Nobody steals from Brandt Ruger and lives. With a stellar cast led by OscarÂ(r) winner* Gene Hackman (Unforgiven), EmmyÂ(r) winner Candice Bergen ("Murphy Brown") and Oliver Reed (Gladiator), this searing western fires round after round of emotional heat with a torrid frontier love triangle that can only lead to revenge. To cattle baron Brandt Ruger (Hackman), his beautiful wife Melissa (Bergen) is just one of his possessions. So when notorious bandit Frank Calder (Reed) kidnaps Melissa, Ruger isn't concerned about herhe's enraged that someone stole from him. Melissa finds her captor quite kind, but Ruger is organizing a posse to hunt down the pairand recover his property dead or alive!
 |  | OVER 35 YEARS, AND NEVER FORGOTTEN!!!!!! |  |
I have read all the listed reviews, and what is clearly evident with 99% of the negative criticism, is that it seems to be entirely directed towards the violence contained in the movie. Hardly any mention of the Oscar winning stars and their performances or the dynamic cinematography that takes place throughout the film. I viewed this movie over 35 years ago and it made such an impact on me, I couldn't get it out of my mind. I purchased a VHS copy (probably a bootleg) a couple of years ago, and it was as great a western as I had always remembered it to be. Much to my joy, I just found a new copy on DVD, and can't wait for it to arrive. I am a huge fan of many old westerns, too many to list here, and consider "The Wild Bunch" as possibly the greatest of all the violent, shoot-em-up westerns ever made. I'm a huge fan of western giants like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood, but have also come to appreciate some of the newer westerns. What western movie fan, in their right mind, could not truthfully list "Tombstone" as one of the best, not to mention, "Open Range", or possibly "Quigly Down Under"???? Bottom line, The Hunting Party is indeed a bloodbath, but not much more than many critically acclaimed films of today. Ultra violent?...yes, but probably a more accurate version of the times. Meaningless?...hardly, it is pure man at his best and worst. Happy ending?...probably not...but do all things in life end on a happy note?...I doub't it. Seems to me that the wimps that criticised and tore this movie apart, based their opinions solely on the violent aspects of the movie. If the movie disturbed you so badly, then I highly recommend that you stick with the feel good chick flicks and leave the REAL shoot-em-up westerns to us VIOLENT folks!!! For those of you who love non-stop action, lots of gun fights, blood, guts and just plain macho madness, then this is the western for you. Some of the finest actors of our time are in this GREAT western. It is a shame that a few, only concerned themselves with the so called meaningless violence, and sadly failed to recognize and mention the stellar performances given by such legends as Gene Hackman, Candice Bergen, Oliver Reed and several other great character actors. If you like true to life, tougher than dirt westerns, then do yourself a favor and give it a try, you won't be disappointed!!! 5 STAR RATING!!!!!!!!!
May 8, 2008 | | "First time, he forced her........" | |
Candice Bergen (Melissa Ruger) is a school teacher married to Brandt Ruger (Hackman). Brandt, a wealthy, powerful cattle man is incensed when he gets word of his wife's abduction at the hands of Frank Calder (Reed) and his outlaw gang. Frank intends her no harm though, he just wants her to tutor him so he can learn to read and write. Meanwhile, Hackman hears of the kidnapping while on a train to a hunting trip with 5 of his cohorts (two of them being G.D. Spradlin and Simon Oakland). He decides to change it to a manhunt. With powerful, long range rifles that can shoot accurately past 700 yards he and his buddies will pick off these outlaws. They leave the train on horseback and track the gang down. With scopes in place they start shooting from so far away the gang can't even see them. Spradlin is having a great time shooting men in cold blood until they sneak up on the snipers and shoot back. One of Hackman's party is killed and Spradlin decides he doesn't want to shoot at someone who's shooting back and leaves. Hackman won't quit though. He's had Frank in his sights more than once but wants to save him for last. Melissa falls for Frank. Hackman was worthless as a husband anyway. From the beginning it's hard to understand why she ever married the louse. Hackman and his fellow snipers are more like the bad guys than the outlaw gang. Lots of blood and violence, sadistic at times.
December 21, 2006A good western which starts with a slap of rejection, twists to the kidnapping and then the hunting trip begins. As for the twist, well watch the movie!!
August 27, 2006A nontypical western, this moves from the classic Hollywood western concept of two idiots standing up against one another in "duel mode" to the more realistic human mode "kill them where they stand by whatever means necessary" and does it quite well.
People who want escape from gritty reality will hate this film. For those who want to explore the metamorphosis of depictions of the darkest of human emotions from the 1960's on through the rest of the century, it is a reflection of life and reality at any time in history and an example of an attempt at portraying the realities of human nature by a midcentury filmmaker. Although this may not be as pleasing as films like "Oklahoma" or "Casablanca", it performed the mission I have attributed to it as well as, or better than, movies such as "Full Metal Jacket" or "The Green Berets".
August 18, 2006I'm not a huge fan of the western genre but I don't mind seeing a good old wild west, action yarn. So when I watched this film a couple of years ago when it was airing on TV (about the only place it could be found at the time), I think was expecting a classic, fun, gun slinging shoot'em up but this film anything but fun.
The Hunting Party is very violent and in a meaningless way. In fact, that's all the movie is interested in: guns, gore and graphic carnage. The top notch cast (including Oliver Reed, Gene Hackman, Candice Bergen, L.Q. Jones, and G.D. Spraldin), nice cinematography, and good production values, simply do not make up for the brutish mean streak in the script; Hackman and his hunting party simply lay back in the bushes and blow Reed's gang apart with their high-powered rifles. I admit this may be more realistic (would the party really want to get into an outright conflict?) but it's just a bit too much. The script has very little depth to it as well. It only makes the whole affair all the more pointless.
I'm sure that had there been a proper ending I would have given this a higher rating but the movie just stops. There's no resolution, no redemption, nothing. This left a really sour taste in my mouth and it'll likely do the same for you.
Darkhorse86
August 5, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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