Pat Garrett jagt Billy the Kid

This is a weird, somewhat sad and gritty western. It definitely lacks the romantic traits of most westerns, which are just full of heroic Indian warriors and plains crawling with buffalo, and you also won't find a classic good guy and bad guy, nothing is black and white. At the same time, however, there is no sparing of dead bodies, which is typical of Sam Peckinpah's films, he was never afraid to push the envelope, and in his films he kills with a passion (see The Wild Bunch). The sad mood is completed by the music of Bob Dylan, who also plays one of the main roles. (04.01.2003)

A slightly different kind of western by Sam Peckinpah. About friendship, with a soundtrack of songs by Bob Dylan. The role of a lifetime for Kris Kristofferson, one of James Coburn's best, and a great acting opportunity for Dylan. It is a slow-flowing contemplation set in a classic western reality. As I said at the beginning - a slightly different kind of western. (13.07.2007)

An atypical western distinguished by a nostalgic mood, enhanced by excellent music and color filters tuned to sandy hues. While the film breaks certain myths and genre conventions, it creates others in turn. Primarily, it constructs the romantic myth of outlaws as followers and protectors of freedom. They were, pardon the expression, rather ordinary thugs and thieves, who, as the film rightly points out, often, under the pressure of civilization and pragmatism, became guardians of justice, sheriffs, and their deputies. Former comrades from criminal gangs often found themselves pitted against each other. Essentially, Sam Peckinpah idealizes the old Wild West and sees the advancing civilization as the decay of old positive values. However, that civilization brought with it the rule of law and social certainties. Beyond that, those old gunslingers didn't have as good aim as Peckinpah's films might suggest. Overall impression: 75%. It's nonetheless a decently acted and directed western where style is elevated above substance. (10.04.2009)

Der Film hat sich bei mir eine absolute Bewertung unter anderem dadurch verdient, dass ich ihn Gott sei Dank und dank des Pilsener Filmclubs im Kino gesehen habe! Peckinpahs Opus über zwei Jungs, die einfach so sind, wie sie sind, und niemand kann etwas dagegen tun, ist ein Juwel des Western-Films. Ich liebe den Soundtrack von Dylan (und damit meine ich nicht nur, dass Knockin´on heavens door gespielt wird). (16.10.2007)

This western has an incredible atmosphere of impending doom. Someone has to die. At the beginning, we know who is going to die, but as we go back in time, we realize that what we saw at the beginning has a deeper meaning than we originally thought. The destruction of a person is quite realistic here, but the ending is not so bloody, but rather emotional. And to top it off, there is Dylan's beautiful music and his acting skills. (29.09.2015)