Sorry, this movie sucks

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Brilliant and touching

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I first saw "Hunting Party" (1971) at the base theater during my Air Force days. Films on base typically ran for only one day (three shows) and this was one of a handful that drew capacity crowds to the second and third shows due to "word of mouth" praise by those who attended the first screening.If you liked Monte Hellman's "The Shooting" (1966) you will love this film as it appears to have served as the inspiration. It would in turn provide much of the inspiration the next year for "Chato's Land". All three films have the same tone and they share a lot of philosophical elements.At the time of my first viewing I found the film extremely troubling as it aggressively broke many conventions of the western genre and introduced an almost unparalleled level of moral ambiguity; going well beyond "Bonnie & Clyde" and "The Wild Bunch". I dwelled on the film's themes endlessly after that viewing and I caution all potential viewers that they may find it deeply disturbing. Nevertheless it is an important film that blazes a lot of new territory, putting it on a very short list of "must see" features.What with all the graphic violence it works surprisingly well as a love story. Because Candice Bergen went far deeper than her standard sterile heroine her improbable romance with Oliver Reed's character required little suspension of disbelief.For me the two most memorable scenes are the ambush at the water hole and the sharing of the jar of peaches, scenes of incredible contrast which occur midway through the film. The acting for the camera direction of the peaches scene is extraordinary, with the unbridled joy of the threesome believably reinforcing earlier clues that many of the outlaws are simply people who have had to subordinate their basic goodness in order to survive in this environment."Hunting Party" included several allegorical elements ranging from fundamental commentary on the "Human Condition" to contemporary issues like the Viet Nam war. Brandt Ruger (Gene Hackman) describes his tactics as "hit and run", early 1970's audiences could not help but relate this to the Viet Cong. Ruger's ultimately self-destructive quest to recover his manhood reflected the country's inability to "cut & run" when it became clear that our intervention in Viet Nam was an exercise in futility.The most interesting element is the way the film juxtapositions "taming of the west" elements with "Heart of Darkness" inspired descents into savagery. Thus evolving contrasts with devolving, with learning to read a civilizing element for the outlaw group and primitive rage the motivator for the civilized group.Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

I literally fell in love with this western in the late seventies. A true masterpiece for me. Such a shame that this kind of topic doesn't exist anymore. But maybe that's actually the reason why this very same kind of films remains so good to taste, because of its rarity. I think of MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING when I watch it again and again. Same scheme, well almost: the tale of an abducted wife who finally prefers to be with her abductor instead of her husband. As another user said, we can see here a sort of metaphor about the US interventionism in Vietnam, as I already told about THE PROFESSIONALS, starring Burt Lancaster. Gene Hackman gives here an outstanding performance who is not so far from the one he will give us in 92, for UNFORGIVEN. A seemingly good abiding citizen, at first sight, but who suddenly appears to be different. What could I say more about it?I prefer watch it another time, probably the 675th one !!!

Oliver Reed is an outlaw, Frank Calder, and along with his rugged brood, swipes a cattle baron's wife, and lives to regret it. The cattle baron is Brandt Ruger(Gene Hackman), his wife, Melissa(..the lovely Candice Bergen). So Ruger assembles a group of his friends as a hunting party to seek after Frank and his outlaws, not knowing until much later that Melissa has become quite attached and affectionate towards her kidnapper. This indeed drives Ruger over the edge and there'll be hell to pay before he's through.I'll be honest, the stale plot isn't earth-shattering, and even though the movie results in a bleak, uncompromising, and tragic manner, it's pretty predictable. But, if you want your fix of bloody violence with plenty of people blown away by long range rifles(..mostly by Hackman, who's a crack shot), then "The Hunting Party" might just be what the doctor ordered. It has plenty of familiar faces. LQ Jones a sleazy scoundrel who, while in a drunken high, attempts to rape Bergen, getting his medicine(..what she doesn't complete, Hackman sure as hell does), with Mitchel Ryan as Reed's compadre, Doc, who is gut shot, but lives on the brink of death for damn near an hour as the group move from territory to territory seeking a town physician to pull the bullet buried inside him.The major problem with this western is that you kind of have no one to really side with. Hackman, understandably so, becomes so bloodthirsty, that he alienates those who accompany him on the quest to find Reed. We don't really spend a great deal of time with him, either, so we have little real time to get to know him all that well. He very well could be a disaster of a husband which might explain why Bergman responds so passionately eventually to Reed. We do recognize a friction between the Rugers, and it's visible how Brandt treats her as a prize no one but can claim, but still, Frank isn't exactly the greatest substitute, now is he? But, that scene where Reed forces himself on Bergman is hard to watch, and, despite the fact she succumbs to his desires, that rape does tarnish any sympathy one might have in his favor.The film seems to side with Reed, though, as Hackman just continues to shoot down his men, picking them off in intervals, and we follow them as they grow more weary, their tempers tested due to the fact that they are dying because of a broad. Simon Oakland(..who I consider to be one of the finest television actors in the history of the small screen, his face recognizable across all genres, particularly in the 60's and 70's, most notably, "Kolchak The Night Stalker") is well cast as Matthew Gunn, attempting to be a voice of reason for Ruger, trying to talk some sense into him, especially after it's realized that Melissa has chosen Frank over Brandt. But, it's obvious that Brandt isn't a man to lose any property that's his to anyone, much less an outlaw whose life has been about stealing and killing. Like a lot westerns coming out in the 70's, I reckon "The Hunting Party" suffered as the genre was starting to wain, it very much an example of "The Wild Bunch" influence.

This movie has the same name as the Hunting Party released in 2007 starring Richart Gere. But this 1971 movie is a western and there are no similarities between the two.Brandt Ruger (Gene Hackman) is a rich, ruthless, cruel, sadistic, womanizer rancher who sadomises his wife Melissa Ruger (Candice Bergen). Frank Caldler (Oliver Reed) is a tender hearted dacoit who kidnaps Melissa, rapes her and later falls in love with her. Brandt pursues Frank's band with vengeance to get his wife back. Seeing Frank's tenderness Melissa also starts liking Frank. Brutally and with numbing coldness Brandt starts shooting Frank's band, while doing that he realizes that his wife prefers Frank over him. I won't tell you the ending.This is a western movie in its true sense. It has got brilliant scenery, horses, rugged men, action, and blood.This was director Don Medford's first movie (earlier he was a TV director). He directed 6 movies between 1971-74, and went back to making TV episodes till 1988. He had a powerful story of love, passion, bravery, tragedy on hand – and I should say that he did a good justice to it. I could imagine that in 1971, the violence in the movie could had been over the top and hard to digest – but in today's terms it is just a whimper.This was the first movie I saw of Oliver Reed, and he is a great actor – has his old style of acting and working. Gene Hackman as a cruel and sadist rancher is un-predictably brilliant. Candice Bergen looks beautiful.Another mention should be made of the original score, sound and songs – all are very pleasing and nice.If someone wants to see a real good western action movie – this could be the one, to spend an afternoon or evening on.(Stars 6.75 out of 10)