Junior Bonner
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Movie Reviews of Junior Bonner
Movie Review: A Pleasure from Peckinpah
Summary: 5 Stars
If you know Sam Peckinpah from only his "Bloody Sam" ouvre (that is, pretty much all his films, The Wild Bunch most infamously), then you may be surprised by this gentle, low-key contemporary rodeo tale. Which isn't to say that Peckinpah is not excising his usual demons--the indvidual at odds with his society, the conflict of the man who is out of sync with his times. But this time he does it with not a geyser of blood nor dead body (nor dead bodies) in sight. Instead, he gives us a couple days in the life of an on-the-verge-of-being-a-has-been rodeo rider returning to his hometown rodeo. The truth is, not much happens in this film. Junior Bonner, in the old western tradition of a "man's gotta do what a man's gotta do", gets another shot at the bull that threw him just days before. We meet his older brother who has thrown in his lot with developers that are inevitably destroying the very West they exploit. We meet his na'er-do-well Dad and his daffy dreams of striking it rich in Australia. And we meet his Mother, dependent on her successful son, bitter over the dissolution of the man she married as well as her marriage, but still onery. Like Peckinpah's best films, this is really a character study of people at odds with their world, each other, and themselves, but who yet find dignity and grace in the worst of situations. The performances are first-rate all around: Steve McQueen not afraid to make a little fun of his famous macho persona; the same for Robert Preston and usually tough guy Joe Don Baker; and best of all, Ida Lupino, playing a role that doesn't exist in contenmporary American movies, a fully realized middle-aged woman. Again, not much happens, but by the time you get to the end of this tiny gem, you realize everything has happened, for we get a real sense of life and the complicated choices it tosses at us. This is a side of Peckinpah that he never again showed, which is a shame for anyone who loves the man's work and loves American movies.Movie Review: Fascinating Slice of American Pie
Summary: 5 Stars
You can walk away from "Junior Bonner" having seen every Sam Peckinpah and Steve McQueen film and not know that either contributed to this low-key gem. It's a tribute to both legends that they eschewed vanity to create a film that feels like real life. I don't know how long it took Peckinpah to lens this film but it feels like he just took his camera for a few days to capture the ambiance of Prescott, Arizona on a Fourth of July Weekend when the rodeo came to town. Having never been to a rodeo or seen any films about it I found the way Peckinpah captures the people, the sights, and sounds thrilling. Anybody whose followed the career of Steve McQueen knows that he was the master of understatement. Here he gracefully captures the essence of an aging rodeo star who goes from one show to the next in hopes of winning the $950.00 in prize money. Peckinpah populates the cast with legendary actors like Robert Preston, Ida Lupino, and Ben Johnson along with notable character actors like Joe Don Baker and William McKinney. This ensemble of actors are terrific because they seem like real people who've been part of the rodeo world or Prescott landscape their whole lives. Needless to say, a must for Peckinpah or McQueen fans and essential viewing for all film lovers.Movie Review: A beautiful time capsule
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished reading a Steve McQueen biography and it said that this was his only film that lost money (not counting 'An Enemy of the People', which was never released. I've been watching all the McQueen films I can find since reading the book and some of them seem flawed by bad writing or poor production quality or poor performances by other cast members. This film was surprisingly good, and well made. Its box office failure probably had more to do with the fickle mood of the public at the time than any qualities of the film itself.
There is a Special Feature on the DVD. It is a narrative track that can be run along with the movie. It is several experts on Peckinpah and this film who discuss it scene by scene as it plays out. It is well worth listening to, as it pointed some things out to me that I had missed or not understood. It also points out much of the behind the scenes technique being used to make a difficult and complex picture look like a naturally flowing sequence of events.
Even if there were no story, I'd enjoy this movie just for the wonderful photography and local Prescott, Arizona circa 1972 flavor. The print is perfect in its bright clean colors.
Movie Review: This is Sam Peckinpah's Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an exceptional film. great script, superb acting, and as they say in the commentary, "not just good editing, perfect editing." Peckinpah was a great director. Unlike most, I am not a huge fan of The Wild Bunch. My favorite Peckinpah films are Junior Bonner and the The Ballad of Cable Hogue. Both are character studies show that Peckinpah could do drama, as well as action/violence.
Junior Bonner shares a characteristic with Downhill Racer starring Robert Redford -- both sport films seem more realistic than a documentary. They capture the truth about a sport and the athletes that compete to win. Redford and McQueen also never had better roles or acted with more subtlety. Even if you don't care about rodeo or skiing, these films bring you into a fascinating world very unlike the way most of us live.
The DVD also has an excellent commentary that ought to be listened to by every film student or film enthusiast.
Movie Review: Blows away stereotypes of both McQueen and Peckinpah
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking forward to seeing this film because of Steve , having just seen him in 'The Getaway' , also directed by Sam Peckinpah . The two films could not be more different .
In Junior Bonner the actors , atmosphere , characters , cinematography and script are all top notch . For those who think of Bullitt when they think of Steve and the Wild Bunch when they think of Sam Peckinpah , this film is something very special and a wonderful surprise - like discovering buried treasure . It's that good .
A bargain price DVD , in no way reflecting the film's high quality .