Sam Peckinpah's Eulogy for the West: PAT GARRETT & BILLY THE KID

Having more or less revolutionized the western, and indeed action films in general, with 1969's The Wild Bunch, director Sam Peckinpah would tackle the genre several more times.  While his work was frequently marked by controversy, Peckinpah's Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid would be among the most discussed titles among his credits.  Essentially redesigned by the studio to cash in on the film's more marketable aspects, i.e. the violence and Western action and its star power, this film would be available in incomplete and generally inferior versions for years.  Behold, western fans, the film is now available in a superior DVD version that includes two complete versions of the film.

This 1973 film portrays the story of the famous outlaw and his nemesis, a one-time friend turned lawman who is hot on his trail across the American Southwest.  The story is really nothing new; the expected tension as Pat Garrett tosses reason aside and dedicates himself solely to the pursuit of the Kid.  Just about anyone could determine the climax, even without knowing the details of the historic events the film is based on, but the way in which Peckinpah depicts the story is really what makes this film remarkable, in my opinion one of his absolute best film.

Acting wise, PG&BtK features some great performances.  While not perhaps the expected choice, Kris Kristofferson is mesmerizing as the Kid.  Some fifteen years too old to be the authentic age of the character, Kristofferson nonetheless captures much of the reckless youthful energy of the Kid, and manages to make him a charismatic and likable figure. This performance is perfectly placed alongside the sure-handed portrayal of Pat Garrett by James Coburn, who brings a relentless aspect to Garrett that depicts him as a sort of angel of death with only one purpose in life.  In spite of this, Coburn's performance frequently focuses on his own indecision about his choice to pursue the Kid, whom he considers to be his friend. 

In smaller roles, the film is just about a "whos who" of Western character actors, including Slim Pickens, Jack Elam, Richard Jaeckel, Chill Wills, Jason Robards, Harry Dean Stanton, and R.G. Armstrong in smaller roles.  Also, this marked the feature film acting debut of Bob Dylan, who makes a strong impression as Alias, one of the Kid's gang.  Truly, the acting here makes this film all the more enjoyable.

To a large degree, it's the morals of the characters that makes this film more interesting than most.  While many directors would choose to focus on the action of the story (particularly a director as skilled as depicted action as Peckinpah was), this film instead frequently slows down to examine its characters, and the film becomes more than just a typical western.  The script by Rudolph Wurlitzer is pitch perfect at providing character detail and insight without truly sacrificing genre conventions; there's plenty of action in this film, including several standout scenes.  That the film satisfies both on a purely visceral as well as intellectual level testifies to the talents of Wurlitzer in creating the scenarios and Peckinpah in visualizing and combining them effectively. 

Peckinpah's film could be described as a sort of eulogy to the west and the western film.  Death is nearly constant in this film, and to a large extent, details the old traditions and figures of the west moving aside in the wake of the new age during which the film takes place (1881).  By this time, the "wild west" was a thing of the past, and this film serves as a perfect epitaph.  Nearly everyone of the stereotypical western characters, i.e. the sheriffs, outlaws, and deputies, meet untimely ends, shuffled aside in the wake of betrayal that signified the end of the "old days."

As with many Peckinpah films, the action scenes are hallmarks of this work, and the action, while perhaps not as purely brutal as that in, say, The Wild Bunch, is frequently heavily stylized and bloody.  This is especially evident in a scene where Billy escapes from a jail, eventually shooting a sheriff (in slow motion) with a shotgun that has been filled with dimes, and in a scene where Billy guns down a group of horse-backed desperadoes on the frontier.  This scene is also to a large part filmed in slow-motion and becomes a sort of ballet of violence. 

Along with the purely violent scenes, PG&BtK contains a number of strikingly beautiful scenes involving dead and dying characters.  One particularly memorable scene is the famous scene in which small-town sheriff Baker, played by the inimitable Slim Pickens, is gunned down and walks towards the sunset fully aware that he's dying.  The scene, which plays out with Bob Dylan's "Knockin on Heaven's Door" in the background, is truly tragic; it damn near makes me weep every time I watch this movie and is probably one of my favorite scenes in all of cinema. It's magical setups like this that truly mark this film among Peckinpah's best.

Though the film's soundtrack is primarily noted for the aforementioned song, Bob Dylan's music in this film is spectacular at developing certain moods and creates a superb sonic backdrop for the visuals.  Virtually all of the songs here are catchy and memorable; it's almost a shame that "Knockin" became a big hit as to deny the rest of the music its fair share of the glory.  Truly, Dylan's music adds greatly to the film's impact and is among the best and most effective soundtrack work I've ever come across.

In spite of all the quality elements to be found in this film, I have to say that there are plenty of moments that just don't seem to mesh.  Peckinpah's director's cut still seems to accentuate moments that grind the film to a standstill, such as a bizarre scene in the late stages of the picture that finds Billy stumbling upon his friend Paco being assaulted in the middle of the prairie by some hired thugs.  The scene really adds nothing to the film or the character development, and honestly, ends preposterously and works to the film's detriment by making Billy seem foolish and uncaring.  It's scenes like this that undermine the overall work Peckinpah has created here, although I must say that I tend to overlook these blunders in light of the supreme quality of much of the remainder of the film;  in the case of Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, the ends justify the means, and I have to believe that this is among my favorite westerns.

The 2006 DVD release of this film is a true reason for celebration.  Included in the package is both the 2005 special edition, a 115 minute version assembled according to notes compiled by the director, and a 122 minutes 1988 preview version.  Both versions are worth watching, containing obviously, similar or, in many cases, the same footage, but are put together differently and often with a different feel.  Each independent version has its own commentary track featuring various biographers and/or devotees of Peckinpah's work.  These commentaries do a fine job of explaining the situations surrounding the different versions of the film.  The set also includes two featurettes: "Deconstructing Pat and Billy" about the making of the film and the differences between various versions, and "One Foot in the Groove" a sort of conversation with Kris Kristofferson and Donnie Fritts.  In this segment, the two discuss their early careers as musicians, how they got involved with acting and this film specifically, and the nature of working with Peckinpah.  All the extra features on this disc should be of interest to fans of the film.

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid is rated R for violence, some language and nudity.  While the violence is graphic at times, it's probably not as horrific as other Peckinpah ventures, and the nudity and sex is fairly brief generally.  I would say this film would be appropriate for older teens.

Overall, Sam Peckinpah's film is one of the best westerns ever produced.  The entire mood of this film is pretty unique; it's filled with memorable passages, vivid characters, a fantastic soundtrack and a great atmosphere.  Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid is a highly stylized work that really deserves to be seen by anyone who appreciates the western.  I would give this my highest recommendation; while it may not be the greatest western of all time from a technical standpoint, it certainly is one of my personal favorites.