Retrospective: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Steve Rhodes
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2001 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ****
Since my son had never seen George Roy Hill's classic BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE
SUNDANCE KID from 1969, we decided to rent the DVD for viewing during the
Christmas season. Having not seen it myself in a couple of decades, I was
wondering how it would hold up. It lost the Oscar for best picture that year to
MIDNIGHT COWBOY, a film that I suspect most people will probably agree hasn't
aged nearly as well as BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, which is just as
great today as it was when it was released.
I won't bother to repeat the well-known plot of Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman), his
Hole-in-the-Wall gang of robbers and Butch's sidekick, the Sundance Kid (Robert
Redford). We are told in the intro that most of the story is true. The
authentic sets of the turn of the last century, the vintage pictures and many
other parts of the movie make it feel like a real western but with an
entertainingly modern touch.
The two leads are eminently likable and possess great chemistry together.
Butch, the brains behind the group, avoids fighting whenever possible. As
taciturn as Butch is gregarious, the Sundance Kid smiles a lot but says little.
His fast guns make up for his slow words. Katharine Ross, as the story's love
interest, plays the long-legged and alluring Etta Place. Hands-down for me, the
best part of the movie is the "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" musical
sequence set on a bicycle. This is one of the best musical numbers ever filmed.
Watching it puts you into an instant romantic, dreamy trance.
The movie must also be one of the most mimicked. Among many classic scenes that
we've seen again and again since are the knife fight, the jump off the cliff and
the final shoot out.
One of the most endearing parts of the two guys' characters is how vulnerable
they both are. "I couldn't do that," Butch tells the Sundance Kid about a posse
following them with a nearly inhuman tracking ability. "Could you do that? Why
can they do it? Who are those guys?"
"Who are those guys?" isn't something we have to ask ourselves about Newman and
Redford. They were great before 1969 and have become even better since -- two
of the world's acting treasures.
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID runs 1:50. It is rated PG for western
violence and sensuality and would be acceptable for kids around 8 and up. Rated
before there was a PG-13 rating, the movie would probably get it a PG-13 today
for its violence.
My son Jeffrey, age 12, gave it ***. He liked the characters, the shoot 'em
ups, the sepia tone sequences and the picture's authentic feel.
The movie is available on DVD and video tape. The best part of the DVD is a
mesmerizing documentary on the making of the movie.
Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
Email: Steve....@InternetReviews.com
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