Review of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) by Cameron H — 18 Jul 2015

If Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid weren't real people, or if Hollywood had zero respect for the two, I could see this launching a franchise similar to Indiana Jones. No, not The Man With No Name. These Wild West outlaws don't take themselves seriously enough to fit in the same category as the Spaghetti Western types. These two are swashbucklers. Regardless of whom the people were in real life, Paul Newman as Butch and Robert Redford as Sundance must be one of my favourite on-camera duos. Butch makes the rules and breaks them all the same, and shoots with his words far more than his bullets. Sundance fortifies his macho exterior so that only those that he loves would dare see his mooshy side. Neither of them give a hoot about anything, besides unnecessarily killing innocent lives. Saying that might hint that screenwriter William Goldman wanted to portray the two as anti-heroes. I would agree, but this isn't a case of the director, George Roy Hill, glamourizing the Wild West culture. One scene that clarifies the truth about Butch and Sundance is when the two are trying to compromise with a bribed sheriff, pleading to start clean. The sheriff refuses because, for criminals with such a legendary history, there is no way to start clean. And just like Butch and Sundance, we quickly look past that because there's just too much fun to be had in all of the commotion of bank robberies, high-speed chases, and few, but fantastic, shootouts. The lack of action may actually be a great strength of the movie, never bogged down by repetition. The "villains" (with respect to Butch and Sundance) never appear face-front or speak on screen, while the romantic interest Etta (Katharine Ross), a schoolteacher bored of her village life, stands out as a self-motivated accomplice. There are a couple of scenes where the movie wants to feel old-timey, by means of a silent film, still photos for a montage, and an entire scene in sepia tone. And, most importantly, the story progresses through humour. When it feels like our heroes are about to be wooped, PUNCHLINE. The movie ends on a punchline! And this is still based almost entirely on the true story of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. However much needed to be tweaked, the tale of the two outlaws is both exhilarating and hilarious, and the small touches I mentioned add a unique charm.

[If you do read my reviews, understand that I'm not trying to articulate perfectly. I write these as personal reference, in case I need to remember what I liked or disliked about a movie. I didn't dislike anything about this one.].