The title of the post should say it all. It's too bad that he got typecast into directing bloody action films. He was more than an action director, even in those action films. What a shame. Love the movie. And the Princess and Whiskey Row.
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No, man, Junior Bonner is dull and completely forgettable.
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What nonsense. As the thread leader says Peckinpah at his finest. His dullest film in my opinion is The Wild Bunch which looks pretty much like a TV movie with slow motion theatrical blood spurts. Junior Bonner and Pat Garret and Billy the Kid are far more accomplished films that convey the directors obvious grieving for a lost world and friendships and anyone with a soul and half a a brain couldn't miss this.
shareThis was Peckinpah's second greatest movie, topped only by "The Wild Bunch" which may well be one of the greatest movies of all time, and certainly the greatest western. Even his action movies are movies about character and careful attention to the "back story." And you're right, Prescott is one of the stars of the film, but the bar is named The Palace.
shareGreat cast, great director but way too much… well, rodeo and not enough story! The Getaway,Straw Dogs,Alfredo Garcia,Cable Hogue, Ride the High Country, Billy,and Major Dundee, all vastly superior. Wild Bunch goes without saying. Not even close to McQueen’s best.Still worth watching.
shareI've always enjoyed the movie, but now I love it.
Wonderful editing over the opening credits which still manages to tell the story, the John Ford-esque attention to "ceremony", with the use of the Star Spangled Banner, later employed for a comic relief punchline in the bar room brawl, the relationship JR has with both Ida Lupino and Robert Preston--both of whom are magnificent here--and even old Joe Don Baker, who provides more evidence that he is a fine performer. There's also the "Death of the Old West" theme and old America that's a recurring theme in Peckinpah's films. JUNIOR BONNER is a great character study with a cast that's relaxed and at ease with the material, and a director who, if only briefly, seemed happy.
Consilio et prudentia
"the John Ford-esque attention to 'ceremony' "
What a wonderful point. I've never put that together, but you are spot on.
I dunno ...
I can name three, no four films superior to "Junior Bonner" :
"The Wild Bunch"
"The Ballad of Cable Hogue"
"Straw Dogs"
and possibly Peckinpah's true masterpiece :
"Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia"
Not that I didn't like "Junior Bonner", but it had the feel of a TV movie, overly edited and with possibly the fakest looking punches I've ever seen in a film, some parts are amazing and cut straight to your hearts, but some others, like the fight in the bar are very laughable, maybe it was intended to look that way (you can even see some extras laughing or looking awkward) but for me, it almost ruined the enjoyment of an overall decent movie.
Had the content been 'deeper' especially in the whole family relationships, the film could have garnered more attention and I'm pretty sure Ida Lupino's performance would've earned an oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
"Darth Vader is scary and I The Godfather"
Agree with OP. Junior Bonner is one of Peckinpah's best. In order:
The Wild Bunch
Junior Bonner
Ride The High Country
Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia
Straw Dogs
Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid
The Ballad of Cable Hogue
Cross of Iron
Convoy
The Getaway
The Killer Elite
Osterman Weekend
Haven't seen Major Dundee or The Deadly Companions