"Debate over the violence and sexual themes of Sam Peckinpah's films often eclipsed the aesthetic appreciation of his work. Feminist criticism of the 1970s and the director's own combative personality usually prevented reasonable evaluation of his films. A prevalent autheurist view did not recognize how Peckinpah was subject to the whims and character of an industry that he never fully understood. Although the passage of time has muted the initial shock value of his filmed violence, no similar reappraisal has dealt with those perceptions of misogyny and looked to reevaluate Peckinpah's on-screen treatment of women."--BOOK JACKET.