Of course the Turner preview version is missing 3 scenes that MUST be in it: (1) The scene between Garrett and his wife, (2) The Ruthie Lee sequence, and (3) The short scene when Billy brings Maria a blanket and starts playing with the kids.

These need to be put back in the film.  Then we have the closest to the way Peckinpah left the film.

Thanks to all the recent postings, I watched the 2005 version again last week. My feelings haven't changed since then. Restore the Turner opening / ending and some of the now missing dialogue, fix the unneccessary sound problems and we'd have quite a good version.
But I have to watch the Turne version while my feelings are still warm enough, I didn't see it since 1995 I guess. Maybe I'll see it differently now..

mike bishop wrote on 03/22/14 at 5:46am:


Yes, that's what I would like to see too. That would be the best version.

Actually, I think that, despite all the missing stuff, I prefer the theatrical cut to the Turner version. By stringing together all the scenes which end in a violent outburst the theatrical version developed its own quality. Despite so much missing it works in a strange way. I never had a doubt that PG&BtK is one of Peckinpah's best and most beautiful films. The torso lives and breathes, and was long before I first could watch the long version my favourite Peckinpah behind TWB, and one of the 4 best westerns ever.

The 2005 version retains most of the qualities of the 1973 version, and adds all of the complexities of the Turner version.
And thankfully skips the bunkhouse scene, contains the for me important Ruthie Lee scene, has the raft scene at the right place (where it works better), has the correct dialogue for the dying Paco and has the vocals of Knockin' on Heaven's Door.