A Whole Lotta Rapin' and a Killin' -- and Gene Hackman and Candice Bergen Get Humiliated

When Gene Hackman made "The French Connection" in 1971, I don't think he had any idea that the role of Popeye Doyle would get him a Best Actor nomination, let alone the win(deserved) that he did get.

Hackman -- a man from poor beginnings -- was hungrily taking all sort of character work in the wake of his launch with "Bonnie and Clyde." Sometimes it was good(he was also Oscar nommed for i Never Sang for My Father) but sometimes it was...formula all the way.

In 1971, for instance, even as The French Connection made big box office and classic reviews, Hackman was filming an action potboiler for 1972 release called "Prime Cut" opposite Lee Marvin(he's a good ol' boy Kansas farmlands Mafia man) and Hackman released "The Hunting Party."

THAT one should have gotten his Oscar revoked.

Hackman is playing a rich, insecure, possibly sexually impotent man who gets off on hurting his wife (Candice Bergen) during sex(perhaps to cure his impotence) and doing even worse to an Asian hooker with whom he is supplied.

Having first been established as a sexual sadist, Hackman then becomes a "sadist sadist" in his unstoppable mission of murder against outlaw Oliver Reed and his gang of men for kidnapping Candice Bergen. The Hunting Party becomes a tale of a rich man (and his "posse" of rich but reluctant friends) bloodily shooting down Reed's gang one by one over a couple of days, using high powered long distance rifles.

Its just an awful role for Hackman, and he enacts awful things, clearly for the paycheck but -- because he's a good actor -- acting so well it only makes his character WORSE.

Meanwhile -- Miss Bergen. Long before she was funny and, frankly , matronly on Murphy Brown and Boston Legal, Canice Bergen was a young, rather virginal looking blonde hottie, and in this movie, she spends her time (1) getting raped and hating it(by Hackman), (2) getting raped and liking it (by outlaw Reed) and (3) fending off other rapists(in Reed's gang), and killing one of them.

The impression given -- and perhaps it is a realistic one, I don't know -- is that a pretty woman in the wild, wild west would basically become continual prey for all men to sexually stalk at all times. She could only hope for a loving husband(and Bergen didn't get one) or humane captors(nope, not even "lover" Reed pays her much respect.)

Oh, well...it was 1971. The things Gene Hackman and Candice Bergen would do to make a buck. The makers of The Hunting Party probably THOUGHT they were making a movie in the Pecknpah/Leone tradition, but they were really just making sadomasochis, and taking big advantage of the R rating.

Hackman and Bergen made two more movies together in the 70's -- the Western Bite the Bullet and the thriller The Domino Principle. I wonder if they ever talked about The Hunting Party. Probably only when they were drunk.

PS. At least Bergen took these types of roles with a grain of humor in the 70's. Also getting raped in Soldier Blue, Bergen told the press that she had "perfected my orgasm look" and could demonstrate it during the interview.