I don't think this movie could be made in the same way today.  The animal activists would absolutely lose because of  3 scenes.  The first being the opening montage scene where the children are tormenting the scorpions by not allowing them to escape from the ravaging ants, and then lighting fire to the whole "battle dome" ("2 men enter, 1 man leaves!") charring everything inside.   The second is when Pike's band of outlaws are traveling through the desert on horseback and then tumble down the side of a gigantic sand dune.  That must have hurt the horses.  Finally, the third scene is when the outlaws are making their get away with the guns across the bridge.  They blow the bridge, causing their pursuers to plummet, horse and all, about 50 feet into the river below.  That had to hurt the horses.  Where was PITA 34 years ago?

  I watched the Wild Bunch for the first time back in the early 90's, about 10 years ago.  This was during my Tarantino phase, where I needed to see great movies about talking villains (who are really the heroes of the movie) and copious amounts of violence.  I thoroughly enjoyed it back then, but was absolutely thrilled re-watching it this week.  I believe in the Roger Ebert philosophy that good movies are those that have at least 3 great scenes with no bad scenes.  As this combination of good to bad scenes becomes balanced, or the bad scenes out number the good scenes, the movie drops in both quality and public popularity.  The Wild Bunch definitely delivers 3 great scenes, and arguably does not have a bad scene throughout.

  There is not a review out there for the Wild Bunch that does not talk about the opening scene.  Why?  Because it is just so damn awesome.  The juxtaposition between the children tormenting the scorpions and the robbery gone wrong are so symbolically similar that you have to love it.  The sheer violence for 1969, at the beginning of the movie threw audiences for a loop.  No wonder Quentin Tarantino was dubbed "The 90's Peckinpah".  So well filmed, acted and edited you almost have to be dead to not have a reaction to the power of this scene.

  The way the whole train robbery plays out is genius.  From the get go, when Holden's Pike tells General Mapache's strategists that they need "special equipment" for the job, we know the train scene is going to be good. Peckinpah uses a combination of action, humor, great camera work and fantastic editing  to create The Wild Bunch's stunning middle act.  As this scene plays out, from the hold up to the  delivery of the guns to Mapache, I was on the edge of my chair even though I knew what happens.  I think every action director needs to watch at least this 30 minutes of film before they are even allowed behind a camera.

  Obviously, the final great scene is the final fire fight at Mapache's stronghold.  As the four remaining outlaws walk down the street, their guns over their shoulder, I got chills running down my back.  I was reminded of the movie Tombstone, which obviously modeled its Earps walk to the O.K corral after this scene.  The way the scene unfolds is perfect.  The "surprise" of Angel's death, Pike's reaction, then the General's men's reactions, and finally the chaos that ensues is beauty.  Not too many movies come to mind that have such a strong climax, not to mention one of the greatest machine gun scenes of all time!

  The Wild Bunch is by far my favorite of the movies we have watched so far.  There is not a single criticism that I can come up with for this movie.  I know some people think that some of the scenes in Mexico drag (my soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend for one), but I don't.  The acting was fantastic.  William Holden is the perfect choice as the gruff Pike, leader of the Wild Bunch, the brains and the one who doesn't take crap from anyone.  As the movie progresses, we see his corrupted morality become increasingly positive, until the point where it leads to his death.  Take a look at the way Holden is dressed in the final fight scene, does anybody else think that Harrison Ford's Han Solo was modeled after Pike? 
  Ernest Borgnine plays Pike's second in command, Dutch, to a T.  A tough yes man who also uses his brain.  His defining scene comes at the point where Angel is discovered to have stolen a box of guns.  Watch Borgnine's expression as he leaves him to death.  Absolutely chilling!  My two favorite characters however are Robert Ryan's Thorton and Strother Martin's Coffer.  Thorton's character shows the most development, I think, through the film.  We see how torn he is between his previous life and now his current one.  How he sticks to his word, but is infuriated by the incompetence of his team.  His final scene is the perfect note to end on, a great payoff if you will.  There is nothing else he could  do but laugh. I guess this movie could have been called "The Wild Laughing Bunch", but that doesn't have the same ring to it.  Finally, I don't think I have ever seen a film with Strother Martin in it that I didn't like.   Cool Hand Luke, Slapshot, and even his brief appearance as the driver in Kiss Me Deadly are strong movies.  He adds the right note of humor to The Wild Bunch .

  I have to give this film an A++.  Brilliant, Perfection, Amazing--I can not say anything better than that.  The Wild Bunch is by far one of the best films I have ever viewed.