Bring me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - Peckinpah

Pros: Acting, Cinematography, Gig Young, First 30 minutes
Cons: Everything else

Alfredo Garcia is more interesting than good. The film has some good points - but they get lost as the story develops.

As with many Peckinpah movies the plot is minimal and characters undeveloped. Filmed entirely in Mexico, it starts out strong with Emilo Fernandez (a rich Mexican) torturing his daughter and demanding the “Head of Alfredo Garcia” After Emilo’s flunkies offer sleazy piano player Warren Oates $10,000; he sets out with girlfriend Isela Vega to dig up the already dead Alfredo Garcia & deliver his head.

But while the setup is interesting, there is no chemistry between Oates and Vega. Warren was never a romantic lead. There's a sleazy, pointless, rape scene and after Isela's death the movie degenerates into an endless series of perfunctory shootouts. However, one shootout with Gig Young-Robert Weber is well done.

Summary Most bad Peckinpah movies share the same problems. Weak structure, underdeveloped characters, lack of narrative drive, and pointless killings/shootouts. This was Peckinpah’s most personal movie. He wrote the script and made it at the height of his popularity. Peckinpah reveled himself to be a man of cinematic sensibilities but no taste. Rating **