Major Dundee

Released Mar 15, 1965

2h 4m

Western

List

97%

37 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

During the end of the Civil War, Major Dundee guards Confederate prisoners, Union deserters and ordinary hard-bitten criminals in a remote fort. When Apaches attack the fort and make off with three children, Dundee must set up a posse including Confederates, who face a choice between joining up or being shot. The feud between Dundee and Tyreen is also heated up by a sultry Mexican widow.

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Critics Consensus

Major Dundee is a Western-type with big war scenes, shot with bombast typical of Sam Peckinpah.

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Alec B

Sort of a rough draft for "The Wild Bunch". It definitely has an intriguing moral murkiness but it is also clearly compromised by the censorship of the time, studio interference, and Peckinpah's personal problems.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/21/24

Full Review

Mike F

I really enjoyed Charlton Heston as the lead in this western drama. There was a bit of comedy, lots of action, some drama and a couple of twists. There are some really good fighting scenes that provide a glimpse into the brutal and barbaric way in which American soldiers and natives engaged in battle.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A rather long movie but well worth the watch. Thank you’ll really enjoy it, James Welch, Henderson, Arkansas, May 11, 2023.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/12/23

Full Review

Isaiah Y

Classic western with great direction by Sam Peckinpah as well as a good performance by Charlton Heston

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/20/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Sort of a rough draft for "The Wild Bunch". It definitely has an intriguing moral murkiness but it is also clearly compromised by the censorship of the time, studio interference, and Peckinpah's personal problems.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

ken w

Action, romance, a little bit of comedy and throw in some rousing music and you have Major Dundee. This is one of my my favorite movies.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Sam Peckinpah

Director

Charlton Heston

Major Amos Charles Dundee

Richard Harris

Captain Benjamin Tyreen

Jim Hutton

Lieutenant Graham

James Coburn

Samuel Potts

Michael Anderson Jr.

Trooper Tim Ryan

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

What makes the film... is the young and swaggering Richard Harris as the Irish immigrant and disaffected conscript Benjamin Tyreen.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 11, 2022

Full Review

Tom Milne

Sight & Sound

Despite the cuts which thin out the final stages of the story, and despite a flabby performance from Richard Harris which very nearly destroys the balance, the film is a fascinating study in the swing of a pendulum.

Mar 31, 2020

Full Review

Glenn Abel

Hollywood Reporter

Sam Peckinpah's crippled film plays best as a dry run for The Wild Bunch.

Oct 3, 2005

Full Review

Michael J. Casey

Boulder Weekly

One of the messiest masterpieces in American cinema.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 22, 2021

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The various conflicts between characters, cultures, and races drive the picture.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 3, 2021

Full Review

Joan Didion

Vogue

So far these might seem familiar conventions, familiar characters. But wait.

Mar 11, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

During the end of the Civil War, Major Dundee guards Confederate prisoners, Union deserters and ordinary hard-bitten criminals in a remote fort. When Apaches attack the fort and make off with three children, Dundee must set up a posse including Confederates, who face a choice between joining up or being shot. The feud between Dundee and Tyreen is also heated up by a sultry Mexican widow.

Director: Sam Peckinpah
Screenwriter: Harry Julian Fink, Oscar Saul, Sam Peckinpah
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Jerry Bresler Productions, Columbia Pictures
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 15, 1965, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 25, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.9K
Runtime: 2h 4m

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