Censorship of Sam Peckinpah
The censorship of Sam Peckinpah revolves around the challenges he faced from studios and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in the pursuit of his artistic vision. Beginning his career in television, Peckinpah transitioned to film, gaining recognition for his distinct style and portrayal of historical themes, particularly in Westerns. His 1965 film *Major Dundee* experienced significant cuts by Columbia Pictures, which affected its reception despite favorable critical reviews. Peckinpah's most acclaimed work, *The Wild Bunch* (1970), not only changed American perceptions of history but also pushed the boundaries of violence and explicit content in cinema, leading to further censorship by the MPAA. Even with attempts to present his vision, subsequent films like *Straw Dogs* (1971) faced demands for cuts regarding intense and controversial scenes. Despite these struggles, Peckinpah is remembered for his innovative use of slow-motion violence and his unique contributions to American filmmaking. His legacy remains complex, marked by both critical appreciation and the limitations imposed by industry standards of his time.
Subject Terms
Censorship of Sam Peckinpah
Identification: American filmmaker
Significance: Because of the graphic depiction of violence in his films, Peckinpah was challenged by studio censors and later by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)
Peckinpah began his screen career by writing episodes of such television westerns as The Rifleman, The Westerner, Zane Grey Theatre, and Tombstone Territory. He eventually moved behind the camera as an assistant and finally as a director, again starting with television westerns and episodes of Route 66. He later decided to apply his vision, again primarily of the western, to the wide screen, and his reputation was solid in Hollywood by 1960.
Peckinpah learned his first lessons about the power of the studios when he made Major Dundee (1965), a film starring Charlton Heston that Columbia expected to be a blockbuster. The studio was unconcerned with Peckinpah’s vision or his style and ultimately cut almost twenty-five minutes from the film, either because it found the material extraneous or because it wanted a shorter film that would sell more easily. Major Dundee proved a box office flop, but it garnered good critical reactions across the country.
Peckinpah became best known for his quirky style and for his unique slant on history in such films as Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), Junior Bonner (1972), and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974). In addition, his 1962 film Ride the High Country began the vision presented in The Wild Bunch (1970), which is considered his most poetical film.
The Wild Bunch changed the way that Americans view their history. Peckinpah wanted a violent, ambivalent film with lots of blood; he produced so much blood, however, that some patrons at the film’s opening screenings became violently ill. Peckinpah also introduced vile language and nudity. When he finished the film, he sent ten reels to the studio that he knew its officers would like. He did not, however, count on their sending a two-page synopsis of scenes to the MPAA, which told the studio that with revisions the film could get an R and not an X rating. The studio cut six scenes of various lengths (these were not restored until 1993, when the MPAA viewed the same material and granted the new cut an NC-17, also a noncommercial rating).
When Peckinpah went to England to film Straw Dogs (1971), he stayed away from western themes. Again, the MPAA wanted two scenes cut: a particularly brutal rape and a scene in which Dustin Hoffman throws a bear trap on a man’s head. Peckinpah’s theme was that a man’s home is his castle, but again, the cuts were made.
Peckinpah died at fifty-nine, a sad and disillusioned genius, forever to be known for The Wild Bunch and his style of slow-motion action scenes. His violence in slow motion has been likened to ballet, and actors have defended his work as uniquely American.