Modern and Brilliant

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) – Two of the last old west outlaws try to find their way into the new world. When one of the largest railroads in the nation puts a special posse to bring them in, they flee to Bolivia, believing that life will be simpler and more profitable there.

Directed by George Roy Hill

Starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross

Why I Liked It – A modern classic that tweaks the nose of the classic western with a buddy film that manages to be both funny and sad.

The classic western made saints and heroes out of cowboys and outlaws. Beginning in the 1950s, movies offered a more nuanced look at the “Old West”. Based on the real life “Wild Bunch” gang that robbed its way through the west from the end of the 19^th Century into the beginning of the 20^th, the movie does an acceptable job with the historical facts. On top of those, the script gives plenty of room for Newman and Redford to have fun. After several failed attempts at robbing the trains of the Union Pacific, the company assembles a law enforcement all-star posse to track Butch and Sundance down. That process is much funnier than you might expect! The second half of the movie takes place in Bolivia where the two men along with their girlfriend (it’s a complicated relationship in some ways) Etta, played by Katherine Ross. Ross has a couple good lines, but is mostly decoration. But she’s not alone. The cast is made up of quality character actors, but they are background to Redford and Newman. Those two are brilliant together here, as they are in their only other collaboration, “The Sting”.

There’s a lot to rave about in this movie. The script is great, the direction is amazing, the performances are legendary. It’s got quotable lines (“Who ARE those guys?” among many others). It even has a hit song in “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head”. I must admit that the interlude with the song always strikes me as out of place in the movie. It’s fun, but doesn’t mesh with the rest of the action. That’s the only “off” note for me in the entire production. Roger Ebert hated the tempo of the movie, but I consider it a strong point. There’s plenty of action, but director Hill plays with the timing to keep you and the characters, just a fraction off balance. The chase scenes with the posse are brilliant even though the two groups never get close to one another. This is a masterclass in movie directing.

It scored a ton of awards along the way.

For me, this is a Top Ten modern western.

You can stream “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” on YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and Fandango at Home.

Rating – ***** Highest Recommendation