Junior Bonner + intro

With his bull-riding career in decline, Junior Bonner returns to his Arizona hometown after a long absence. Hoping to reverse his fortunes at the town’s annual rodeo, Junior’s dreams of a triumphant return are derailed when he finds his family home torn apart by his destructive brother, while his parents are estranged. 

Seizing a risky shot at redemption, Junior convinces the rodeo promoter to let him ride a dangerous bull for the promise of prize money and a chance at familial reconciliation. 

Whilst sometimes overlooked as an outlier in Sam Peckinpah’s filmography, Junior Bonner offers a refreshing change of pace from the filmmaker, whilst still providing a canvas for a melancholic story of lost honour and an outlet for his well-honed eye for action sequences. 

Despite the film’s struggles at the box office, its star Steve McQueen would approach Peckinpah with another collaboration, The Getaway, which proved a hit in the same year. 

Event/ This screening will be introduced by Andy Willis, Senior Visiting Curator: Film at HOME, and Professor of Film Studies, University of Salford.