and designed to capture the period and atmosphere of the changing times, the environment that folk inhabit, on either side of the law, is a big issue. No frame is wasted, MGM and their head honcho James Aubrey in their ignorance failed to see this fact. While the cast turn in damn fine work and Coquillon's burnished photography is striking and perfect for the director's vision.It's undeniably downbeat, and the slow pace isn't to everyone's liking, but this is up with the other Peckinpah Western greats, The Wild Bunch and Ride the High Country. A truly great Western crafted by a truly great director. 9/10

Jeff (actionrating.com) Skip it – This is a filthy, shameless, porno western with more sex scenes than gunfights. James Coburn stars as Pat Garrett, and isn't half bad as a cowboy. But director Sam Peckinpah butchered this classic story by trying to push the envelope with nudity and violence every chance he gets. The only reason, and I mean the only reason, I would see this subpar western is to see Bob Dylan as Billy the Kid's knife-wielding side kick. Dylan isn't a good actor by any stretch of the imagination, but it's just such a strange choice for a role that it's worth a look. Dylan also does all the music in the movie. Consensus: Dylan should stick with what he does best. The music is great, albeit a little out of place for a western. 3 out of 5 action rating

Robert Peach I saw this was on TCM the other night and I recorded it, merely because I knew it was supposed to be good and I hadn't seen a Peckinpah film before. Despite how massive TCM's black screen banners are, and despite how quiet the film was, it still kept me engaged. James Coburns' masterful performance as wrinkly bandit Pat Garret was smouldering, his lawman bubbled with a mix of sadism, violence, and broken honour. He was far and away the best actor in the film. Comparatively, Kris Kristofferson just didn't hold up, I just plain didn't like him, and he didn't come across strongly enough as anything. It seems to me he's grown more expressive and nuanced as he's gotten older, though it may just be that against a giant like Coburn he seemed like little more than a distraction.Though his performance was woeful, Dylan's soundtrack is a thing of beauty and joy, setting the tone of the movie, perfectly complimenting some scenes and brilliantly offsetting others. The scene in which Knocking On Heavens Door is used is possibly one of the most beautiful and moving sequences in any film I've seen, it was utterly breathtaking.Much of that is done by the cinematography, which is frequently fantastic. There are several shots that had my mouth wide open, agape. Peckinpah is also well versed in directing shoot-out's,and building tension before and after. Though the make up and special effects look laughable now, the brutality and voyeurism of the violence haven't faded one iota.The print was very quiet though, so it was often hard to decipher what people were saying. As such, there were various moments when I was just waiting for the next scene, as the one playing was too quiet to enjoy. This is a film that I can't wait to watch again, and will certainly be buying on DVD, along with the soundtrack on CD. A brilliant, moving western from a great director.