Based on the novel by Horace McCoy, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? is the story of a people trying to win a dance marathon during the Great Depression with a power-hungry emcee urging them to continue. Directed by Sydney Pollock and screenplay by Robert E. Thompson and James Poe, the film is a study of people who are desperate to win this dance marathon in the hope of winning $1,500 during a troubled time where people are clinging to hope. Starring Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Bruce Dern, Bonnie Bedelia, Red Buttons, and Gig Young. They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? is a harrowing and evocative film from Sydney Pollock.
The film revolves around a dance marathon during the Great Depression where a group of people attend the marathon in the hopes of winning $1,500 and a better life as they also hope to win the audience. Yet, it’s a marathon that goes on for days and days where it becomes a troubling image of exploitation where people try to stay away and move just to win money. The film’s screenplay by Robert E. Thompson and James Poe has this narrative that features what could be flashbacks or something as it relates to the character Robert Syverton (Michael Sarrazin) who walks into the La Monica Ballroom on the Santa Monica Pier accidentally where this marathon is to begin. Syverton is chosen to partner up with the cynical Gloria Beatty (Jane Fonda) whose original partner is unable to participate due to bronchitis. Other participants including an elderly sailor named Harry Kline (Red Buttons) who is joined by his partner Shirl (Allyn Ann McLerie), the aspiring actress from London in Alice (Susannah York) with her partner in another struggling actor in Joel (Robert Fields), and a farming couple in James (Bruce Dern) and his pregnant wife Ruby (Bonnie Bedelia).
The first act is about the marathon and everything that happens as it is overseen by its emcee Rocky Gravo (Gig Young) who is hoping to make money out of this marathon as the dancers would get sponsorship to keep on dancing hoping they would win. Yet, Gravo has something sinister in making people attend everything and to see who drops out and who stays on that would also include breaks but also the terrifying race around the dancefloor for a period of time where the last three couples are eliminated. It adds to the drama with Beatty wondering why some of these people are there including the pregnant Ruby as she would often question herself. Syverton, who is a reluctant participant, observes everything that is happening as he would also have flashbacks on his childhood while getting some unwanted attention from Alice.
Sydney Pollock’s direction does bear a lot of style as it is shot largely in a soundstage with a few of the exteriors shot at the Santa Monica Pier as much of the film is set in this ballroom. Pollock’s usage of wide and medium shots to get a scope of the entire ballroom is immense yet it is his usage in the latter and close-ups that add to the drama that occur. Notably as much of the action occur is in the ballroom with a few breaks in these rooms where the contestants rest for a where some of the drama occur with Beatty looking around the other women with an air of disdain. Pollock maintains something straightforward in those scenes while including a few strange recurring images of fields as it relates to Syverton as he is seen being interrogated. The behind-the-scenes moments involving Gravo showcase a man who is doing whatever he can to make money and to make the show more interesting so that the people attending this marathon can watch people suffer.
The two scenes involving the race around the dancefloor is definitely the most intense where Pollock doesn’t show the craziness of this moment but also this growing idea of inhumanity as these people are trying to walk around an entire lap and make sure they’re not eliminated. The ones who drop on the floor showcase the horror of these races while the moment they’re dancing and could barely move also add to this inhumanity. Most notably in the third act where Beatty and Syverton briefly break-up and be with other partners as it adds to the growing chaos where they both learn that there’s a lot more at stake. Even as Gravo continues to stir the pot and hope that there’s a winner yet it adds to this growing cynicism that Beatty has as well as revelations for Syverton about the world in general. Overall, Pollock crafts a riveting yet chilling film about a group of people trying to win a dance marathon during the Great Depression.
Cinematographer Philip H. Lathrop does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of sepia-like color for a few stylish shots in the flashbacks as well as gorgeous approach to lighting for many of the interiors including low-key natural light for the scenes where the contestants rest. Editor Fredric Steinkamp does amazing work with the editing where it knows when to be straightforward in the dramatic moments while the racing scenes has this air of chaos in its fast cuts as well as bits of slow-motion for dramatic effect. Production designer Harry Horner and set decorator Frank R. McKelvy do excellent work with the look of the dancehall and its many interiors as well as the way the floor is re-painted for the racing scenes. Costume designer Donfeld does fantastic work with the costumes as it play into the period of the times as it includes the gorgeous gown that Alice wears that later goes into ruins to the sweats some of the people wear during the racing scene.
Makeup artist Frank McCoy, along with hair stylists Sydney Guilaroff and Ina Claire, does terrific work with the look of the characters as they sweat and become sleep-deprived while Guilaroff does the look of Beatty and Claire doing the look of Alice. The sound work of Tom Overton is superb for the atmosphere it maintains in the way the crowd sounds as well as how music is presented from afar as well as the sounds of the sea heard from the outside of the building. The film’s music is a wonderful mixture of standards of those times as it adds to the atmosphere while being a major highlight of the film.
The casting by Lyn Stalmaster, James Martell, and Jack Roberts is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Art Metrano as a dancer who collapses during the first race, Madge Kennedy as an old lady who sponsors Beatty and Syverton, Allyn Ann McLerie as Harry’s partner Shirl, Robert Fields as Alice’s partner in aspiring actor Joel, Al Lewis as Gravo’s right-hand man Turkey, and Michael Conrad as one of the event’s organizers in Rollo. Bruce Dern and Bonnie Bedelia are fantastic in their respective roles as the traveling couple James and Ruby Bates who have done dance marathons before but they’re facing a bigger challenge with the latter being pregnant as the former tries to be supportive but also defensive towards Beatty’s cynical remarks. Red Buttons is excellent as the sailor Harry Kline as an old war veteran eager to win some money as he befriends some of the dancers while dealing with the intense challenges of staying up as well as the race itself.
Susannah York is brilliant as Alice LeBlanc as an actress from London eager to get some attention from talent scouts to appear at the marathon only to deal with stolen items, envy, and other issues as she starts to become fragile. Gig Young is amazing as Rocky Gravo as the organizer and emcee of the marathon who does whatever he can to sell tickets and make money while also playing a devious game of torturing people in the hope he can make some money as it’s a charming yet devilish performance. Michael Sarrazin is incredible as Robert Syverton as a man who accidentally walks into the ballroom where he reluctantly becomes Beatty’s partner as he deals with the chaos around him while in some strange images recounts some things in his life as it’s an understated performance from Sarrazin. Finally, there’s Jane Fonda in a phenomenal performances as Gloria Beatty as a woman eager to win by any means necessary while dealing with the physical, emotional, and mental torment of her desire to win hoping it’s one last chance at doing something where Fonda brings that biting cynicism to play a woman that has lost a lot of hope and is clinging to that last semblance of hope as it is one of Fonda’s quintessential performances.
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? is a tremendous film from Sydney Pollock that features a great performance from Jane Fonda. Along with its supporting cast, eerie setting, study of human nature and exploitation, and gorgeous visuals. The film is definitely an engaging period drama set during the Great Depression that explore what people are willing to do win money during a dark time in history as well as the lows they have to endure with some trying to milk it for all of its worth. In the end, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? is a spectacular film from Sydney Pollock.
Sydney Pollock Films: (The Slender Thread) – (This Property is Condemned) – (The Scalphunters) – (Castle Keep) – (Jeremiah Johnson) – (The Way We Were) – (The Yakuza) – (Three Days of the Condor) – (Bobby Deerfield) – (The Electric Horseman) – (Absence of Malice) – Tootsie - (Out of Africa) – (Havana) – (The Firm) – (Sabrina (1995 film)) – (Random Hearts) – (The Interpreter) – (Sketches of Frank Gehry) – (Amazing Grace (2018 film))
© thevoid99 2020
Directed by Robert Clouse with some action scenes by Sammo Hung and written by Clouse and Raymond Chow under the Jan Spears pseudonym, Game of Death is the story of a martial arts movie star who is targeted by a crime syndicate as he fakes his death to go after them and protect his girlfriend. Originally meant to be Bruce Lee’s directorial debut in the same name, the film incorporates some of the footage from the film Lee was making before his death into a new story that would include scenes with Lee and basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with a lot of new footage from Clouse. Also starring Colleen Camp, Gig Young, Dean Jagger, and Hugh O’Brian. Game of Death is a riveting though messy film from Robert Clouse and Sammo Hung.
After refusing to do more work for a syndicate for a legitimate life as an action film star, the film revolves around this man who has been targeted by a Hong Kong crime syndicate who wants him dead as well as threatening the life of his singer girlfriend. After being shot on a film set where he was presumed death, the actor Billy Lo would survive as he fakes his death so he can deal with the syndicate head on. The screenplay that Clouse and Chow write would follow a simple storyline as it plays into this actor going after the crime boss Dr. Land (Dean Jagger) and his main henchman Steiner (Hugh O’Brian) while the few that knows he’s alive is the journalist Jim Marshall (Gig Young) who also watches over Lo’s girlfriend Anne (Colleen Camp).
Robert Clouse’s direction does have moments that are exciting as well as scenes and compositions that help tell the story. Yet, it’s messy due to the fact that he only uses very little of what Bruce Lee was doing with the original film with the exception of three scenes where Billy Lo was fighting Dr. Land’s three henchmen though it’s truncated in some spots. Shot on location in Hong Kong and parts of Macau, Clouse’s direction is quite straightforward though many of his shots involving the Lo character are often seen in wide and medium shots with Kim Tai-Jong and Chen Yao-po as doubles for Lee where they would often wear big sunglasses or seen from afar though there’s time you do see their faces where it’s obvious that it’s not Bruce Lee. Hung’s direction for the fight scenes is also similar in terms of trying not to have the close-ups of the doubles that include Yuen Baio for some of the acrobatic stunts of Lo.
Clouse would use footage from other films that Lee was in such as Fist of Fury and The Way of the Dragon for a few scenes of the film that Lo is making as the latter feature bits of Lee fighting Chuck Norris for the film’s opening sequence. There are moments in the film that do feel awkward at times where there’s Lee’s head superimposed on an actor’s head in one shot for a scene where Lo is being lectured by Steiner. It’s a moment that does take out some of drama and suspense while there are a few other parts of the film that would feature close-up of Lee from other films that don’t fit in with the footage that Clouse and Hung are creating in the action and suspense as it does create a sense of continuity errors that do become noticeable. Even as Clouse would use footage from Lee’s funeral for a scene is something that feels wrong and very unnecessary. Despite these flaws, Clouse and Hung do manage to create something that Lee would’ve made though the actual film by Lee in its in-completed form is more entrancing in its sense of fluidity and careful choreography through the fight scenes. Overall, Clouse and Hung create an engaging but flawed film about a movie star faking his death to fight a crime syndicate.
Cinematographer Godfrey A. Godar does nice work with the cinematography despite some of the visual continuities in matching the unfinished footage with the finished footage visually. Editor Alan Pattillo does some fine work with the editing although it does dwell into some fast-cutting to take out some of the things in the fight that does raises question into its continuity. Sound recordist Danny Daniels does superb work with the sound in capturing some of the action and sound effects despite some of the fake yells for the Lo character. The film’s music by John Barry does some excellent work with the usage of strings and bombastic percussions to play into the action and suspense as it’s one of the highlights of the final film.
The film’s cast does feature some notable small roles from Mel Novak as an assassin named Stick, Robert Wall as a brutish fighter/henchman of Dr. Land in Carl Miller, Sammo Hung as Miller’s opponent in a fight, Dan Inosanto and Ji Han-jae as a couple of men that Lo would fight, and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar as the tall henchman known as Hakim. Gig Young is excellent as Lo’s journalist friend Jim Marshall as one of the few that Lo can really trust while Colleen Camp is wonderful as Lo’s girlfriend Anne as this singer who is forced to see the actions of the syndicate up close. Dean Jagger’s performance as Dr. Land is weak as he’s just this old man that just orders people and feed his fish while Hugh O’Brien is terrific as his lead henchman Steiner as a guy with a blade inside his cane. The performances of the men playing Billy Lo can do cool stunts but they don’t really showcase the essence of Bruce Lee while Chris Kent’s dubbing as Lo is pretty lame.
The unfinished version of Game of Death that was written, directed, and starring Lee that was shot by cinematographer Tadashi Nishimoto and edited by Peter Cheung with music by Joseph Koo and Peter Thomas is a very different film from what Clouse and Hung created. Though Clouse and Hung used 11-minutes of what Lee had filmed, the thirty-eight minutes of material that Lee had filmed is way more compelling than the final product. It revolves around a retired martial arts champion named Hai Tien who is coerced out of retirement to enter a game of death at a South Korean pagoda where he is to face five masters as each level feature a master that is very difficult. Three of the five levels were filmed as it features a Dan Inosanto as the third-floor guardian, Ji Han-jae as the fourth-floor guardian, and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar as the fifth-floor guardian Mantis though he’s re-named as Hakim in the final version of the film. Tien is joined by two other men in this game in Mr. Tien (James Tien) and Mr. Yuan (Chieh Yuan) who would participate in fighting the fourth and fifth guardians.
Whereas Hung’s direction for the fights are messy due to the mixture of footage with Lee and the recreated footage with the doubles. The fight scenes by Lee is more engaging as Cheung’s editing offers so much in terms of what is happening as well as getting the sense of rhythm in the fighting to play into its suspense and drama. Even in the climatic showdown with Mantis where there’s so much attention to detail in the drama as well as the room where the fight is happening. The performances of Jabbar, Inosanto, and Han-jae are given more attention as they show not just their skills but also the sense of respect in the fight itself. Especially as Lee showcase what it at stake as an example of what he was aiming to do as he also gives this incredible performance as a fighter where Lee displays that air of charm and toughness.
The finished version of Game of Death is a stellar but flawed film from Robert Clouse and Sammo Hung. Despite its good intentions along with some nice action sequences, it’s a film that is bogged down by some continuity issues as well as the fact that the doubles playing Bruce Lee aren’t that good. Lee’s unfinished version of the film is far more interesting as it show what Lee was hoping to do as it has something much grander. In the end, the final version of Game of Death is a good film while the unfinished version of the film is spectacular all from the mind of the legendary Bruce Lee.
Related: The Big Boss - Fist of Fury - The Way of the Dragon – Enter the Dragon
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel Monkey in the Middle by Robert Syd Hopkins, The Killer Elite is the story of an American spy who has been betrayed by his best friend as he finds himself wanting revenge unaware of a power struggle that is emerging for the company they work for. Directed by Sam Peckinpah and screenplay by Marc Norman and Stirling Silliphant, the film is a suspense-thriller that plays into a man who tries to cope with betrayal as well as wondering about his loyalty to the people he work for. Starring James Caan, Robert Duvall, Burt Young, Bo Hopkins, Mako, Arthur Hill, and Gig Young. The Killer Elite is a compelling and thrilling film from Sam Peckinpah.
Following an assignment that ends with betrayal and injury, the film is about a spy who works for a private company as he struggles to get back in the game and seek revenge. It’s a film that play into an ever-changing world where a spy who is known for doing his job and having fun is given a rude awakening where his assignment to protect a defector leaves him wounded where his best friend shot him in the elbow and on a kneecap. The film’s script is quite straightforward as it play into the struggle of its protagonist Mike Locken (James Caan) would endure in getting himself back up as well as return to work despite the fact that his superiors believe he’s done. Yet, he would accept an assignment to protect a Chinese political figure who is eager to return to his home country while dealing with Asian rivals as well as his friend George Hansen (Robert Duvall). Yet, Locken and Hansen are both unaware of what is happening behind the scenes as it relates to the ideas of what men want to control their idea of the world.
Sam Peckinpah’s direction is actually quite restrained in some aspects with the exception of its climax which bear many of the elements of stylish violence that he’s known for. Shot entirely on location in San Francisco and areas near the city, the film is quite straightforward as Peckinpah would create some nice wide and medium shots of the locations to play into this sense of a world that is very modern but the characters are quite comfortable with the setting. There are some close-ups to play into some of the suspense along with the medium shots as Peckinpah knows how to maintain some momentum and build it up. At the same time, there are elements that showcases what is going on behind the scenes as it relates to the ideals that Locken hold about doing his job in the hope to do something good.
Yet, there is an air of cynicism as it is more about power and wanting to maintain some form of the status quo with greed also being a factor. Especially in the confrontation between Locken and Hansen as it shows two men who are forced to deal with the emergence of a new world order. It is later followed by another confrontation where one is about honor but the other is about the realities of a new world where ideals and loyalty would become obsolete. Overall, Peckinpah crafts a fascinating yet gripping thriller about a spy’s thirst for revenge complicated by those he is working for.
Cinematographer Philip Lathrop does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of low-key lighting for some of the interior/exterior settings at night to the gorgeous look of the scenes set in the daytime. Editors Monte Hellman and Tony de Zarraga do terrific work with the editing as it has some stylish montage sequences that play into Locken‘s attempt to get revenge with a scene of what is going on in the company he works for as well as some stylish jump-cuts. Production designer Haworth and set decorator Rick Gentz do nice work with the set design from the look of the home Locken would live in his recovery to the secret base of a Chinese client that he is trying to protect.
Costume designer Ray Summers does wonderful work with the costumes as it is mostly casual with the exception of the old-school Chinese garb that the Chinese clients wear. Sound editor Fred Brown does superb work with the sound as it play into some of the violence as well as some of the sparse moments in the quieter scenes in the film. The film’s music by Jerry Fielding is brilliant for its mixture of jazz and orchestral music as it play into the suspense and sense of action as it is a major highlight of the film.
The casting by Jane Feinberg and Mike Fenton is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Tiana Alexandra as Yuen Chung‘s daughter Tommie, Kate Heflin as Locken‘s nurse Amy, Victor Sei Yung as an associate of Chung in Wei Chei, Takayuki Kubota as a rival Japanese mob figure wanting to take out Chung, Tom Clancy as Hansen‘s right-hand man O‘Leary, and Helmut Dantine as the Eastern European client Vorodny whom Locken and Hansen were protecting in the film‘s opening sequence. Bo Hopkins is terrific as Locken’s weapons specialist Jerome Miller who is good with guns while Mako is fantastic as the Chinese political figure Yuen Chung who is eager to return to his home country in the hopes of bringing some form of democracy to the country. Burt Young is brilliant as Mac as a civilian who is Locken’s getaway driver and associate who is also the film’s conscience of sorts where he goes into detail over what Locken is fighting for and why it doesn’t mean anything.
Gig Young is superb as Weybourne as a private security leader who is trying to do whatever he can to maintain his own status in the spy business while using both Locken and Hansen to clean up his dirty work. Arthur Hill is amazing as Cap Collis as Locken’s superior who gives Locken the assignments as he deals with Weybourne in a power struggle where he wants some control but for his own selfish reasons. Robert Duvall is remarkable as George Hansen as a spy who is trying to survive for himself as he copes with what he had to do for Locken while also coping with this emergence of a new world order that he isn’t sure he wants to be a part of. Finally, there’s James Caan in an incredible performance as Mike Locken as a spy who has been betrayed and nearly crippled as he seeks revenge while also dealing with what he has and trying to hold on to some idealism that is starting to become obsolete in a more cynical and crueler world where it isn’t about doing the right thing.
The Killer Elite is a remarkable film from Sam Peckinpah that features excellent performances from James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Burt Young. While it may be considered one of Peckinpah’s weaker films, it is still a fascinating suspense-thriller that does play into Peckinpah’s fascination with man and changing times as well this growing sense of cynicism where honor and loyalty are becoming non-existent. In the end, The Killer Elite is a marvelous film from Sam Peckinpah.
Sam Peckinpah Films: The Deadly Companions - Ride the High Country - Major Dundee - Noon Wine - The Wild Bunch - The Ballad of Cable Hogue - Straw Dogs - Junior Bonner - The Getaway - Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid - Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - Cross of Iron - Convoy - The Osterman Weekend - The Auteurs #62: Sam Peckinpah
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Sam Peckinpah and screenplay by Peckinpah and Gordon Dawson from a story by Peckinpah and Frank Kowalski, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is the story of an ex-army officer who joins in a quest to find the head of a dead man for a bounty where he encounters all sorts of trouble. Though it is set in a contemporary setting, the film is a Western of sorts where a man deals with many others to collect the bounty for a crime lord who wants the head of this dead man. Starring Warren Oates, Isela Vega, Robert Webber, Gig Young, Helmut Dantine, Kris Kristofferson, and Emilio Fernandez. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is an absolutely violent and rapturous film from Sam Peckinpah.
When a crime lord learns about his daughter has been impregnated by a man named Alfredo Garcia, he puts a bounty on the man’s head where a group of criminals get a former American army officer to do the job unaware that the reward is a million dollars. It’s a film where a man knows who Garcia is as he’s been tasked to do a deed where he’ll be paid handsomely as he brings along his prostitute girlfriend who also knows Garcia where the two go on a road trip through Mexico. Yet, they would also encounter bounty hunters and all sorts of people who either know about the bounty or those that just want to cause trouble.
The film’s screenplay isn’t about this trip that Bennie (Warren Oates) has to make with Elita (Isela Vega) but also the chance for a good life with the money he’s to be given. Still, Bennie has to endure all sorts of things as he’s seen a lot of good and bad things in his life where he wants something new and different which is among the reasons why he took the job. While trekking through Mexico where he would encounter bikers, strange men, and all sorts of people. He wonders why is people interested in Garcia who is already dead and why the need for his head? Especially in the film’s second half where he would retrieve the head despite many complications but also a trail of bodies that include some innocent people. It plays into a man being caught in the middle of a quest where he eventually finds out why the need for the head of a dead man.
Sam Peckinpah’s direction is definitely intense in terms of the level of violence and suspense that plays out into the film. Especially as it opens very serenely where a young pregnant woman looks out at the river of her family villa until her father known as El Jefe (Emilio Fernandez) demands to know who the father of the child is. It plays into this air of suspense where many men from different parts of Mexico along with some American and European criminals who all go around Mexico to find anyone who knows Alfredo Garcia. All of this happens in the first 10-15 minutes of the film as it establishes what is going on where a couple of Americans meet Bennie at a bar he runs where he’s playing piano as they ask him about Garcia. Peckinpah’s approach to close-ups and medium shot help play into the intimacy that occurs including Bennie’s relationship with Elita where it’s playful at times but also a bit one-sided considering that Elita sleeps with other men much to Bennie’s chagrin. By the time the film moves into the Mexican countryside where Peckinpah takes great advantage of the desert locations with its wide and medium shots. He also knows how to build up moments of suspense such as an encounter that Bennie and Elita would have with a couple of bikers that would end violently.
It would set the tone for things to come where Peckinpah does infuse elements of style into the way he approaches the violence where some of it is quite gruesome. Especially in the third act as it involves shootouts and such where Bennie is forced to come to terms with what he’s doing as well as why Garcia’s head means so much to this crime lord in the middle of Latin America. It all plays into Bennie being someone of the old ways where it’s the new world that is coming into play where the new world order doesn’t care how many lives are worth for the head of one man but for Bennie. These lives actually matter as it shows that money can’t buy everything. Overall, Peckinpah creates a riveting yet wild film about a man going on a trip to retrieve a dead man’s head.
Cinematographer Alex Phillips Jr. does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of grainy film stock to play up the brooding tone of the film as well as the griminess of the locations in Mexico with its approach to natural lights for its daytime/nighttime exterior scenes. Editors Dennis Dolan, Sergio Ortega, and Robbe Roberts do brilliant work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts, slow-motion cuts, and other rhythmic cuts to play into the action as well as some of the dark and violent moments of the film. Art director Agustin Ituarte does nice work with the set design from the look of a hotel suite where Bennie is given the job to the home of El Jefe.
Sound editor Michael Colgan does superb work with the sound from the usage of sound effects in the shootouts to the raucous atmosphere in the bars and places the characters go to. The film’s music by Jerry Fielding is amazing for its mixture of traditional Mexican folk music with bits of orchestral flourishes that play into the world of Mexico and the aspects that is the West.
The casting by Claudia Becker is fantastic as it features some notable small appearances from Janine Maldonado as El Jefe’s pregnant daughter and Kris Kristofferson as a biker who harasses Elita. Emilio Fernandez is superb as El Jefe as this crime lord who puts a bounty for whoever gets the head of Alfredo Garcia while Helmut Dantine is terrific as a European businessman who orders Bennie to find Garcia’s head where he will pay him a good sum as he wants to deliver the head to collect the bounty. Robert Webber and Gig Young are excellent in their respective roles as the American hitmen Sappensly and Johnny Quill who meet with Bennie early in the film in finding Garcia as they later track him down to collect the bounty.
Isela Vega is brilliant as Elita as this prostitute who knew Garcia as she reluctantly joins Bennie on the trip where she copes with the encounter with the bikers as well as what Bennie is going to do though she too craves for a better life. Finally, there’s Warren Oates in a phenomenal performance as Bennie as this former Army officer who likes to play piano and get drunk where he is given a chance to make money by retrieving a dead man’s head where he gets more than he bargains for where Oates is quite tough but also shows a vulnerability that is rarely displayed as it is Oates in his greatest performance.
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is a spectacular film from Sam Peckinpah that features an incredible performance from Warren Oates. It’s a film that is absolutely uncompromising in terms of violence and the inhumanity a man faces in his quest to retrieve a man’s head. Even as it is presented with a sense of grittiness and excessive violence that isn’t afraid to be out there and to the fucking point as it is a pure example of “fuck you” cinema. In the end, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is an astonishing film from Sam Peckinpah.
Sam Peckinpah Films: The Deadly Companions - Ride the High Country - Major Dundee - Noon Wine - The Wild Bunch - The Ballad of Cable Hogue - Straw Dogs - Junior Bonner - The Getaway - Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid - The Killer Elite - Cross of Iron - Convoy - The Osterman Weekend - The Auteurs #62: Sam Peckinpah
© thevoid99 2015
Based on the novel by Horace McCoy, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? is the story of a people trying to win a dance marathon during the Great Depression with a power-hungry emcee urging them to continue. Directed by Sydney Pollock and screenplay by Robert E. Thompson and James Poe, the film is a study of people who are desperate to win this dance marathon in the hope of winning $1,500 during a troubled time where people are clinging to hope. Starring Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Bruce Dern, Bonnie Bedelia, Red Buttons, and Gig Young. They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? is a harrowing and evocative film from Sydney Pollock.
