Genres

Visitors Review

2013-05-20 10:32:17

Fearless. Honest. Wonderful.

Sam Peckinpah casts a cold eye on events of the bleakest tragedy and blackest comedy in this masterpiece. Why is it a masterpiece? Because it steadily improves with age, and gets better with each viewing. Only truthful, genuine works of art do that. I can remember people, of limited intelligence, deriding it when it first came out, but where are those clowns now? Warren Oates's performance is a major tour-de-force. The sensations experienced by his character, Bennie, are panoramic. Almost every scene is a surprise, even when you know what's coming. One of the most jolting incidents that I have ever seen on film is when Sappensly, one of the two smiling hit-sisters, elbows a hooker to the floor. It has an impact similar to the nose-slitting scene in Chinatown, another masterpiece of similar bleakness. But there are many other equally memorable events in Oates's grimy Mexican odyssey. The story has touches of other tales of a man's search for El Dorado, Shangri La, the Crock of Gold at the rainbow's end. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, or Clouzot's Wages of Fear, come to mind, among many others; which does not mean that Peckinpah's story isn't completely original. There is even a slight undercurrent of Hamlet, as pointed out on the audio commentary by the "Peckinpah scholars", which is helpful, if somewhat egocentric. Every performance is top-notch, the cinematography, the cutting and the pacing are superb. This is certainly a great film: one of the greatest.

Badou_Boy 2013-05-19 21:12:55

A Flop? What a disgrace.

It's hard for me to believe that this film was a financial flop and acritical failure, it's a powerful and unflinching character study ofthe highest order, and an excellent action film in its own right.Warren Oates as Benny is an absolute masterful performance, the way heconveys loneliness and descent into madness in the second half has tobe seen to be believed. The film has a lot to say about guilt andregret, Benny and his girlfriend Elita(Well played by Isela Vega) aredesperately trying to make it in a harsh environment even when theyknow it's impossible because Benny's past quickly catches up with him,and the film provokes a lot of thought as Benny's character developsmore and more before reaching a shattering conclusion that may be themost bleak ending out of any Peckinpah film.Watching Benny go from a naive and obnoxious bartender to a man thatcan't even look at himself in the mirror, is one of the best examplesof character development from an action film that I've seen. The filmis able to be moving without being preachy or overly-melodramatic, thisis the most misunderstood film of Peckinpah's career, which is weirdconsidering the fact that he considers this to be his most completefilm. BTW, I haven't even mentioned the beautiful score, terrificaction choreography, etc, the film has a lot to like and love. This isa film that will always divide viewers, but consider me one of itsbiggest fans.On another note, its clear that this film had a lot of influence on theworks of Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, and several otherfilmmakers, and the film is symbolic of the old west being over. Thisfilm represents a completely new generation, one with a bit morehumanity as well as danger, a new era. The shots are all wonderfullyphotographed, many have talked about the opening of the film and howgreat of a shot it is, and I agree, the film manages to look wonderfulthroughout. It took about half an hour or so for me to really beabsorbed into the film, but it all payed off in the end. Don't pass upthe chance to see this classic, it looks great, it's thought provoking,it's unconventional, and it was very influential; it's a one-of-a-kindexperience.

kostasxrysogelos 2013-05-14 12:48:06

Peckinpah's masterpiece?

I first saw the film on a theater and I am very grateful for that.There are films that one can't fully appreciate if not seen on the bigscreen."Bring me..." is a very difficult film. It's complicated and deep inits meanings. Actually, all of Peckinpah's films are complicated; theyseem to be very flat, but when one explores them, they automaticallyreveal their magic.Peckinpah was always accused of being a fascist, but that is untrue.It's also too easy to assume that all he wanted to show us was thevulgarity of the human nature -an explanation given to Peckinpah'sfamous achievement "Straw Dogs"."Bring me..." is, in my opinion, e re-interpretation of the Bible.Oates plays a character who agrees to do a disgusting thing -to cut thehead off a dead Alfredo Garcia, in order to bring it as proof to thepeople who wanted him dead- simply because he would be paid a lot ofmoney. But things don't go the way they were supposed to.There so many symbols and metaphors that reminds us of the Bible: Hisgirlfriend, who is a whore, the two bikers who remind us of the twothieves that were crossed along with Jesus, the progress of the maincharacter's thinking, and finally the cut head, a metaphor for John theBaptist's severed head.Why does the main character die in the end? In my aspect: Because hestops to take the money with him. It's an action that denies him thetitle of a modern Jesus -one that kills the guilty, instead offorgiving them.Anyway, this is my interpretation. Whatever the truth may be, thisremains one of Peckinpah's truly great moments. Could very easily behis masterpiece.

Steve Fischer 2013-05-14 01:19:17

Whither the Crucial Missing Scene?

The following commentary should only be read by those who have seen thefilm. It is, in a sense, a spoiler for something that doesn't exist inthefilm's current release.I first saw Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia here in Manhattan on thedayit opened so many years ago. After the reviews came out, the studioimmediately pulled the prints from the theaters and cut the most CRUCIALscene in the film.The original release contained a scene wherein upon discovering his loverdead, the Warren Oates character makes love to her corpse. He does sotenderly, and with deep regret. Then he buries her along with Garcia'sremains in the grave he's just desecrated.It is in this moment that he slips into madness. If you watch the filmagain, note the transition from the "pre-grave" character and the"post-grave" one. (Also note the somewhat disjointed transition from hisholding his dead lover in his arms, to his leaving the graveyard.) I'msureyou could view his character change as simply being a reaction to herdeath.But if you imagine the missing footage, his impending lunacy has greaterdepth, and makes more sense. It also gives the film a different resonancethan his other films that employ a machismo/revenge motif.It's always driven me crazy (so to speak ) that this mostimportantscene was taken out of the film, denying the audience a true understandingof the Oates character in the last third of the film.I eagerly await a DVD release that restores this footage. I hope it hasn'tbeen lost forever.

pljewkes 2013-05-12 04:47:31

Excellent

Ford had John Wayne, Scorcese has DeNiro...Peckinpah had Warren Oates.With BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA, Peckinpah provides Oates withhis best ever role...and a rare lead. In fact, this is surely Oates'sHAMLET. Oates is an oily piano player in a south-of-the-border hellholewho attempts to track down the low-life who deflowered the daughter ofa powerful Mexican crime lord. He embarks on his pursuit with his sexy,and infinitely patient, girlfriend Isela Vega. Peckinpah's directionhas never been this tight. It's a real return to form after theefficient journeyman work he'd done on THE GETAWAY. It's also his mostironic work. Oates makes a what is essentially a grave-robbing sleazeinto a very sympathetic character. Vega is excellent and is nicelymatched with Oates. The rest of the cast, which includes briefappearances by Robert Webber, Gig Young and Kris Kristoferson, isgreat. A classic.

2013-05-11 16:22:17

No One Loses All The Time...

I loved this film! The late great Warren Oates stars as a woeful anti-hero out on a quest for the head of Alfredo Garcia. He's being paid by a wealthy rancher's lieutenants to bring back proof of Garcia's death, his head. Only Garcia died in a car accident and has already been buried. I don't want to give away the entire plot. One of the criticisms of this film was that it was too violent which I found surprising considering that the violence was pretty mellow by today's standards. Most of the film consists of drama dialog between the anti-hero and his woman. The dialog between characters makes this film the masterpiece what it is. I highly recommend it.

2013-05-07 14:41:18

descent into hell

This review is from: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (DVD) I have watched this movie over 50 times and assume that it is peckinpah's life or at least how he viewed it. This is a dusty, dirty boozy, violent story which once again reiterates peckinpah's code of honor and ethics, as bizarre as it may be under the circumstances facing the lead character portrayed by Warren Oates(who has a perfect role, believeable to a fault). This movie is not for everyone but should be seen by fans of peckinpah and his slow motion ballets of blood, which are loaded into this thought provoking film.

2013-05-06 18:48:40

"Why? Because it feels so $%#@! good..."

This review is from: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (DVD) ...says Warren Oates' Benny as he empties his gun into the corpse of the man he just killed. Words basically do not do justice to this film. I'll just give some context. Peckinpah had (for the second and last time in his career)terminated his professional prospects by his misbehavior and antagonism of studio bosses during the shooting/editing of Pat Garret and Billy The Kid. Pickled in booze and filled with hatred and self-loathing, his aesthetic solution was to make a cheapie with no stars in his beloved Mexico. The resulting film, the subject of this review, turns The Wild Bunch and Straw Dogs celebrations of violence and revenge upside down, and nobody wanted to hear about in in 1974. Few do now. A blackly comic nightmare, this is the only narrative film that I think can be described as suicide note. Warren Oates had difficulty getting a grip on the character of Benny ("Nobody's a loser all the time..."), the sleazy lounge singer turned lunatic corpse-desecrating avenger; then he showed up on set with a moustache and shades that made all who saw him realize he was aping Peckinpah. The director himself never commented on his stars' mimicry of him, probably silent assent to the truth of Oates' understanding of Sam's intentions. This one must be seen to be believed.

2013-05-01 03:05:44

Road Trip From Hell

Possibly the most difficult Peckinpah film to watch, this nasty 70's gem is interminable in its first 45 minutes, then the remainder of the movie reaches a near frenzy of suspense, murder, and the usual ambiguousness Peckinpah was known for. The viewer can count on the usual Peckinpah trademarks:-Gratuitous violence towards women;-Balletic, slow-motion graphic violence;-an unlikeable anti-hero;-consumption of mass quantities of hard alcohol;-a sometimes rambling narrative;-a nihilistic ending.This is not to say this movie is bad; far from it. At times it approaches the level of self-parody, but Peckinpah had a story in his mind he wanted to capture, and he does so in his inimitable fashion.The road trip consists first of Warren Oates and his girlfriend seeking the head of the titular character, then the road trip evolves into Oates transporting the head, sans girlfriend, to the Mexican land baron who put the price on the head. Along the way, many people die in beautifully edited slow-motion as only Peckinpah can do.Plot holes aside, it is a very gripping movie once it kicks in at about the 45 minute mark. Look for Kris Kristoferson in a cameo as a filthy biker/rapist, as well as Robert Webber and Gig Young as stone cold killers/businessmen. This movie, along with Straw Dogs, cemented Peckinpah's reputation as a misogynist. As mentioned above, there are plenty of scenes of women being physically abused for no apparent reason, so those of you with feminist girlfriend's/wives may want to watch this after they've gone to bed.I'm still trying to figure out how Warren Oates transported the head aboard AeroMexico!

2013-04-30 14:12:35

Still Holds Up

I watched this movie 2 days ago, and as usual it had a lasting effect on me. I would have to almost go out on a limb and say this may be Peckinpah's most complex and brilliant work; The storyline starts as a basic premise, then gets a little more complicated mid-way through. For a film made in the early '70's, the dialog still stands strong, the desert-like landscapes are captured perfectly, the acting/characters are are both commanding and quirky, which was something you did not see done alot in early '70's films, let alone done well. Most of the action comes to a boil in the last half hour or so, but I didn't really care. Oates takes control as the lead, which is nice to see; He is a charismatic leading tough guy type, and here he gets his moment; The German guys are quite amusing, esp. at the end when their relationship becomes a little more defined in a strange way. This is probably as close to a Tarantino movie as Peckinpah ever got, and it's just as worthy. 'The Getaway' was a good movie, but this one is soooo much better. On par with 'Straw Dogs' and 'The Wild Bunch', yet different.

Flixer1957 2013-04-30 05:07:17

Grand Guignol, south of the border.

Here's a certifiable wallow in sleaze, filmed in Mexico and compared bybrash publicists of the day to THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE. Iwouldn't go that far, but if you like queasy action gore-fests lacedwith despair, this one is for you. A Mexican nobleman puts amillion-dollar bounty on the head of the scoundrel who knocked up hisdaughter before leaving town in a big hurry. Soon every two-bit gunseland scum-ball soldier of fortune in Mexico is hot on the trail ofAlfredo's noggin. Two gangsters played with evil flair by Robert Webberand Gig Young find washed-up loser Warren Oates in a hole-in-the-wallbar and offer him front money to bring back the coveted head. Oatesgrabs his .45 and his hooker girlfriend (Isela Vega) and the chase ison. The first half of the movie is devoted more to characterdevelopment than action, with Kris Kristofferson as a rape-happy bikerdropped in to liven things up a little. When BRING ME... takes off,however, there's no stopping it. Oates tangles with other bountyhunters, Garcia's understandably miffed family, and finally thedouble-crossing Young and Webber. Slugs fly and many corpses dropbefore the predictable but powerful, bullet-riddled finale.In this film, even more than STRAW DOGS, Peckinpah plunges headlonginto Grand Guignol and shamelessly revels in it. A grave is plunderedto obtain the head, which Oates packs in dry ice so it won't rot awaybefore he collects the reward. Between massacres, he addresses thesevered noodle with such witticisms as "I hope you enjoyed her, Al–Isure did!" Al, meanwhile, plays host to an increasing number of fliesthat buzz merrily away on the soundtrack. This is the "cast ofthousands" for which ALFREDO GARCIA has become something of a legend.This grunge, along with the film's ragged structure, cockeyed andseemingly unrehearsed dialogue, low-budget look and dark photography,give BRING ME ....a nearly unbearable cinema verite feel. As writerRichard Meyers would say, the screen practically sweats.Maligned by many and with a title lampooned by talk-show comedians,BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA is better than the bad press wouldhave you believe. Peckinpah completists, Warren Oates fans and thosewho want to visit a seamy, evil side of Mexico not featured in touristbrochures should definitely check out this bloody, low-moneyoddball–and don't forget a can of Black Flag.

Michael Kenmore 2013-04-29 14:16:08

Peckinpah's personal demons come through this nihilistically brilliant film

Normally I don't expect much from Sam Peckinpah's obscure and oftenuneven filmography, except I saw Straw Dogs on Criterion Collection DVDand that was, to put it succinctly, a revenge movie that inspiregenuinely revolting horror in the unsuspecting viewers. I could neverforget such powerful impact Straw Dogs left on me as a casual movieviewer.The movie Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia inspired genuine shock inme. Strangely, I was *never* shocked by such infamously brutal movies-- Irreversible, Fight Club, Hostel, Robocop, Reservoir Dogs, etcincluded. I think the only films capable of shocking me were the firsttime I saw The Changeling and Japanese version of The Ringuninterrupted.The character development in the first half of this movie may be a bittoo slow, but it paid off magnificently with the interesting plot(however slow-developing with the main protagonist & his girlfriend),rivaling suspense, unbelievable action and shocking conclusion thatfeels like enduring a hard punch in the stomach.As I said above, I was a tad underwhelmed by the slow progress thatseems more like a romantic adventure than a typical Peckinpahbulletfest. Then I remember this also occurred while watching StrawDogs, so I stayed patient, hoping the dividend would pay off.It did and it exceeded my expectation in the final half. I never feltsuch compassion for the main protagonist who at first seemed callousand greedy but turned around to become someone else entirely different,like a conscience change the person from an amoral person in pursuit ofavarice to a courageous person in pursuit of exacting vengeance andjustice for the irreversible loss of self-respect and integrity in thespan of 48 hours. One of the other films with the similar character arcis 1998 Brazil movie The Central Station and I'll never forget thefirst time I saw that movie in the sparsely populated small art-housetheatre screening and I cried my eyes out at the ending.The character named Benjamino, also called Benny, started out as aselfish happy-go-lucky scumbag loser and ended up as an outraged,disillusioned man who seek redemption only to become a martyr. Theconclusive ending has such a screen-rippingly violent impact that itwas shocking for me, even as a self-proclaimed jaded viewer who expectmaybe a little too much.No wonder this film was banned in some countries and its original MPAArating an X. This is Sam Peckinpah in gauging his raw power to theextreme in viscerally mind-bending emotions. I haven't seen manyPeckinpah films to compare to this film. I saw NC-17 rated The WildBunch on VHS, but it's been over a decade since I saw that movie and Idon't remember except a prolonged battle sequence towards the ending.Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia may be 32 years old, but it retainsthe amazing impact that might not be equalized in achieving themesmerizing effect on the viewer with shock of violence andin-the-character raw emotion by the fantastic actor who plays Benny,Warren Oates -- slow romantic interlude scenes notwithstanding.I see the photos of Sam Peckinpah as a director who wears these uniquesunglasses and have a distinct fashion & behavioral style, and WarrenOates seem to have literally embodied Mr. Peckinpah, partly to releasethe personal demons in venting frustration & despair and partly toachieve the penultimate level of neo-realist acting caliber that isseldomly (perhaps never, not even post-Godfather Marlon Brando) matchednowadays. This film is quite a feat in achievement in pushing thebuttons on the viewer's reactions, pro and con, and not come off ascontrivedly manipulative for cynical purposes, owing to Peckinpah,Oates, the diligent supporting cast and the talented production crew'sconsistent quality styling in providing enough ice cold water & vodkasubstance and no sugar or syrup.Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is a no-holds-barred movie and itholds up excellent in impact after three decades. Nothing will date thefilm at all, it's a perfect production with setting and atmosphere thatmake for a stimulating movie entertainment. Sam Peckinpah & WarrenOates did a fantastic work together! ****

2013-04-20 18:11:29

Grab your tequila and a gun...we goin' on a road trip!

This review is from: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (DVD) I bought this flick after i watched the WILD BUNCH. I must confess, i am new to Peckinpah as a whole, but DAMN! this movie starts weird, a pregnant chick gets her finger broken and then the search for Garcia begins. The two old sadists, tossin an elbow chop to some hooka's mug, start looking for info on garcia. Once they get Billy (warren Oates) on the case, with his girl (she's kinda plain looking but type sexy), the fun begins. Only Peckinpah could envision Kris Kristofferson as a bike riding rapist. Oates rocks sunglasses ALL the time, epitomizing "loser" cool. He's a man looking to make his piece in this unforgiving world. And he replies in kind, no mercy, no bull$%t. If you're into rugged films charged with testosterone, pick this up. It will annoy your girlfriend and parents, easily, while you watch every gritty minute with guilty, smitten glee. Do it. You know you want to. And if you don't, i guess it's because you're late for your ballet lesson, sissies!

Lirazel 2013-04-19 20:07:31

because it feels so goddamn good!

It seems as though people miss Peckinpah's messages. This is not abloodbath, or a violent film..it is an anti-violence statement..when Bennypursues death, it claims everyone around him..by forsaking music and love,he proves that he is "already dead", and the flies in the car are just asmuch there for him as the head. Peckinpah himself, time and time again,letthe critics know what he was doing, but their narrow views wouldn't allowthem to see the power here, and when they felt bad at the end of thismovie,they thought it was just a bad film. It's not..just a disturbing one.Personally, I think that Paul Verhoeven and Oliver Stone should be forcedtowatch this one until the message sinks in..violence is ugly, and if youglorify it with pretty montage work, you will wind up living in a societythat collectively believes that violence is glamorous.

2013-04-18 11:24:33

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia

This review is from: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (DVD) I enjoy movies by Sam Peckinpah. This one is unusually raw even for Sam. Good "Pulp Fiction" type show.

looneyfarm 2013-04-18 08:55:56

Peckinpah's best film

I have to comment on this film, although I don't know how well I amable to address my feelings relating to it. I guess you can't blame me:Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is a bizarre, not-so-literate film.But the minute I saw the poster of the blood-stained hand holding apendant, the title and Warren Oates in the headlining, I knew I wasgoing to love this film. Now having seen it, I have only superlativesto say about it.What makes Peckinpah's films so good in the first place is that eventhough they have a lot of graphic violence, it's not self-serving,brainless entertainment like Tarantino's or Rodriguez's films (not thatI don't like them as well). Peckinpah makes a point with it all,especially in Straw Dogs and The Wild Bunch, and Al Garcia is noexception to that. Here Warren Oates is a man whose morals arechallenged by greed and corruption around him, who loses everything hehas and thus takes his shots on the bad guys who try to capitalisethings they bear no emotional relationship to. Not that I could makesense everything of it; as said, this film is bizarre and surreal fromstart to finish, but somehow it grabs you and doesn't let go. Just asEbert said, there's hidden meaning even in a severed, rotting head.Considering this film was made when Peckinpah was losing hiscredibility among Hollywood studios, I would say he wanted this film tobe an allegory of a maverick director surviving in the Hollywoodsystem.How this film has remained only a film buffs' favorite, I don't know. Imean, come on, it has everything to be a crime/thriller classic:Peckinpah in the director's chair, Warren Oates at his best, truckloadsof attitude and some jet-black comedy in lines such as "you guys aredefinitely on my s**t list now." A truly brilliant, brilliant film.

JohnRouseMerriottChard 2013-03-24 23:06:40

One man and his quest for meaning turns into a Peckinpah classic.

El Jefe is outraged to find that his daughter has fallen pregnant to aman who has upped and gone, after learning the identity of the rascal(Alfredo Garcia), he offers one million dollars to anyone who can bringhim the head of the Lothario running man. On the trail are hit menQuill & Sappensly, Bennie & his prostitute girlfriend Elita, and someother Mexican bandit types, all of them are on a collision course thatwill bring far more than they all bargained for.This was the one film where director Sam Peckinpah felt he had the mostcontrol, the one where we apparently get his own cut and not somechopped up piece of work from interfering executives. Viewing it nowsome 34 years after its release, it stands up well as a testament tothe work of a great director. On the surface it looks trashy, we havehomosexual hit men, grave robbing, potential rape, murders abound,prostitution, lower than the low characters, in short the film is awashwith Peckinpah traits. Yet it would be a disservice to even think thisfilm isn't rich in thematic texture, for the journey that Bennie, ourmain protagonist takes is one of meaning, he is a loser, but we findhim on this quest to find not only fortune, but respect and love. It'sa bloody trail for sure, but it has much depth and no little Peckinpahhumour to push the film to it's bloody yet triumphant finale. WarrenOates is rewarded by Peckinpah for years of sterling work for him bygetting the lead role of Bennie, and he grasps it with both hands toturn in a wonderful performance that splits sadness and vibrancy withdeft of ease.Bring Me The Head Of Alfredo Garcia has a harsh quality about it, be itthe violence, or be it the sadness of the characters, but what isn't indoubt to me is that it's harshness is cloaked in Peckinpah splendour.9/10

2013-03-24 20:30:06

Did He Give Ya Good Head?!

Easily the darkest of all of Sam Peckinpah's films, and one of the bleakest films of any kind, period, BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA is quite simply not the easiest film to watch. Trashed by both critics and audiences when first unleashed in the summer of 1974, in recent times, this weird, warped masterpiece has managed to find an audience, and rightly so. It continues to divide audiences even to this very day, but the review that Chicago Sun Times movie critic Roger Ebert gave it originally seems to be the prevailing one these days--that of a weird, bizarre masterpiece.Warren Oates, one of the great character actors of all times, here given a starring role by his good friend Peckinpah, is compulsive as a down-and-out piano player in a Mexico City dive given the chance to "score" by delivering the head (and ONLY the head) of a Mexican gigolo who played around with the daughter (Janine Maldonado) of his former employer (Emilio Fernandez), and got her pregnant. Although he is offered $10,000 for the reward for Garcia's noggin by a group of Americans working for Fernandez, the actual bounty is one hundred times that. Since Oates knows from his girlfriend (Isela Vega) that "Big Al" died in a car crash exacerbated by too much Mexican booze, he thinks the retrieval of the head will be easy, fast, and a lucrative "way out". That, however, turns out not to be the case by any means, and it only leads him into a nightmare from which he cannot get out of.Few other films have ever mixed so many different genres into one, and ALFREDO GARCIA mixes in elements of Mexican melodrama; the western; the gangster/crime genre; romantic tragedy; vengeance; black comedy; and even horror. Less violent than his two big masterpieces (THE WILD BUNCH; STRAW DOGS), ALFREDO GARCIA nevertheless still has its trademark Peckinpah approach to violence, though it is done in a deliberately cold-blooded and calculated way. It is furthermore blessed with a fine score by Jerry Fielding that combines traditional and classical Mexican music elements with the more brooding influences that he used for STRAW DOGS.To be sure, even now, ALFREDO GARCIA is not everyone's cup of tea. People are still turned off even today by Peckinpah's approach to violence and sex, and his alleged misogyny (when in fact, he is actually very critical of men who abuse women; it is his brutal, no-holes-barred approach that far too many people, including feminists, misinterpret). But for Peckinpah fans, ALFREDO GARCIA is a must-have film from its placid start to its bitter, bullet-riddled finish, and with very sharp commentary by noted Peckinpah scholars Nick Redmen, Garner Simmons, David Weddle, and Paul Seydor.

heathblair 2013-03-23 20:39:37

Sam's near self-portrait is a masterpiece

This film combines two of Peckinpah's favourite themes: the fragility ofthemale ego and the blood on the hands of The American Way of Life. Even now,lazy journalists accuse this film of being just a blood thirsty gore-fest,while they excuse the immature, throw-away carnage of a John Woo movie(among many others) as a bit of post-modern fun. What is it about a SamPeckinpah movie that scares these critics?Peckinpah had serious things to say about the causes and consequences ofviolence, and in this film it is social deprivation, financial greed, andmale pride that stands accused.As well as containing a moving and tender love story, Bring Me the Head ofAlfredo Garcia is also a remarkable self-portrait of Peckinpah himself. Itis generally accepted that Warren Oates modelled the character of Benny,theburned-out bar pianist, on Peckinpah who was, at the time, slipping slowlyinto a life of sleaze and self-destruction while trying to hang on tosomething decent and noble inside himself.Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is a remarkable film and typical ofthatbrief period in American film history when honest and brave cinema couldstill be bankrolled by a major studio. It also has an exquisite and highlyincisive musical score written by the great Jerry Fielding. His musicprobesand illuminates the delicate inner feelings of the characters and providesanother rich layer to this powerful and compassionate film.

2013-03-23 04:00:51

This film is for those with strong stomachs and open minds

This review is from: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (DVD) This film is about a few topics such as relationships , loyalty and desperation . It is put together in such a way that the viewer is frequently wondering what is going to happen next . Even those familiar with Sam Peckinpah's style will be likely to be shocked by certain scenes and images .Warren Oates gives a great performance that is heartbreaking at times .If you find this film to be a bit over the top , then you are lucky enough to be able to buy the " Peckinpah Western Collection " DVD set , which has just come out . That would be a bit of an antidote to this movie .If you are new to Sam Peckinpah's films , then this would not be the best place to start . I feel it will be a while before I watch it again , though I'm glad to have it in my collection . It seems to be a film that may be enjoyed by those that have been around the block a few times relationship wise - I got that feeling from it . It is a film that would not be made today , I feel safe in saying .Those that really want a departure from the everyday may enjoy it .