10 Shocking Movie Scenes Directors Later Regretted

Sam Peckinpah's movies were often violent and bleak, which explains the nickname “Bloody” Sam. His work usually featured anti-heroes with an old-fashioned code of honour who feel out of place in the modern world, with The Wild Bunch being the most famous example.

The film was condemned for its gore at the time, which depicted bullets ripping bloody holes in people. The final showdown in particular - where the lead characters get drawn into a huge gunfight - features an insane body count. Peckinpah intended the violence to be shocking and off-putting, but was appalled to learn audiences were thrilled and excited by the finale.

He also learned from a documentary filmmaker that soldiers in the bloody Nigerian Civil War used to screen the movie, and wanted to die with honour like William Holden’s character. This disturbed Peckinpah greatly, and he said in an interview "I stand corrected and I am sick in my heart because of that. One instance like that happens and it destroys what I was trying to do."