Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)

The puzzle here is why this flawless film gets such a low rating, and has half a dozen pathetic and negative reviews. It is not even slightly boring, but intensely gripping throughout. It is not badly paced, but follows a perfectly judged narrative trajectory. It is beautifully written by its joint authors, superbly performed without exception by the entire cast, and directed by a genius. I don't think I've seen acting with such conviction. We can identify with Bennie. The fact is, we are all losers. We don't know why we are here, and whatever happens, our friends will die, and we will end up dead ourselves. On the other hand, nobody loses all the time. This is Shakespearean, up there with Titus and Lear, a mind-expanding vision and a revelation. In the end, the dollars are worthless, it's the struggle, and the fighting spirit, which have value. I have watched it many times, and it never disappoints.

The teenage daughter of a wealthy Mexican known as El Jefe is knocked up by Alfredo Garcia. El Jefe wants Garcia dead and places a $1,000,000 bounty on his head. Dive bar piano player Bennie (Warren Oates) wants to collect on the bounty. Luckily for Bennie, his hooker girlfriend Elita (Isela Vega) knows where Alfredo's buried. So Bennie gets Elita to take him to Alfredo's grave, where he intends to cut off the corpse's head and take it to El Jefe. But things go horribly wrong along the way.One of Sam Peckinpah's more controversial movies. Most people seem to either love it or hate it. I'm kind of in the middle. The first 3/4 of it is slow-going and you might find yourself checking your watch. When it finally picks up the pace it is undeniably interesting and hard to turn away from. It's Peckinpah so expect violence and nastiness with unsavory, dislikable characters and a somewhat nihilistic tone to it all. Excessive use of slow-mo in action scenes is also a bit much. It almost seems like the man is parodying himself. Peckinpah devotees will like it most.

A fine Sam Peckinpah film. Ever since I saw "The Getaway", with Steve McQueen, Warren Oates, (1928-82), does a spectacular job playing Bennie, a former Army soldier, now bar piano player who is given the opportunity to bring a man named Alfredo Garcia. This man has been known for being the ultimate playboy known. He gets his boss's daughter pregnant. He would later fall for Elita (Isela Vega), the local prostitute, and later, Bennie's girlfriend. Wanted by the boss know as El Jefe, others wanted him too. For less. Bennie is willing to go find his as well. The bad news is, he's dead. He lost his life in a drunk driving accident. The only proof there is getting his head. So Bennie and Elita go all the to the church, and grab his head. But, it doesn't go smoothly. Bennie gets attacked, and Elita loses her life. Now it's an all out war. The guys in the green car, the Garcia family, the hired hand, and the boss. And Bennie who is armed only with a .45 auto, can really come out on top. Bloodshed after bloodshed, no wonder the price was so high. This mission to Bennie was proved to be very worthless. He didn't really care about the family, but he did have a future with Elita. And the daughter wanted revenge on her father for torturing her earlier. It's another Peckinpah great that really got firepower to it. 3 out of 5 stars

Sam Peckinpah masterfully directs this tale of a road trip taken by a bartender and his prostitute girl friend to bring the head of Alfredo Garcia to a wealthy landlord whose daughter was impregnated by Garcia. There is the trademark violence, the bodies slowly falling to the ground, the mandatory topless females, all which are hallmark of every Peckinpah movie. The direction and the acting by Oates as the bartender are the highlights of the movie. The movie could have been dull and boring in the hands of a lesser director. Here, Peckinpah brings in all his raw energy and the action scenes which electrify you and leave you spellbound. This is my fifth Peckinpah movie after Straw Dogs, Cross of Iron, The Getaway and The Wild Bunch and I have always been amazed by the vision of Peckinpah. he was born 30 years early. Tarantino's movies are the closest homage to him. 4 out of 5 for this. Recommended for the lovers of intense and gripping cinema.