Justified lives: morality & narrative in the films of Sam Peckinpah

703 Pages·1993·4.7 MB·English

by  Michael Bliss

Justified Lives : Morality & Narrative in the
title:
Films of Sam Peckinpah
author: Bliss, Michael.
publisher: Southern Illinois University Press
isbn10 | asin:
print isbn13: 9780809318230
ebook isbn13: 9780585107950
language: English
Peckinpah, Sam,--1925-1984--Criticism and
subject interpretation, Motion pictures--Moral and
ethical aspects.
publication date: 1993
lcc: PN1998.3.P43B57 1993eb
ddc: 791.43/0233/092
Peckinpah, Sam,--1925-1984--Criticism and
subject: interpretation, Motion pictures--Moral and
ethical aspects.
Page i
Page ii
Page iii
Justified Lives
Morality & Narrative in the Films of Sam Peckinpah
Michael Bliss
Southern Illinois University Press Carbondale and Edwardsville
Page iv
Copyright © 1993 by the Board of Trustees,
Southern Illinois University
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
Edited by Dan Gunter
Designed by Duane E. Perkins
Production supervised by Natalia Nadraga
97 96 95 94 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bliss, Michael
Justified lives: morality and narrative in the films of Sam
Peckinpah / Michael Bliss.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Peckinpah, Sam, 19251984.Criticism and interpretation.
2. Motion picturesMoral and ethical aspects. I. Title.
PN1998.3.P43B57 1993
791.43'0233'092dc20 92-37684
ISBN 0-8093-1823-7 CIP
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements
of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence
of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
Page v
For Milton Bliss
Page vii
Contents
Plates ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
1. Couples 17
2. Riding High on Morality 32
3. Dandy Tyrant 58
4. Like It Used to Be 78
5. This Cactus Eden 127
6. Dogs of War 142
7. Memory and Desire 164
8. Breaking Out for Love 196
9. Star Packer 217
10. Head Games 251
11. Cold Killers 263
12. The Graveyard Where the Iron Crosses Grow 274
13. Dead Truck Stop 288
14. His Last Bow 294
Afterword 305
Notes 311
Filmography 333
Bibliography 347
Index 349
Page ix
Plates
1. Yellowleg, Turkey, and Billy in The Deadly 18
Companions
2. An unholy alliance, watched over by Death, in the 19
form of Kit's son
3. The high-tension trio has their anxiety level raised 22
with the addition of a woman, Kit
4. Yellowleg and Kit nervously scanning the horizon 28
5. Elsa, Heck, Steve, and Gil in Ride the High Country 48
6. The delivery of Elsa to Coarse Gold 51
7. The maligned Hammonds, just before the final shoot- 56
out
8. Dundee and Tyreen in Major Dundee 64
9. The waterside tryst between Dundee and Teresa 66
1011. Martinet turned souse: Dundee before and after 68
losing to the Indians
1213. The two groups in The Wild Bunch: Pike's Bunch 81
and Thornton's group
14. One of The Wild Bunch's frozen moments, after Angel 84
has shot Teresa
15. The regimented march toward the railroad company 86
office
16. Thornton during the dual flashbacks scene 97