Probably the most violent and disturbing movie I have ever seen, moreso I think, because of the time period.
Nevertheless, my favorite kind of movie. An ordinary man finds himself in extraordinary circumstances and rises to meet them and prevail.
One must acknowledge the dark side to be able to control it.
Quite a lot of English villagers can have been none too amused at the way they were depicted. Of course in the seventies that was only the tip of the iceberg. Don't forget all those movies and novels of the period where they turn out to be secret demon worshippers who want the out-of-towners for their annual human sacrifice.
Southerners, of course, were equally ticked at the way they were portrayed in such movies as "Easy Rider" and "Deliverance".