Sam Peckinpah

A paradox who both cultivated and disdained his own legend, Sam Peckinpah evoked varied responses to his often violent films that typically existed on a skewed moral plane between eras and cultures, with ambiguous quests for identity and redemption undertaken by hopelessly lost outcasts and enemies. After receiving his start on television, Peckinpah made a powerful statement with only his second film, "Ride the High Country" (1962), a revisionist Western that presaged the greatness that came later in the decade.

Peckinpah emerged triumphant with "The Wild Bunch" (1969), a classic revisionist Western that marked the true high point of his creative powers. His final movies, "Cross of Iron" (1976), "Convoy" (1978) and "The Osterman Weekend" (1983) continued to showcase his genius. Peckinpah established his reputation as a great filmmaker able to elicit strong emotional responses with his kinetic and often operatic imagery.