A thrilling bank robbing criminal duo.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) is George Roy Hill's imaginative and fun spin on the Western genre. Hill directed Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with an eye for unique shots. Every one of the film's wild shootouts is gripping to the last moment. His use of camera tricks, directorial angles, and sudden jump cuts is incredibly creative.
George Roy Hill is particularly brilliant for starting the film with a sepia toned suspense sequence with a card game with Sundance. Hill's choice immediately sucks you into the world of Western shootouts, card games, visiting brothels, and the high stakes game of bank robbing. The first fade in of color is as breathtaking as the horizon Butch Cassidy and Sundance ride towards. Hill also uses editors John C. Howard and Richard C. Meyer's quick cuts in his editing to make the audience jump like with Sundance's first quick draw of rapid firing bullets or the train explosions. I really like Hill's perspective behind the fence while Butch rides a bicycle so that the motion of his riding looks like a film reel. The sepia toned montage of pictures while the two bandits escape to Bolivia is very fun too. Hill just understands how to direct beautiful scenes and thrilling chase sequences.
Conrad Hall's cinematography is a stunning use of far wide shots for epic scale natural scenery. The dry desert and green valleys look phenomenal in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The extended chase sequence in the center of the film is gripping as you are constantly looking in the distance like the duo of robbers on the run for any sign of the law. Hall's viewpoint keeps you on edge at all times while Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid keep riding.
The soundtrack to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is classic tunes from 1969. They songs fit the film with an easy personality like a breeze of air grasping the characters as well as the atmosphere. The score from composer Burt Bacharach is charming or encompasses a chill vibe that keeps you either in still suspense or relaxed like the two at ease heroes.
Notably, the supporting cast in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is impeccable. Katharine Ross is dreamy as Sundance's steadfast girlfriend Etta Place. Jeff Corey gets a shining moment when he scolds Butch and Sundance as Sheriff Bledsoe. Even a young Cloris Leachman makes an appearance as the sultry Agnes that makes out with Butch Cassidy. All in all, this is a prime example of a skilled supporting cast.
Lastly, Paul Newman and Robert Redford are indescribable as the leading men Butch Cassidy and Sundance, respectively. Newman is surprisingly hilarious as the charming intellectual Butch. Newman transforms William Goldman's witty script into verbal genius. Redford is really cool as the calm and calculating sharp shooter Sundance. Redford makes you believe he is a deadly sure shot with his intense eyes and lackadaisical attitude that exudes confidence. Together, their charisma and chemistry is palpable. Newman and Redford make this film a classic with realistic performances and endless charm. Butch Cassidy and Sundance are as cool as criminals have ever looked in cinema.
Check out this excellent Western crime thriller! The chase sequences and shootouts are worth the price of admission alone!
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