Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid

The most melancholic and poetic film in Peckinpah’s career – a moving ode to the vanishing Wild West and its mythical heroes. The director of The Wild Bunch doesn’t aim for the flashiness of George Roy Hill’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. There are no two charming rogues here, only two bitter, resigned friends standing on opposite sides of the law – Sheriff Pat Garrett (the magnificent James Coburn) and the gunslinger Billy the Kid (a breakthrough role for Kris Kristofferson). Pat gives Billy an ultimatum and a chance to escape, but Billy knows it’s only a matter of time before he’s knocking on heaven’s door – just as the iconic Bob Dylan song so beautifully puts it. Dylan not only composed the legendary soundtrack but also appears on screen in a significant supporting role.

Peckinpah’s elegiac, existential drama is a brilliant parable about fate, destiny, and loyalty. The greatest anti-western of the 1970s was butchered by producers upon release, only to be restored years later to a fuller version, eventually becoming a cult classic.

Marcin Pieńkowski

Sam Peckinpah (1925–1984) was an American director and screenwriter known for his revolutionary approach to violence in cinema. His career gained momentum in the 1960s, as evidenced by films such as Ride the High Country (1962) and The Wild Bunch (1969). Peckinpah earned critical acclaim for his realistic depiction of violence and complex character portrayals, although his work often sparked controversy.

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