Review of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) by John P — 01 Aug 2014

Ever since I first saw it as a child, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid has always been one of my favorite movies. It was such a different take on the old west and life of an outlaw than I'd seen before, or that anyone had seen for that matter. More playful than even John Ford's most light hearted works, but without the sappiness of the old singing cowboy comedies, it made the west seem like not only a grand adventure, but also great fun. With its oddball sense of humor and the interplay between its two stars, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is both a great western and perhaps the best buddy comedy Hollywood ever made.

As the title suggests, the film follows the exploits of two of the Wild West's most infamous outlaws, who with their Hole in the Wall Gang robbed banks and trains far and wide, earning themselves a reputation as some of the move dangerous men alive. But you'd never know it if you met them. Far from hardened outlaws, Butch and Sundance are friendly, laid back cutups who find enjoyment where they can and never take life too seriously. Charming to a fault, they're even nice to the people they're robbing. They're not really bad men you see; they just have expensive tastes and a strong aversion to hard work.

Whether it's a narrow getaway, a stick up, or a friendly visit to the nearest brothel, everything they touch becomes good natured fun, and it all works because of the men playing them. Hiring Paul Newman and then newcomer Robert Redford as Butch and Sundance was one the great happy coincidences in Hollywood history, like casting Ingrid Bergman opposite Humphrey Bogart, and began an on screen partnership even more enduring. The chemistry between these men is incredible; even knowing this was their first film together it's hard to believe they hadn't known each other all their lives.

On their own each man has exceptional wit and charisma. Together they're the perfect comedic duo; Butch the talkative joker, Sundance the tight lipped strait man. Never overplaying their shtick, they always lay on just the right amount of humor. When times are good they're like a pair of schoolboys playing hooky. When times are bad they're worse than an old married couple.

Of course not all the credit goes to the actors. The director and the screenplay are crucial to the film's ability to keep its cheery tone. Even when Butch and Sundance are running for their lives, hounded by the best lawmen and trackers in the west, it's no reason for things to get serious. Now they're just a couple of saps who can't catch a break, leading them to a harebrained stunt that remains one of the screen's great moments of physical comedy.

Much of the film's humor and charm come from its dialogue, yet at times it accomplishes a great amount with no words at all. The New York montage condenses the story of their fun in the big city and their departure for South America into a few brief moments, the series of black and white stills and old timey waltzes and carnival music wonderfully evocative of the period. An entire string of Bolivian robberies likewise becomes a cheerful musical interlude.

And speaking of musical interludes, the whole movie is so carefree and delightfully screwball that it even manages to make the dreaded Semi-Obligatory Lyrical Interlude- in which lover's engage in pleasant activities that have nothing to do with the plot- work. Rationally there's no reason why a scene of Paul Newman riding a bicycle with a woman we've just met should follow a train robbery, but here it's so charming that we either forget that or just don't car. There's simply something magical about watching Newman and Katherine Ross peddling around that meadow, and his wordless 'daredevil' scene is the best thing since Buster Keaton.

Yet the good times can't last forever, certainly not for men in their line of work. The fact is that the world they know is passing away. The Wild West isn't as wild as it used to be, and their profession is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. They realize this and go halfway around the world to a place that's still wild and lawless in an attempt to forestall it. It works for a while, but it's only so long before their past starts to catch up with them. In the blink of an eye things turn deadly serious, and we realize that the world's closing in on them and they can't escape it, no matter how far they go. In the end Butch and Sundance died as they lived; on their own terms, as outlaws, and following no-one's rules but their own.