Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 11, 2021

Sam Peckinpah's "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; archival audio commentary by co-writer/co-producer Gordon Dawson; and archival audio commentary by film historians Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons, David Weddle, and Nick Redman. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The playboy

The powerful Mexican lord El Jefe (Emilio Fernández) tortures his daughter and she admits to him that she is carrying the baby of Alfredo Garcia. El Jefe then announces in front of his private army of bounty hunters that he will pay one million dollars to the man who brings him the playboy’s head.

While trying to track down their man, two of El Jefe’s bounty hunters end up in a shady brothel where drinks and women are cheap. Bennie (Warren Oates, Badlands, Cockfighter), the piano player, offers to help them after they leave a $100 tip and promise to pay him more if he delivers Alfredo Garcia’s head. After the bounty hunters disappear, Benny picks up his old friend Elita (Isela Vega, Bordello), a beautiful but lonely prostitute, and the two hit the road.

Along the way, Elita tells Bennie that Alfredo Garcia is already dead and buried. While looking for his grave, the two decide to finally get married. They also plan to have a romantic night and make love under the stars, but two bikers show up and spoil their party. One of them demands that Elita sings his favorite song, while the other announces that he will make love to her before Bennie does.

On the following morning, Benny and Elita hit the road again. Some hours later, they arrive in the small village where Alfredo Garcia was apparently buried. Without knowing that they have been closely followed, they begin digging in the nearby graveyard.

Sam Peckinpah’s Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is a brutal, gritty and utterly uncompromising film that seems to promote violence as much as it condemns it. Even today, this is a film that can easily polarize casual viewers and critics.

The film focuses on Bennie’s profound character transformation and ultimately self-redemption. Through his eyes, Peckinpah delivers two entirely different views of the world, as well as life philosophies. Early on, Bennie is an opportunist whose moral standards are so low and so flexible that he is willing to do virtually anything in order to move up the social ladder. The second half of the film is purgatory -- a tragic event forces Benny to reconsider his entire system of beliefs and choose a new direction in life.

There is a lesson to be learned here, but Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is not a preachy film. Peckinpah only shows, at times with a rather intimidating directness, how the lust for money can transform men into animals and then quickly destroy them.

As far as genre characteristics are concerned -- a favorite theme for many critics who have written about Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia -- the film is essentially a western with a unique contemporary look. Peckinpah shot it on location in Mexico, and his direction is simply flawless. There are some incredibly rough but at the same time enormously poetic sequences, particularly during the second half where the film becomes very dark.

Oates is spectacular as Benny. Most of the time, he wears big, thick black glasses and drinks heavily to numb the pain deep inside -- just like Peckinpah did while he was alive. He really does look like a man that would do anything for money. Vega is also terrific as his disillusioned friend. Kris Kristofferson has a small but memorable cameo.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

It appears that there is some sort of mix-up. This release should offer a presentation of the 4K restoration of the film that Arrow Video completed in 2017, but it is actually sourced from the old MGM master that was available in previous years. I have two other releases of the film in my library -- this Italian release from Koch Media, and this British release from Arrow Video -- and I can confirm that the Italian release and Kino's release are sourced from the same older master.

The older MGM master is actually quite nice, but it has a good number of limitations. For example, it is immediately obvious that its density levels could be better, and on the restored master that Arrow Video produced they are in fact superior. Also, in darker areas, shadow definition could be better. Delineation and depth are typically very pleasing, but they are improved on the restored master. There are discrepancies in the color schemes as well, with the restored master again producing superior ranges of nuances. Finally, on the older master there are plenty of flecks and blemishes, while the restored master is clean and healthier.

I have included some additional screencaptures from Arrow Video's release so that it is easy to get a basic idea what type of improvements you should expect in terms of density, delineation, and shadow definition if the restored master is released in the U.S. They appear after the menu shots.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I think that the lossless track is very nice. On the restored 4K master, however, the audio is slightly better rounded and just 'tighter'. Also, on the first Italian release that I picked up some years ago, there were very large yellow English subtitles for the Spanish lines in the beginning of the film. I prefer a standard size.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage trailer for Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 480/60i).

• TV Spots - a selection of vintage TV spots for Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 480/60i).

• Image Gallery - a collection of original promotional and production materials for Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. With music. (8 min, 480/60i).

• Trailers From Hell - an archival episode of Trailers From Hell with Josh Olson (A History of Violence). In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Commentary One - this archival audio commentary was recorded by film historians Paul Seydor, Garner Simmons, David Weddle, and Nick Redman.

• Commentary Two - this archival audio commentary was recorded by co-writer/co-producer Gordon Dawson and is moderated by Nick Redman.

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art for Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It appears that there was some sort of mix-up because this release does not offer a presentation of the 4K restoration of Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia that Arrow Video completed in 2017. It is actually sourced from the older MGM master that was in circulation earlier. This older master has good organic qualities, but the 4K master offers a technically superior and more importantly healthier presentation of the film. So, hopefully the folks at Kino Lorber will investigate the mix-up and figure out a way to bring the 4K restoration to the U.S., as they initially had planned. UPDATE: A replacement program has been announced. To see additional details, please go HERE.