In Peckinpah’s Cornish western, there’s a suggestion the co-writer/director may not be taking things too seriously. During the course of the Siege of Trencher’s Farm, the odious rat catcher (Jim Norton) is seen riding a kid’s tricycle. One of his fellow thugs chases him with it, threatening to wrap it round his neck. The next shot shows them racing each other, both on tricycles, amidst the mayhem. I can’t think of any other slapstick moments in Peckinpah’s other violent set pieces. And later, Hoffman despatches the rat catcher with what looks suspiciously like a golf swing. Perhaps it would have been more fitting to the latter’s profession if he’d been the one to succumb to the trap.
With neat irony, Hoffman’s maths professor has picked the wrong fight in protecting David Warner, who has just (albeit accidentally) killed village strumpet Sally Thomsett (who I suspect of killing the cat). At the moment when he fears his wife Susan George will switch sides to old beau Charlie (Del Henney), he specifically becomes his rival, striking her, then pulling her by the hair, both of which Charlie has inflicted on her prior to the bizarre rape turned love scene turned gang rape. So whilst there’s audience pleasure in seeing the bad guys wiped out, are we also to acknowledge this as an anti-violence statement?
One thing’s for sure: this mismatched couple isn’t going to make it.
Along with those mentioned above, Ken Hutchison is also impressive as the ‘bad’ rapist, in a uniformly excellent cast.
Interesting to see the name of Tony Lawson as one of the editors. There’s occasional time jump editing in this that figures strongly in his work for Nic Roeg (from Bad Timing onwards), and also in Peckinpah’s later Cross of Iron, which along with Barry Lyndon Lawson also edited. And, I don’t know if it’s just me, but I love John Coquillon’s grey skies!
117m 16 secs submitted to BBFC = 113 m Video
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