The passage of years hasn't been gentle to this tightly controlled film, despite its underlying simplicity. Academic “David,” portrayed by Dustin Hoffman, has relocated with his wife, “Amy” (Susan George), to Cornwall so he can pursue his astrophysics research and she can, apparently, find something to do beyond irritating her former suitor, “Charlie” (Del Henney). Initially, "David" appears somewhat weak, an obvious target for the local villagers led by the unpleasant and intoxicated “Tom” (Peter Vaughan). This becomes apparent when the newly married couple hires “Charlie” and a few of his friends to repair their roof. Nearly every man in the village seems to desire “Amy,” and they intend to get what they want. When conflict finally erupts, the film doesn't shy away from depicting the expected violence, especially concerning "David’s" actions, but I felt manipulated into being shocked; the couple’s relationship lacks any real substance, and neither character is well-developed. These elements are presented in a rather predictable and somber fashion. There’s no question that it would have been shocking when first released—the censors certainly had a field day with it on both sides of the ocean—but now the entire film feels constructed to highlight a mix of sexual immaturity, even perversion, alongside an examination of how people behave when their basic survival instincts take over. Sam Peckinpah creates a raw and simmering atmosphere, but I found that it took too many broad shots at rural communities whose members were all interconnected and presented them with a degree of contrived brutality intended more for dramatic impact than believability.

Source on TMDB