CS Weekly Archive > DVD of the Day > 03/21/05

The Guts of Character

by scott castle

Screenplay by Gordon T. Dawson and Sam Peckinpah (latter also directed)
Story by Frank Kowalski and Sam Peckinpah

A Mexican gangster's decree of "Bring me the head of Alfredo Garcia" sends down-and-out piano man Benny (Warren Oates) out among the bounty hunters to claim the reward. What Benny knows that his competitors don't is that Garcia died a week before, and all he must do is recover the dead man's head. As the body count rises and complications mount, the story becomes that of a man disintegrating rather than the tale of a hero who buys his way out of hell. The narrative strips Benny down until he becomes obsessed with the one thing he has left -- Garcia's head. Everything else becomes tangential. A slow build leads to a psychotic finale where the audience is asked what a life is worth in a visceral tone that demands the question be considered. A scholarly commentary conducted with three Peckinpah experts offers fine academic criticism of the piece but little in the way of process.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
MGM
Rated R; 113 min.
$14.95

Buy it now for only $10.46 (save 30%)

Scott Castle is one thesis shy of a master's degree in film. He's written two short films, four television scripts, and a handful of short stories. He lives in Los Angeles.

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