Uniquely American Epic

de Michael Bliss, Garner Simmons, Garner Simmons, Jerry Holt, Kathryn Jones

"The life of most films is astoundingly short, sometimes lasting only a month, but Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch endures as a canonical film to this day, half a century after its release in 1969. Due to its powerful, direct depiction of violence, regret, and the challenge of acting ethically in the face of what seems to be an almost universal meaninglessness, a return to The Wild Bunch with today's context in mind could not be more timely. As violence challenges us with its senselessness, leaving many people confused and hopeless, this influential film holds the promise of a redemptive moment. The implications of the film's investigation of violent behavior and our potential complicity with it are perhaps even more significant today than when the film was first released. To confront these notions, and to mark the occasion of the film's forthcoming 50th anniversary, Sam Peckinpah scholar Michael Bliss brings together some of the most well-known Peckinpah scholars and critics to exam ine the director's greatest film. The issues presented in the film-violence, morality, male codes of honor and friendship, the legacy of American ambition and compromise-are relevant to the current moment, which underscores Bliss's intent for this edited volume. The contributors come from a variety of backgrounds and include Peckinpah scholars Michael Sragow and Paul Seydor, Western aficionado and author W. K. Stratton, television writer/producer/editor Garner Simmons, and Peckinpah's close friend Don Hyde, among others. The ten original essays cover an array of topics, including: how violence functions in the film and how it differs from depiction in other films; time's dual function as a source not only of pain and regret resulting from past mistakes, but also of the elusive promise of a better future; the reaction moviegoers had to the film in 1969 based on audience accounts and contemporary media; and Peckinpah's personal response to the firestorm of controversy the film ignited up on its initial release. Written for a broad audience, A Uniquely American Epic seeks to appeal to the average moviegoer, fans of Peckinpah and The Wild Bunch, as well as general readers interested in the toll that repeated acts of violence take on the American psyche. It will also be a valuable addition to film classes focused on trends in world cinema, the American western, or the problematic nature of screen violence. For those interested in further reading, the volume will also include an annotated bibliography of major critical works on The Wild Bunch, cementing this volume as a significant contribution to Peckinpah scholarship"--