While the great Sam Peckinpah is known as a boundary-pushing visionary to many fans of cinema, anyone who knows him even the slightest knows that the road for his creativity was not always the smoothest ride. Peckinpah started off pretty low-key with his debut The Deadly Companions before hitting a creative and financial homerun with Ride The High Country. It was his ambitious third feature where creative hubris collided with the unyielding bureaucracy of major studio dealings.
With star Charlton Heston (The Ten Commandments) on board, the 1965 western epic Major Dundee seemed like it had a shot at bringing something very special to the screen. The only issue is that Peckinpah, Heston and the studio had very different ideas about what the movie should be. With a disastrous script still being refined as production commenced, Peckinpah was dealt an additional blow via a substantial reduction in his budget and shooting schedule. Ever the visionary, Peckinpah still attempted to create his version of the film with the new restrictions, resulting in studio pushback and a hacked up theatrical cut. While the film was granted an Extended Version in 2005 which more closely resembles what Peckinpah intended, the film still feels like a flawed feature only made worse by studio interference. Both versions of the film are included in the new Limited Edition Arrow Video Blu-Ray release, but for the purposes of the film review I will be evaluating the Extended Version. The Theatrical Version only succeeds in making the plot even less understandable and fulfilling.
Heston plays the titular Major Dundee, a former Union cavalry officer during the American Civil War who made an undefined mistake that earned him a place outside of his command. This complicated figure has been sent to head a POW camp in the New Mexico territory where he commands over a mixture of Black an White Union soldiers, mercenaries, Native American scouts, and Confederate prisoners, ostensibly led by the wily Captain Tyreen (Richard Harris, This Sporting Life) who just so happens to be a former friend of Dundee’s who has converted into a bitter enemy. While tensions are high within the group, a bit of a consensus is reached when a group of Apaches led by chief Sierra Charriba (Michael Pate) mercilessly kills a number of Union soldiers and helpless civilians. They take off with three boys and a glory-hungry Dundee decides to rally his troops to follow him to Charriba in hopes of serving up justice and finding the three boys. While the ragtag nature of the group causes issues at points, it is fun to see how these factions clash.
The best part of the film by far is the extremely talented ensemble Peckinpah assembled from known talent to new discoveries who he would come to rely on in future films. Heston brings some nuance to this character who wants to think of himself as noble but often indulges in irrational beliefs that get himself and those around him in trouble. The dynamic he has with James Coburn as the grizzled one-armed scout Samuel Potts is quite fulfilling even if feelings get a bit complicated when Potts stirs up trouble along the way. The group is nothing but trouble as the ranks are composed of a horse thief, a drunken mule-packer, a vengeful minister, and more colorful personalities that the film does its best to devote time to. Sensibilities clash in various ways, such as the disrespect shown to the Black soldiers led by Aesop (Brock Peters), as the Apaches are just used as a final destination when the real conflict is within the group. One of the standout scenes is when the Warren Oates character of O.W. Hadley deserts the mission only to be captured and put on a semblance of a trial.
With great performances across the board and a strong director behind the camera, it is a shame to say that the film never quite comes together like you want it to even in its Extended Edition. Character motivations often seem to get lost somewhere in the edit which can make certain choices off-putting due to lack of context. The script also feels like it is pandering to a particular audience with the introduction of Senta Berger deep into the story as a romantic interest for Dundee. While favorably acted, nothing about this particular storyline feels organic. What this movie needed was a cohesive vision from the very beginning at the script stage that could be carried until the conclusion of post production. You can see a bit of what made Peckinpah believe this could be his greatest work, but the flaws within the narrative never allow it to rise up as something special. Those who are only around for the performances and purposeful violence will likely enjoy those aspects of the narrative, but those with a sensitivity to a messy plot will find a lot to pick apart. It is a noble misfire from one of the great filmmakers.
Video Quality
Major Dundee makes its return to Blu-Ray thanks to Arrow Video with a brand new 1080p master in its original 2.35:1 from a 4K scan for the Extended Version and a 2K scan for the Theatrical Version. This film was originally released in a two-disc set from Twilight Time that is long out of print and going for a lot of money. I do not have that disc as a source of comparison, but from what I gather the two presentations largely look the same outside of some minor encoding differences. While not always mind-meltingly amazing like many Arrow Video releases, this transfer is very pleasing and should excite fans overall. The lovely photography shot by Sam Leavitt sparkles in high definition with natural grain intact. There is a fantastic amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing, especially the shabby clothing of the villagers. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail, but admittedly the close-up shots hold up better than the long shots. Optical dissolves prove to be a mark against the overall quality of the presentation, but this is hard to avoid due to the source material. Black levels are very deep with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined, and there is virtually no print damage to be found. Arrow Video has done a very nice job with this release.
Audio Quality
This set comes with a few different audio configurations between the two discs. The preferred Extended Edition comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track featuring a new 2005 score from Christopher Caliendo, as well as a LPCM 1.0 track in the original mono that features the original score by Daniele Amfitheatrof. The theatrical version comes with a DTS-HD 1.0 Master Audio mono track which presents the film as it was originally intended. No matter which track you choose, these discs represent the film in a pretty impressive way sonically. The desolate stillness of the desert settings creeps through to provide some excellent ambient details. All of the various sounds in the mix seem accurately rendered so that nothing ever feels off. The dialogue itself comes through crystal clear without being crushed by the sound effects or score. There are many moments of gunshots that pack enough of a punch without becoming a muddled mess in the ensuing chaos. Each score has their pros and cons stylistically, but each one is represented well in the mix. Everything is presented with an excellent fidelity. This presentation is free of any hiss or other age-related wear-and-tear. Another 5-star effort from Arrow Video.
Special Features
The Limited Edition Collector’s Set of the Arrow Video Blu-Ray of Major Dundee comes beautifully packaged in a hard outer case and includes a 60-page bound book featuring three essays from Jeremy Carr, Farran Smith Nehme and Roderick Heath which delves into the film, one essay by Neil Snowdon which explores Peckinpah further, and much more. These works provide a great analysis of the film and the genre at large in a thoughtfully written style. This package also includes a double-sided poster. The on-disc special features are as follows:
Disc One – Extended Version
- Audio Commentaries: The three tracks compiled here give a simply amazing overview of the production from participants who really know their stuff and are not afraid to pick apart the film when necessary. Some of the material is repeated from other features or the booklet, but there is much to parse through within each track that shines a light on this troubled production.
-
- Audio Commentary #1: Nick Redman, Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons & David Weddle
-
- Audio Commentary #2: Historians Glenn Erickson and Alan K. Rode
-
- Audio Commentary #3: Historian Glenn Erickson
- Moby Dick On Horseback: A new 29-minute visual essay in which film historian and critic David Cairns breaks down the intentions of the narrative and the quixotic production with Peckinpah. This piece is breezy and informative while making clear connections that might otherwise be overlooked.
- Passion & Poetry – The Dundee Odyssey: A 75-minute documentary from Mike Siegel which chronicles the development, production and legacy of Major Dundee with interviews from James Coburn, Senta Berger, Mario Adorf, L.Q. Jones, R.G. Armstrong and Gordon Dawson. This might be my favorite feature included in the set.
- Passion & Poetry – Sam Peckinpah Anecdotes: A 26-minute piece in which nine actors discuss working with legendary director Sam Peckinpah including Kris Kristofferson, Ernest Borgnine, James Coburn, David Warner, Ali MacGraw, L.Q. Jones, Bo Hopkins, R.G. Armstrong and Isela Vega. Another essential viewing for fans of the director as you gain new insights into what it was like working with him.
- Mike Siegel – About the Passion & Poetry Project: A 44-minute piece in which Mike Siegel discusses his love of Sam Peckinpah and his ongoing efforts to preserve the legacy of the historic filmmaker.
- 2005 Re-Release Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here with dubious narration from L.Q. Jones.
- Animated Galleries: Images are provided under the sections On The Set, Colour Stills, Portrait Stills and Promoting Major Dundee.
Disc Two – Theatrical Version (Limited Edition Exclusive)
- Riding For A Fall: A seven-minute vintage promotional piece which takes a look at the stunts of the film. This is an interesting relic from the past.
- Deleted and Extended Scenes
-
- Compiled Scenes with Commentary by Glenn Erickson: Seven minutes of unused material is provided here and given context by Erickson. This material includes an alternate opening, the Apache’s leaving the massacre, Dundee’s troops gathering on horseback at dawn and more.
-
- Major Dundee and Teresa’s Swimming Scene: An extended 40-second swimming scene is provided here.
-
- Knife Fight: A nearly four-minute incomplete scene in which Potts gets into an altercation over a Mexican woman.
-
- Silent Extended Outtakes: Four minutes of silent footage is provided here which could have been used in various establishing shots. These scenes appeared with commentary in the above piece.
- Trailers: This disc provides the UK Theatrical Trailer, the UK Theatrical Trailer Uncropped, US Theatrical Trailer and German Theatrical Trailer.
Final Thoughts
Major Dundee is a film that had major issues on its journey to the silver screen, and you can certainly tell as much. While the film is quite beautiful and impeccably acted, many plot points are confusing or erratic due to the truncation of storylines that would have been a much richer experience with a little more time invested. While far from perfect, the Extended Edition of the film provides enough engaging moments that you will not feel like you wasted your time. At the very least, it is worth it to see this ensemble putting in such stellar work. Arrow Video has released a sweet Limited Edition Blu-Ray set sporting two cuts of the film with a strong A/V presentation and an impressive array of supplemental features. Peckinpah fans and fans of the film could not ask for more from this release unless they could make a 4K UHD release happen. The gorgeous packaging of this release will probably make you reflect on the film a bit more fondly. Recommended
Major Dundee (Limited Edition) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
