Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia

I saw this 1974 movie for the first time this week, and it was long overdue. This is without question the best Sam Peckinpah film I’ve seen, and after seeing The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs and Pat Garrett I know that’s saying a lot. First of all, I absolutely love Alfredo Garcia’s star, Warren Oates. The only other two films I’ve seen him in, Two Lane Blacktop and Cockfighter, both directed by the great Monte Hellman, were sublime. Oates’s character kills a lot of people in Alfredo Garcia, and yet he still comes across as a sweet and gentle soul (at least before he’s subjected to a lot of abuse). And physically Oates shows a strong Tom Waits resemblance, possessing that irony of being kind of hideous and handsome at the same time. Plus, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is downright surreal with a love story paired with enough gorgeously choreographed violence to practically make Tarantino blush. It's over the top, for sure, but here it's a strength, with the filmmaking only enhancing the feeling of madness generated in the script. As many people know, this was Peckinpah’s most personal film, made at the height of his alcoholism, and Warren Oates even based his performance on the personality and mannerisms of Peckinpah. This is a truly operatic movie, and I mean that in the best sense of the word.

Comments

[Ned]

Warren Oats rocks. I even like his character from Stripes. I can't think of a present day actor nearly as interesting as Oats.