Review of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) by Casey K — 20 May 2015

This film starts off very well and has a good and cute little introduction to our characters with font that would look like the basis of what would be standard for Sony Vegas. This is a very iconic, influential film and is a fondly remembered classic Western, if they gave Best Picture based on what remained fondly remembered, this would win, but I thought 'Midnight Cowboy' was excellent, and, hey, at least they both won for Writing. It was surprising to find out that such a romantic and classic song, 'Raindrops keep Fallin' on my Head' came from a film like this and he should have been more careful on that bike! The story is the basis for what would inspire the modern action story as it is tight and thoroughly watchable. The film has a great style and looks absolutely wonderful, early on in the film everything has a gold tint to it and is very unique; I also expected Kid to be shot when he was accused of cheating. The film has an absolutely grand feel that has some absolutely beautiful shots; it also stages the action well and has a fantastically original, memorable and catchy soundtrack. The film also has a great sense of humour, a scene in particular about Kid saying he isn't picky and then goes on to demonstrate how picky he was, was just a nice little way of putting humour in there, although it ended strangely. There was also a point where Kid says, 'I'm better when I move', I expected Butch to say, 'I can see that'. There was a part with a huge explosion after using too much dynamite that should have killed them because of the spirit the film has and how much fun you're having, it doesn't matter.

The acting is naturally great and the pairing of Newman and Redford is legendary. These two would go on to work with George Roy Hill a few years later as well, to huge success, even bigger than this! Funny how the one that is most remembered out of the two didn't win Best Picture, but, hey, neither got Best Sound! It made me laugh that Butch said it was his gang, poor Kid. Speaking of which, Harvey looked like Josh Brolin and Woodcock reminded me of Kevin Spacey whilst being the kind of character that he would play as well, but even if there was a remake, which hopefully won't happen, no way would either of those do such small parts. It is also the big screen debut of Sam Elliott! It made me laugh that there as a 'Cassidy' involved with production of this film and that person was Harvey, funnily enough. When they rob another train and the authorities finally decide to do something about it, with our characters just standing and watching, I don't think the intrigue of that went anywhere. There is certainly something very ominous about watching torches just continually following you throughout the night as well as the fact that they're always on the horizon just consistently on your tail. Even if you do have to wonder if they would continue to follow for so long but I'm surprised that the authorities never saw them, even once, as it did seem at some points that they were very close. There was a part with a very loud gunshot that Kid fires where, just from looking at their face, it looks like it spells doom; I even wondered at some point if the people following them was their own gang, or, whatever was left of it. I know we see the authorities coming from the train at the start to chase after them but you never know what might have happened, maybe that would be a plot point in a remake and it would give Harvey something big to do and they seemed to have found that person they tied up pretty quickly. I'm also surprised that the conductors of the trains just let them rob it with little to no resistance; you could argue that the gang had weapons, but still, it seemed odd. There's also a shot from someone's perspective on top of a cliff with a shotgun near the start of the film and I thought they were going to start to open fire on Cassidy and Kid.

Despite the fact that William Goldman is an excellent writer, who would go on to work with Redford again in another Oscar winning screenplay, especially with this as it is an original screenplay, as you would probably expect this to be based on a book of these characters or something, the things I didn't like all that much are parts of the script, some of the dialogue felt a little stiff and out of place, mostly by what Butch says, coupled with the fact that Kid didn't talk all that much. The way that he said 'they're getting on my nerves' or 'who are those guys' or how they both say 'no fooling' right after one another or that a character stops, when he is being chased, just to make a witty quip just seemed odd when they were spoken by the actors. I know the film is based on real exploits but I find it very stupid of the characters that have just relocated to a new area to escape the law; I might add, go and rob a bank the very next day. It wasn't even like they were hiding it either; they go to a restaurant in the evening and recite the language of the phrases they need to know and nobody caught onto that fact? Especially after the fact that there are wanted posters posted around anyway.

I also didn't really feel that the characters liked each other all that much or were all that developed. We do learn things about our characters right up until the very end, even with a very critical thing you would have expected Butch to already tell Kid before this situation in the last reel. Kid tells Butch to shut up, because telling the brains to shut up makes sense. Butch remarks at one point about being a hero, which is odd seeing as how the scene before involved him robbing a bank. Throughout the film they are very clearly being hunted to be killed, not to be put in jail but one of them still remarks that if they give themselves up they might just get jail time, really? Earlier on Butch says he is going to jump in a river, he later says that the fall would kill them and then they both go to jump anyway, because that makes sense? It also seemed odd how Kid understood the foreign language well but wasn't the one to speak it himself. There is also a very odd bed scene where it looks like Kid is forcing someone he doesn't know into doing something she doesn't want to do but then it's revealed that they're together, but that relationship was weird because she was spending time with Butch as well. There was one point where it looked like he was pretending to reach for his gun when Kid says, 'take her', but even with that it is terrible because he clearly isn't too bothered about her. I know Kid was needed for lookout but I do find it odd how Kid was on watch in the very same room that Butch was trying to be with a girl, in.

While the editing of the film is good, there is a picture montage of their trip to where they are going in the film and it goes on too long to the point where it overstays its welcome and we get the point. It goes on so long you'd expect them to just film it and splice clips together, but, hey, it's cheaper to a montage as well and it wasn't all bad. There was a point where they go to find proper jobs, which is about time, and I thought it was funny that they were standing so far away from the table; I thought they would just be right in front of it. I bring that up because later on here is a gun fight and they don't get hit, of course but before that, there is a shoot out that goes very loud all of a sudden and then quiet and all the while has someone screaming 'no' in the background and it seemed odd.

They should have run out the back at the end and that immediate look of horror that Butch shows is excellent and ends it well. I read that they ran off into the sunset whilst being shot and killed but the way this ends is great, fits the excellent style and somewhat leaves it open, to spare us from what is happening as well. I really did enjoy the film, but like usual, if I have issues I will focus on those more just to get my point across instead of just repeating what has already been said but I really did enjoy this film a lot. It has a solid story, good acting and is a fun film to watch that was excellently crafted and remains a classic for good reason.