Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a great movie with a very well developed plot and a terrific cast. It is a very enjoyable, edge of your seat western that reels you in almost immediately and engages you from beginning to end. It is vastly entertaining, as any typical western is, but with some great twists and turns throughout. It was a little slow moving at times and there were several moments where I found myself anxiously waiting for things to move forward. There are several dialogue heavy scenes that become monotonous to watch, as we are merely waiting for gunfire to break loose. Paul Newman and Robert Redford are absolutely phenomenal in their respective roles here, Newman is charming and convincing as the experienced one, while Redford fits in perfectly as the naive young one that thinks he knows everything. Their unique back and forth was without a doubt the highlight of the film.Well acted fun. Great performances and an inspired story, I would recommend Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to anyone looking for a good drama or western. Two bank robbers are on the run when the law gets close to them. Best Performance: Robert Redford
... View MoreOne of the most visually appealing westerns I have ever seen. To see Paul Newman and Robert Redford in one of the best roles in there career. This is a great ensemble acting they feed each other throughout the movie. Their interaction makes them so charming and funny that it would be difficult to not root for them, even though they are criminals and are bank robbers. It was actually really funny and clever. The script must have taken quite a while to compose and implement. there's beautiful cinematography and really snappy dialogue. the landscapes are beautiful during the endless chase. I noticed the soundtrack was really modern and contemporary, lot's of great non diegetic sound added to this. There is sharp technical work from the beginning with the silent movie introduction. A very clever and modern western movie. The chemistry between Paul and Robert bring this movie to that next level. Only complain was the second half got a little long it seemed like.
... View MoreReleased is 1969 and directed by George Roy Hill, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford as the eponymous outlaws and key members of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang headquartered near Dubois, Wyoming. After robbing one train too many, the head of Union Pacific hires a six-man team of skilled lawmen to apprehend the duo and so they flee to Bolivia with Sundance's lover & schoolteacher, Etta (Katharine Ross). Strother Martin, Ted Cassidy, Jeff Corey and Cloris Leachman are featured in peripheral roles.The gist of the story is historically accurate, with the movie starting in the late 1890s and ending with the outlaws' deaths in November, 1908, which means the picture encompasses about 9-10 years, although it seems more like a couple of years. In any case, this was a state-of-the-art Western when it was released and a huge success at the box office. The production quality, tone and theme are comparable to 1967's "Bonnie and Clyde." It's a very 'modern' Western, arguably the first (although a good case could be made for 1967's "Hombre"), and therefore holds up well today, hardly seeming dated; that is, disregarding "Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head," which plays during an interlude at the end of the first act. In spirit, the movie inspired future great modern Westerns like "The Missouri Breaks" (1976), "The Long Riders" (1980) and "Unforgiven" (1992), all superlative Westerns that don't seem to age as the decades pass.While Redford was already appearing in significant movies, this is the one that shot him to stardom and he went on to star in notable Westerns like "Tell Them Willie Boy is Here" (1969), "Jeremiah Johnson" (1972) and the great "The Electric Horseman" (1979), the latter taking place in the modern day, of course. As for Newman, it's hard to believe he's the same actor that starred in the aforementioned "Hombre," as his character couldn't be any more different as Butch Cassidy, a fun-loving, witty train robber (in "Hombre" he's the opposite: a laconic, mirthless white man raised by Apaches).Although the tone is similar to "Bonnie and Clyde," I don't think it's on the level of that film. I also don't understand the gushing it often receives. Yes, it's good, but at the end of the day, it's about two thugs who were on a collision course with premature death due to their own folly. Newman and Redford are entertaining as the pair, but it's hard to sympathize with fools who stubbornly insist on carrying on their idiotic thuggery even though they have the awesome opportunity to start a new life.There are two sequels worth checking out: "Wanted: The Sundance Woman," a 1976 TV movie starring Katherine Ross, which shows what happens to Etta after leaving the duo for America; and, especially, "Blackthorn," a 2011 release starring Sam Shepherd as Butch Cassidy in his old age in Bolivia, which presupposes that he somehow survived the ending of this movie.The film runs 110 minutes and was shot in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The script was written by William Goldman.GRADE: B
... View MoreWhen it comes to westerns, generally they were made in the late 1940s up until somewhat early 1960s. However this film came out in the end of the 1960s (1969). This genre was around for a long time and at this point it may have even been dying out. There were many great westerns made before this, yet this is one of the best ones out there. Great action to it, great story to it, and the actors are just phenomenal. As you watch the film, you feel like you're in the wild west with these guys shooting around and chasing down the people. Truly a great film. Would recommend to any western movie genre fan.
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