{"id":23020,"date":"2021-06-29T21:34:40","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T04:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cinemastance.com\/?p=23020"},"modified":"2021-06-29T21:34:40","modified_gmt":"2021-06-30T04:34:40","slug":"blasts-from-the-past-blu-ray-review-major-dundee-1965","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/?p=23020","title":{"rendered":"Blasts from the Past! Blu-ray Review: MAJOR DUNDEE (1965)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray from Arrow Video is\ncurrently available for purchase.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Few careers in the film business are as wild and storied as\nthat of Sam Peckinpah. He began as a TV writer on shows like Gunsmoke<\/em>\nand The Rifleman<\/em> before venturing out to work directing several film\nclassics. Known for his extremely difficult (and self-destructive) personality,\nthis figure still managed to revolutionize the cinema by focusing on antiheroes\nand presenting a far grittier and bloodier world than had ever been seen to\nthis point in American cinema. His stunning catalog includes titles like Ride\nthe High Country<\/em>, The Wild Bunch<\/em>, Straw Dogs<\/em>, Junior\nBonner<\/em>, The Getaway<\/em>, Pat Garrettt & Billy the Kid<\/em> and Cross\nof Iron<\/em> among many others. Naturally, these features had disturbing themes,\nwhich still push buttons and generate debate among critics to this day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrow Video are now releasing an impressive 2-Disc \u201cLimited Edition\u201d\nBlu-ray of an early picture from the filmmaker\u2019s catalog. Major Dundee<\/em>\nmarked Peckinpah\u2019s first A-list Hollywood production, boasting big studio backing\nand a phenomenal cast. As you might have guessed based on the Peckinpah\u2019s notorious\nreputation, things didn\u2019t go particularly smoothly. The shoot was described as\nchaotic (which would become the norm with most of the filmmaker\u2019s projects),\nthe studio didn\u2019t appreciate the director\u2019s attempts to subvert the traditional\nwestern formula. The producer eventually took Peckinpah\u2019s cut of 155 minutes and\nmade edits, resulting in a shorter version that ran 136 minutes. This act\ncaused great friction between the director and executive. However, the studio\nthen stepped in and stripped the movie down to 123 minutes, ultimately fashioning\na totally different feature out than what had been presented to them. This set\nincludes new 2K scans of the theatrical version and extended producer\u2019s cut of\nthe movie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those unfamiliar with the movie, it is set towards the\nend of the Civil War. Union Cavalry officer Major Dundee (Charlton Heston)\nfinds himself demoted for committing a tactical error during the Battle of\nGettysburg. As punishment, he is sent to take command of a prison in the New Mexico\nTerritory. After Apache war chief Sierra Charriba (Michael Pate) attacks and slaughters\na nearby settlement, Dundee sees it as an opportunity to prove himself and shame\nthe superiors responsible for his job downgrade. He decides to fashion his own military\nunit to catch Charriba and earn some respect. With only a scout (James Coburn)\nand few soldiers working on site due to the Civil War, he forces Confederate prisoner\nCaptain Tyreen (Richard Harris) and his crew to join him. Dundee also takes a\nselection of criminals from the institution, as well as a number of black soldiers\nto assist him. Naturally, the journey is perilous as the team are forced to chase\nCharriba into Mexico, which is occupied by French troops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As you might have guessed, everyone on the team is at odds\nor hates one another, leading to tension and death threats between the various group\nmembers\u2026 that is, when they aren\u2019t busy fighting for their lives with Charriba\u2019s\nmen or French troops. Dundee himself is a self-involved figure whose primary\nmotivation is his own fame. He doesn\u2019t appear to care about the lives of those whom\nhe has recruited. However, things gets more morally and ethically complicated\nas time passes and he spends more time with individuals within the group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a great concept filled with tension and drama. Dundee\nis no hero and several characters are shown in shades of gray. Beyond the lead\u2019s\ndubious motivations and the manner in which he uses his men, the movie even makes\na point of introducing a female love interest (Senta Berger), only to have the protagonist\ncheat on her later in the film. While these actions may put some viewers off, it\ncertainly makes the film and its deeply flawed characters more interesting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Of course, like most Peckinpah flicks the conflicts displayed\nare nastier and messier than in other films of the era. These clashes between\nenemies (and sometimes even compatriots) have an anarchic and turbulent feel,\nwhich again adds to the experience and horror of battle. And while it takes a\nwhile to introduce the numerous supporting characters, many of them do make a\ndistinctive impression, either by appearance of by their quirky nature. The\nmovie even features a priest (R.G. Armstrong) with a murderous streak. And for\nthose who enjoy cinematography, there is plenty of impressive widescreen photography.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, the theatrical cut has many deficiencies. It\nseems that the bloody skirmishes have been cut down significantly and some important\nmoments towards the end with supporting characters appear to be excised. In\nfact, the film loses track of many of the troupe members and doesn\u2019t really\nwrap up their plotlines. But perhaps the biggest crime of the theatrical cut is\nthe score and theme song. The added theme song and lyrics try to the make the main\ncharacter into a hero, when he\u2019s clearly anything but. And it\u2019s clear that edits\nwere made to try and make Dundee more palatable, but all they end up doing is\nshowing even less rationale for his questionable actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thankfully, the extended producer\u2019s cut (which was\ndiscovered in 2004) is much stronger. It has more scenes with the entire cast\nthat help us understand their issues a little better. The action is a bit more\ngraphic as well, helping to further cement the grimier and more realistic feel of\nthe picture. Additionally, the score is far more somber and appropriate given\nthe events being depicted. We may never see Peckinpah\u2019s true vision of the\nfilm, but at least this is a far superior version to what played on cinema\nscreens during the film\u2019s original release. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with seemingly every Arrow Video release, the image quality is great and the movie has certainly been given a fresh coat of paint. It still looks filmic, but there aren\u2019t any blips or dirty frames here like those appearing on previous DVD and VHS copies. The outdoor location photography looks striking and helps visual elements stand out. This includes remarkable tracking shots during the climactic fight in which the camera moves across a river while several of Dundee\u2019s men meet their as they square off against French soldiers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The extras featured on the Blu-rays are incredible. On the\ndisc with the extended cut, there\u2019s an informative visual essay that details\nsome of the common themes that Peckinpah used and would return to in future\nprojects. It also notes the director\u2019s own personal demons and how they\ninfluenced his filmmaking process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We learn more about Peckinpah\u2019s original and currently lost 155-minute\nversion. Apparently, there was important footage removed of the raid that sets\noff the events in film. Peckinpah employed a great deal of slow-motion\nphotography during the gunfights (particularly during the finale) to emphasize\nparticularly brutal moments and the ends of several characters. This would have\nbeen far more powerful to watch had the technique been employed. There is also\nreference to original ending, which was much darker and suggested that the\nsurvivors wouldn\u2019t be relieved of their duties or promoted. Instead, they would\nlikely be going in circles until they did eventually meet their ends. It would\nhave made for a more powerful movie. Amusingly, a letter written by Peckinpah is\nshown in which he insults the producer and studio for ruining his movie.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viewers also learn more personal details about the eccentric\ndirector. According to many who had worked with him, Peckinpah was a functioning\nalcoholic who veered wildly in temperament during his shoots. Interestingly\nenough, the critic narrating for this featurette suggests that Slivovitz was the\nfilmmaker\u2019s drink of choice. <\/strong>In case you aren\u2019t familiar with it, that\u2019s\nsome powerful booze that could peel the paint off of the wall (if you really\nwant to try it, I\u2019d suggest taking a jigger and sloshing a bit into a glass of\npineapple juice \u2013 it might not be as macho a way to ingest it, but you\u2019ll still\nget a buzz and be able to wake up the next morning).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Anyway, getting back on topic, it\u2019s a wonderful extra. There\nare also three film expert commentaries on the extended cut of the movie. The\nfirst features Nick Redman, David Weddle, Garner Simmons and Paul Seydor. They share\ntheir opinions on the movie and Peckinpah\u2019s career. The group have different\ninterpretations and thoughts about individual elements, sometimes disagreeing,\nbut they all respect each other\u2019s opinions and have fascinating things to say.\nIt\u2019s a fun and intriguing listen.The second track features historians Glenn\nErikson & Alan K. Strode, while the third commentary with Erikson on his\nown is more of an informational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also highly recommend the feature-length documentary included\non the disc. It\u2019s called Passion & Poetry: The Dundee Odyssey<\/em> by Mike\nSiegel. The moviemaker assembles interviews from various cast members including\nJames Coburn, Senta Berger, Mario Adorf, L.Q. Jones, R.G. Armstrong and Gordon\nDawson. They all share specific memories about the crazy production and memorable\nexperiences working with Peckinpah. Some liked him more than others and some memories\nabout specific events differ, but if even half of it is true, there are some\nwild revelations. In a second bonus feature, Siegel presents interview footage\nof nine actors who share personal stories about the director. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And there is also a featurette with Siegel himself that details\nhis own story. It seems that this film enthusiast become a Peckinpah fan from\nan early age, collecting as much press and publicity material as he could\nduring his early years. In the early 2000s, he set out to conduct video\ninterviews with everyone who had ever collaborated with the filmmaker. He now has\na treasure trove of some 40 plus hours of footage with many participants who\nare now deceased. Siegel has become an authority on Peckinpah and has created\nvarious documentaries on the figure and his films. Remarkably enough, he has\nmany more hours of tape that has yet to see the light of day. This is because studios\nthat own rights to some of the movies still haven\u2019t released some of his films\non Blu-ray. Naturally, all kinds of publicity materials are also available on the\ndisc to view, which likely came from Siegel himself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the theatrical edition, extras include a vintage behind-the-scenes featurettes on the flick, as well as extended\/deleted scenes and outtakes. Most importantly, there are more clips with commentary from Erikson about how these cut moments would have been used in Peckinpah\u2019s original cut. And if that wasn\u2019t enough, there\u2019s a poster featuring the Blu-ray cover art and gorgeous color book with more images and essays on the film and its importance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is a phenomenal release that boasts great picture quality\nand two very different versions of a movie to compare and contrast. It also\ncomes with a wealth of bonus materials that will inform any viewer and help\nthem learn not only about the production itself, but the wild figure who brought\nit all to life. Not everyone out there appreciates the work of Sam Peckinpah,\nbut he is truly a unique individual who followed the beat of his own drummer\nand made movies that aren\u2019t easily forgotten. Major Dundee<\/em> is a great\nBlu-ray for anyone who enjoys the filmmaker\u2019s work or westerns in general.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This \u201cLimited Edition\u201d Blu-ray from Arrow Video is currently available for purchase. Few careers in the film business are as wild and storied as that of Sam Peckinpah. He began as a TV writer on shows like Gunsmoke and The Rifleman before venturing out to work directing several film classics. Known for his extremely difficult […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":23021,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[95,697,1832,1836,2928,3073,4155,4453,10218,12947,12948,12949,13820,16993,17562,17940,24114],"class_list":["post-23020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dvdblu-ray-reviews","tag-95","tag-action","tag-arrow","tag-arrow-video","tag-blasts-from-the-past-blu-ray-review","tag-blu-ray-review","tag-charlton-heston","tag-civil-war","tag-james-coburn","tag-major-dundee","tag-major-dundee-blu-ray-review","tag-major-dundee-review","tag-michael-pate","tag-richard-harris","tag-sam-peckinpah","tag-seneta-berger","tag-western"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23020"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23020\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cinemastance.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}