Film Review: Major Dundee (1965)

Even the greatest filmmakers cannot conjure masterpieces out of thin air. Every grand cinematic achievement requires a solid foundation, often built through trial, error, and sometimes even failure. For Sam Peckinpah, the director of the 1969 classic The Wild Bunch, widely regarded as one of the greatest Westerns ever made, that foundation was laid during the tumultuous production of his 1965 film Major Dundee. Though often dismissed as one of Peckinpah’s lesser works and even disowned by the director himself, Major Dundee can be seen as a crucial test run for the themes, style, and technical innovations that would later define The Wild Bunch.

Set in late 1864, near the end of the American Civil War, Major Dundee follows Union officer Major Amos Charles Dundee, played by Charlton Heston. After a tactical error at the Battle of Gettysburg, Dundee is relegated to commanding Fort Benlin, a remote outpost in the New Mexico Territory. The area is terrorised by a particularly savage band of Apaches led by Sierra Chariba (Michael Pate), who have massacred a settlement, destroyed a US Cavalry relief column, and taken a group of white boys captive. Determined to hunt down Chariba, Dundee assembles a ragtag group of volunteers, including Confederate prisoners of war led by Captain Benjamin Tyreen (Richard Harris), a former friend turned bitter rival. Tyreen agrees to join the mission only on the condition that he will be freed after Chariba’s capture or death. The expedition takes Dundee and his men into Mexican territory, where they are ambushed by the Apaches and forced to seek supplies in a village occupied by a French garrison supporting Emperor Maximilian’s regime. After overpowering the French, Dundee’s men are hailed as heroes by the locals, including Teresa Santiago (Senta Berger), a widow with whom Dundee becomes romantically involved.

At the time of Major Dundee’s production, Peckinpah was primarily known as a television director, with only two feature films to his name: The Deadly Companions (1961) and Ride the High Country (1962). Both were low-budget Westerns, but they demonstrated enough promise for Columbia Pictures to entrust Peckinpah with a relatively large budget and an impressive cast for Major Dundee. Leading the ensemble was Charlton Heston, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars at the time, renowned for his larger-than-life roles in epics like Ben-Hur and El Cid. Heston’s presence lent the project a sense of grandeur, while the supporting cast included rising talents like Richard Harris and a host of character actors who would later become Peckinpah regulars, such as Warren Oates, James Coburn, Ben Johnson, Slim Pickens, and R. G. Armstrong. Even Senta Berger, initially cast as little more than eye candy, would go on to collaborate with Peckinpah again in Cross of Iron (1977).

Shot almost entirely on location in Mexico, Major Dundee initially appears to be a sprawling epic in the vein of Heston’s earlier blockbusters. The film draws clear inspiration from grand Westerns of the 1940s and 1950s, such as Fort Apache, Vera Cruz, and The Searchers, with a touch of Lawrence of Arabia thrown in for good measure. Yet, Peckinpah imbues the film with his distinctive touch, presenting a flawed protagonist and a diverse ensemble of characters, each with their own allegiances and agendas. The film’s violence, while relatively tame by modern standards, was notably graphic for the mid-1960s and foreshadowed the explicit bloodshed that would become a hallmark of The Wild Bunch. However, Major Dundee lacks the narrative cohesion and thematic depth of Peckinpah’s later work, often feeling like a series of compelling but disjointed set pieces.

Heston delivers a strong performance as the driven and morally ambiguous Major Dundee, while Richard Harris shines as the charismatic yet resentful Captain Tyreen. The supporting cast, filled with Peckinpah’s future collaborators, adds depth and texture to the film, even if their characters are underdeveloped. Senta Berger, though largely relegated to a romantic subplot, brings a touch of humanity to the story. Despite these strengths, Major Dundee remains a merely solid film, far from the greatness typically associated with Peckinpah. The director was still honing his craft, and this is evident in the film’s uneven pacing, particularly during the extended middle section set in the Mexican village. The narration by young bugler Tim Ryan (Michael Anderson Jr.), while serviceable, falls flat in the final scene, robbing the audience of the ironic context that could have elevated the film’s conclusion.

Many of the film’s shortcomings can be attributed to its troubled production. The budget ballooned, and creative differences between Peckinpah and Heston led to frequent clashes. Heston’s diary entries from the time reveal his frustration with Peckinpah’s drinking and erratic behaviour, though he also expressed admiration for the director’s talent. The lack of a finished script further complicated matters, leaving the cast and crew to navigate an uncertain narrative landscape. These issues were compounded by Peckinpah’s strained relationship with Columbia Pictures. Studio executives were so dissatisfied with his progress that they nearly fired him, only relenting after Heston intervened. Columbia ultimately took control of the film, cutting Peckinpah’s original four-hour version down to a more commercially viable runtime. The resulting edits left glaring plot holes and disrupted the film’s narrative flow. To make matters worse, the studio imposed a new musical score by Daniele Amfitheatrof, against Peckinpah’s wishes. Disillusioned, Peckinpah publicly disowned the film and found himself ostracised in Hollywood for several years.

In 2005, a partially restored version of Major Dundee was released, offering a glimpse of Peckinpah’s original vision. This version, though incomplete, features a new soundtrack by Christopher Caliendo and reinstates several key scenes, improving the film’s overall coherence and impact. Like many director’s cuts, it provides a more satisfying experience for fans of Peckinpah’s work. However, even in its restored form, Major Dundee remains more of a stepping stone than a masterpiece. It is a film of ambition and experimentation, marred by external constraints and the growing pains of a director still finding his voice.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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