Butch Cassidy
and The Sundance Kid is a 1969 American Western film starring Paul Newman
and Robert Redford. The movie is captivating enough to watch in 2014 and still
feel fresh, as if it were made yesterday. This might be because the focus of
the film isn’t just on the old shootouts (though there are some in the movie)
or confrontations where they have to draw their guns fast enough to survive.
Instead, it has a solid story that’s enjoyable from start to finish. I have to
say I am impressed by the story and the director’s work on this movie.
The story has a
strong beginning, and the introduction to the characters couldn’t have been
done better—one is seen as the muscle, and the other as the brain.
The movie pulls
out all the stops. It has a comedic feel, not to mention the funny lines
delivered by Butch. The events are thrilling, and I especially enjoyed the
chase between the law and Cassidy, with Sundance by his side. How they escape
will make you respect their perseverance for survival.
The movie is
loosely based on the lives of Robert LeRoy Parker, better known in history as
Butch Cassidy (played by Paul Newman), and his partner Harry Longabaugh, known
as the "Sundance Kid" (played by Robert Redford). Both were popular
outlaws in the late 1800s and early 1900s, robbing banks and trains for a
living.
The film kicks
off their story as they escape and go on the run from the law, fleeing America
for Bolivia. While in Bolivia, they return to their life of crime and are
successful—until they fear they’re becoming too well-known. Butch suggests
"going straight," and they take jobs as payroll guards for a mining
company—a job that became available thanks to their previous bank robberies.
On their first
run, they’re ambushed by local bandits, who steal the payroll. They return the
favor, ambushing and killing the bandits. Right then and there, they decide to
return to their old ways, which leads to a tragic end.
The acting in
this film isn’t just good—it’s memorable. I won’t forget Paul Newman’s
portrayal of Butch Cassidy anytime soon.
The movie was a
huge financial success and won four Academy Awards (Best Cinematography, Best
Original Score, Best Music, and Best Writing, Story, and Screenplay Based on
Material Not Previously Published or Produced).
If you haven’t seen this movie before, maybe you should now.
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