Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)

[Groggy]

New book by Paul Seydor on the making of this film:

http://www.amazon.com/Authentic-Death-Contentious-Afterlife-Garrett/dp/0810130564

[Novecento]

It's definitely worth reading.

We've had a little discussion over at the sampeckinpah.com forum about it - even received a couple of posts from Seydor himself there.

[Spikeopath]

Adding.

Ol' Pat... Sheriff Pat Garrett. Sold out to the Santa Fe ring. How does it feel?

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid is directed by Sam Peckinpah and written by Rudy Wurlitzer. It stars James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, Slim Pickens, Katy Jurado, Chill Wills and Barry Sullivan. Music is scored by Bob Dylan and cinematography by John Coquillon.

One time they were friends, cohorts in crime, but now Pat Garrett is the law and his objective is to bring down Billy the Kid.

It seems to be an absolute when writing about a Sam Peckinpah film that it was plagued by studio interference. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid is no exception, the back story to which tells of behind the scenes clashes, bizarre cuts and a disownment of the film by cast and crew. Thankfully through the advent of time and technological advancements, it's one of the Peckinpah movies that can now be seen in a true light. A good job, too, since it's one of Bloody Sam's finest movies. My personal preference is for the TCM Preview version, and that is what is reviewed here.

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid finds Peckinpah at his lyrical and elegiacal best, the old west is dying and as it is told through the eyes of aging Pat Garrett (Coburn), it's meticulously played out via an unhurried narrative structure. Time is afforded the key players, helping the story unfold its bitter take on the frontier changes as greed begets violence, Peckinpah wryly observing that the newly appeared good guys are no better than the bad guys, hence The Kid's (Kristofferson) reputation as a dandy likable outlaw becomes assured in spite of his less than honourable traits as a human being, but he at least is honourable to his codes.

Film contains many memorable scenes, scenes fit to grace any Western. A shoot-out and aftermath involving Pickens and Jurado has poignancy in abundance, Dylan's Knockin' On Heaven's Door tenderly filtered over the top of it. A duel featuring Jack Elam is another that resonates highly, great character moments are plentiful, performed by a roll call of Western movie legends, Peckinpah knew how to pick a cast and then some. Moments of violence are dotted throughout, Bloody Sam's trademark, as is cross-cuts, sepia tones and slow-mo. The great director even makes a Christ allegory not come off as cheap, and a self loathing mirror sequence strikes a significant chord.

This is a film big on characterisations, it's not just a film of visual touches, be it the dual psychological conflict between Pat and Billy, or the ream of peripheral players, everything they do is detailed and designed to capture the period and atmosphere of the changing times, the environment that folk inhabit, on either side of the law, is a big issue. No frame is wasted, MGM and their head honcho James Aubrey in their ignorance failed to see this fact. While the cast turn in damn fine work and Coquillon's burnished photography is striking and perfect for the director's vision.

It's undeniably downbeat, and the slow pace isn't to everyone's liking, but this is up with the other Peckinpah Western greats, The Wild Bunch and Ride the High Country. A truly great Western crafted by a truly great director. 9/10

[stanton]

Easily a 10 in the 2006 cut. If not an 11 ...

[moorman]

This film has special meaning for me.  Paulita Maxwell ( Billy the Kid's friend and some say girlfriend) and Peter Maxwell are distant cousins of mine thru their grandfather on their mother's side.   It was at Peter's home that Billy the Kid was shot.   Paulita later married Jose Jamirillo ( who also came from a powerful family) and had a son named Telesfor that is rumored to really be Billy's son but that has been denied by Paulita.  She also denied that she dated Billy but either way its a fact that she knew him personally and that Peter and Billy were close friends and Peter actually hired members of Billy's gang, the Regulators, to work on his farm. That whole area featured towns that were built on land owned by my distant cousin.  ( Fort Sumner, Cimarron, Rayado, etc.)

Paulita and Jose:





Peter Maxwell ( in the middle ):




Peter's Ranch:

[cigar joe]

very cool.

[uncknown]

I remember watching. ' director cut'. Probably in the 90s.
I was appalled that this version did NOT contain the Dylan song. It's one of his greatest recordings and makes the film.

So. How many.versions are available on DVD or TCM?
What is the best version - one with the song in it?
Bruce

[uncknown]

Jim Aubrey is Satan incarnate.

[cigar joe]

I remember watching. ' director cut'. Probably in the 90s.
I was appalled that this version did NOT contain the Dylan song. It's one of his greatest recordings and makes the film.

So. How many.versions are available on DVD or TCM?
What is the best version - one with the song in it?
Bruce

Mike is the authority on Peckinpah's films, he'll be able to tell you.

[stanton]

I remember watching. ' director cut'. Probably in the 90s.
I was appalled that this version did NOT contain the Dylan song.

Me too.

The DVD contains a new version, which is a compromise between the theatrical version (which works in its own way very well) and the Preview version (which is not really a DC). This version, which was supervised in parts by Peckinpah expert Paul Seydor, runs 115 min and features Knockin' on Heaven's Door with the lyrics. The double DVD also features the preview version, which runs about 122 min.

For me this is the best version so far, and can only be topped by the Stanton cut, but others might easily disagree.

[uncknown]

Ordered from my local library.
Thanks!

[Novecento]

... but others might easily disagree.

Going by the many previous discussions on this matter on this forum and others I think "most" might easily disagree 

I'm largely ambivalent about the music having lyrics or not, but would probably go with having them in the end. Peckinpah clearly vacillated.

[stanton]

Going by the many previous discussions on this matter on this forum and others I think "most" might easily disagree 

Yeah, probably ...

... but wait for the Stanton cut!

[mike siegel]

Yeah, I made my own cut... (The 2005 cut was almost the one to go for, unfortunately
they made some terrible mistakes.). I don't think a lot about that film, it is all too sad:
the 2005 HD version was screened at the Berlin festival back then, yet it was never released
on Blu-ray... Warners just don't care. I could make a fine feature-length doc using
all the interviews I filmed + some nice ones from the film's set etc. etc.
I rather forget about it .

[stanton]

Yeah, I made my own cut...

Tell us more ...

I have a lot of ideas what a perfect version should look like. I even think that some of the shoot-outs (especially the turkey chase shoot-out) should be cut differently, like such scenes are always cut in Peckinpah films.