A spectacular original 1969 Japanese first-release STB tatekan for Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch—one of the defining Westerns of American cinema and a landmark in the depiction of screen violence. Printed in the exceptionally scarce tall-format STB / tatekan size, this poster stands nearly five feet high, giving its brooding silhouettes, explosive action imagery, and monumental Japanese typography extraordinary presence.
The design combines two contrasting moods. Across the upper section, armed figures stand silhouetted against a deep-blue background, their long shadows stretching towards the viewer. Below, the composition erupts into gunfire, explosions, and a commanding image of William Holden as Pike Bishop firing a machine gun. Enormous red Japanese lettering runs down the right side, uniting the quieter upper image with the violent spectacle beneath.
An ultra-rare format for this title, this original Japanese STB offers a particularly striking representation of Peckinpah’s film. Its combination of atmospheric imagery, uncompromising action, and bold Japanese graphic design makes it an exceptional centrepiece for a collection of Western or Japanese theatrical posters.
Date & Japanese Theatrical Release
The Wild Bunch received its first Japanese theatrical release on 9 August 1969, distributed by Warner Bros.–Seven Arts under the title ワイルドバンチ.
This poster belongs to that original 1969 Japanese release campaign. The period Warner Bros.–Seven Arts branding, Japanese distribution credit, and prominent 70mm presentation billing are important features of its theatrical advertising.
The STB tatekan format measures approximately 20 × 57 inches / 51 × 145 cm. Its elongated proportions allow the design to develop from the expansive silhouette scene above into the densely arranged action montage below.
The Film, Its Reception & Its Legacy
Directed by Sam Peckinpah and produced by Phil Feldman, The Wild Bunch stars William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O’Brien, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Jaime Sánchez, and Emilio Fernández. Its screenplay was written by Walon Green and Peckinpah, from a story by Green and Roy N. Sickner, with cinematography by Lucien Ballard and music by Jerry Fielding.
Set in 1913, the film follows an ageing band of outlaws whose way of life is disappearing. After a disastrous robbery in Texas, Pike Bishop and his surviving companions flee into Mexico, pursued by bounty hunters led by his former partner, Deke Thornton. Their involvement with General Mapache draws them into an increasingly brutal conflict in which loyalty to one another becomes their final remaining principle.
The film’s original release provoked intense debate over cinematic violence. Its bloody confrontations challenged familiar Western conventions, while its morally compromised protagonists offered little of the reassurance associated with traditional screen heroes. Admirers recognised a powerful tragedy about friendship, betrayal, and men overtaken by history; detractors questioned the explicitness and spectacle of its bloodshed.
Peckinpah’s collaboration with editor Lou Lombardo, combining rapid cutting, multiple viewpoints, and slow motion, gave the action an extraordinary rhythm. These sequences became a major influence on subsequent action filmmaking, including the work of John Woo and Kathryn Bigelow. The film’s lasting power also rests on the quieter exchanges between its characters and the sense that their world is coming to an end.
The Wild Bunch received two Academy Award nominations, for its original story and screenplay and for Jerry Fielding’s original score. In 1999, it was selected for the United States National Film Registry, recognising its cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.
Design Notes
The blue silhouette composition: The upper section presents a line of armed men against a luminous blue background, with long shadows extending into the dark foreground. The restrained palette and spacious arrangement create a sombre, almost elegiac introduction to the imagery below.
William Holden at the machine gun: The lower montage is dominated by Pike Bishop firing a belt-fed machine gun, his blood-marked shirt and strained expression conveying the intensity of the film’s climactic violence. The weapon projects diagonally across the composition, creating a powerful sense of movement.
Monumental Japanese title: The huge red ワイルドバンチ lettering descends along the right side. Dark, dimensional shading gives the characters the appearance of solid blocks, making the title one of the poster’s strongest visual elements.
An ensemble arranged through action: Smaller images of armed characters rise along the left side, while gunmen, smoke, and an exploding bridge fill the lower section. This layered montage presents the film through its performers and physical spectacle rather than relying on a single star portrait.
Contrasting colour and atmosphere: The cool blue upper image gives way to a pale background, scarlet lettering, and the orange-brown tones of the explosions below. That transition captures two central qualities of the film: its melancholy atmosphere and its sudden, overwhelming violence.
English title and Japanese campaign identity: The small English title THE WILD BUNCH, accompanied by “A Phil Feldman Production,” appears at the lower-right edge of the blue section. Its restrained treatment contrasts dramatically with the enormous Japanese title beneath it.
Warner Bros.–Seven Arts, 70mm, and the Japanese Release Pitch
The poster prominently displays 「テクニカラー・パナビジョン」—“Technicolor · Panavision”, alongside a large 70mm emblem. The 70mm designation refers to the advertised theatrical presentation format and reinforces the campaign’s emphasis on cinematic scale.
The Japanese promotional copy promises:
「凄い迫力とど胆をぬく豪快さ！」
“Tremendous impact and breathtaking audacity!”
Together with the gunfire and explosion imagery, this language presents The Wild Bunch as a major theatrical spectacle. The silhouette scene adds a more reflective dimension, suggesting the doomed camaraderie that gives the film its emotional weight.
The Warner Bros.–Seven Arts mark appears at lower left, with the Japanese distributor credit running along the left margin. These details retain the character of the film’s original Japanese presentation.
About STB / Tatekan Posters
Japanese STB / tatekan posters were tall standing-board advertisements, generally printed in two separate sheets and assembled vertically for cinema display. At approximately twice the height of a standard Japanese B2, the format offered exceptional visibility and encouraged distinctive vertical compositions.
Created for temporary theatrical use, these posters were vulnerable to pasting, handling, exposed edges, and disposal after a film’s run. Preserving both sections together presented an additional challenge, making complete surviving examples particularly desirable.
For The Wild Bunch, the format is especially effective: it accommodates both the expansive silhouette image and the elaborate action montage without sacrificing the scale of either. Its rarity and outstanding design make this an exceptional piece of original Peckinpah memorabilia.
Condition Report
Overall condition: excellent, particularly for an original 1969 Japanese STB tatekan of this size and age.
The poster retains strong colour and impressive display impact, with rich blue tones in the upper section and vivid red title lettering below.
Once framed, this poster will display exceptionally, with its dramatic proportions and contrasting imagery providing a remarkable presentation of one of cinema’s great Westerns.
Please review all supplied photographs carefully—front, reverse, and details—as they show the exact poster offered for sale. This is an original 1969 Japanese first-release theatrical poster, not a reproduction or reprint.
A Certificate of Authenticity is included.
