Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Featured Audience Ratings

• paul s

  
  For my 300th review I recently viewed the "classic' film Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. My recollection of this film was that it was very fresh, exciting, and cutting edge filmmaking. Sadly, as is so often the case when something is a very much a product of it's… More
  For my 300th review I recently viewed the "classic' film Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid. My recollection of this film was that it was very fresh, exciting, and cutting edge filmmaking. Sadly, as is so often the case when something is a very much a product of it's time, it now seems trite, overblown and an experiment gone wrong. Not to say that Newman and Redford don't command your attention, but there is so much that went astray in this 70's retooling of the western genre (in truth, more of a buddy film if you ask me). Starting with the music - I'm sure signing the then very hot Burt Bacharrach to write the soundtrack seemed like gold at the time, and yeah, it did produce a hit song (a hit song in a western???? Oh well, remember Rio Bravo had Ricky Nelson crooning and strumming guitar... at least that marginally fit the theme, while here, the canned popcorn sounds didn't resonate at all. Frankly it got in the way of the film, as if saying, hey, listen up, I'm Burt Bacharrach and this is my groovy sound!). The film starts off well enough, with the sepia toned intro moving into real life while still being sepia. The color doesn't come in until the two stars are riding towards Hole In The Wall, giving the 60's viewer a wow moment of the red rock canyonlands. Of course the print I was viewing must have been an old one, for the color was pretty washed out, sad to say. The filming itself isn't bad, with some really nice use of shading, but there were many a script decision made that went sideways. In trying to stay grounded in The Western, there were too many scenes of horses riding like hell - it made me wonder, seeing both heroes on the back of a single galloping horse - surely the poor horse couldn't keep going nearly as long as the film suggested. Further there are the requisite "shoot the bad guy and watch him fall off the roof" kind of stuff - and then the film attempted to say something more meaningful by cranking up a guy's death scream, then doing a close up of his shot up body writhing in pain. OK, nice attempt, but you can't have it both ways - fantasy and realism cannot truly coincide if you're attempting to make a worthwhile narrative. The real topper though was in the middle of the film, which was running fairly well except for the overuse of the horse chases. For whatever reason, the director decided to get all artsy again, showing a full 5 minutes of "postcard" pictures that conveniently had the stars front and center. WTF? A minute of this "art" would have been too much, so this went on waaaaay too long. In the end what you get with this film is a look into the time in which it was filmed. It was the beginning of an era where boundaries in storytelling were being challenged. Hooray for that, but now the film seems very rooted in those times and very dated. I'm sure it was racy at the time to suggest that there may have been some hanky panky between the Katherine Ross, the female lead and both Newman and Redford - but it was couched in such a way as to be vague and non threatening to the conservative sensibilities. Newman and Redford hold this thing together, exhibiting an easy charm and chemistry and do the most difficult thing of all, seeming natural in a film that wasn't. I've heard that a new film focusing on the Kid's later years (assuming that he somehow survived that final shootout)is in the works - it will be interesting to see how this film will be treated.

• Kase V

  
  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is an iconic film all around, but it's not always a perfect picture. It's minor flaws are overshadowed by it's two stars, a great script, and brilliant cinematography. It has sweep and scope, and plenty of memorable scenes and lines.… More
  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is an iconic film all around, but it's not always a perfect picture. It's minor flaws are overshadowed by it's two stars, a great script, and brilliant cinematography. It has sweep and scope, and plenty of memorable scenes and lines. The modern era may find it a little tedious at times with its pacing issues, but witnessing its legacy is reason alone to watch the classic film.

• xGary X

  
  Legendary outlaws Butch and Sundance rob one too many trains and an elite force of lawmen force them to relocate to Bolivia. Yet another of Hollywood's romantic reinterpretations of history featuring outlaws who are lovable rogues who don't want to hurt anyone, George Roy… More
  Legendary outlaws Butch and Sundance rob one too many trains and an elite force of lawmen force them to relocate to Bolivia. Yet another of Hollywood's romantic reinterpretations of history featuring outlaws who are lovable rogues who don't want to hurt anyone, George Roy Hill's classic western actually features little in the way of gunplay (although the final shoot out is well worth waiting for). The core of the film is Butch and Sundance's enduring friendship and as such it concentrates far more on warmth and humour than bullets and blood; in fact you have to wait til near the end before a single shot is fired. Often when two major stars are paired up, ego prevails and one-upmanship can ruin any potential on-screen chemistry, but once in a while two stars can strike up chemistry that is pure cinematic gold. This is the case with Newman and Redford (a partnership obviously and consciously aped by Clooney and Pitt in the Ocean's films), and its a shame they didn't make more films together. The dialogue is always witty and fun, and the characters are all very endearing; even the romance with Katharine Ross is refreshingly schmaltz-free and understated, and is all the more charming for it. The only dark cloud on the horizon are the cornball musical interludes which some may find some kitsch enjoyment in, but I personally found them dated and unnecessary. This flaw is minor compared to the hugely entertaining whole and it features one of the best endings ever filmed.

• Tim S

  
  Fantastic character film. Although not really very, I dunno, westerney. At least to me. It's more about the characters than the surroundings anyways. The music is a little dodgy and out of date in places, but other than that I love it.

• AJ V

  
  I don't normally like westerns, but this movie was good. The cast is good first of all, and the story is both sweet and exciting. It's more like a combination of a period piece and Bonnie and Clyde, and less of a normal western. It's a really great movie.

• Coxxie M

  
  WHEE DOGGEE SUNDANCE CHEATED!!!... oh ok lets see them ride horses in the river. WAIT WAIT BUTCH IS FIGHTING HIS OWN GANG!! .... oh nevermind now theyre riding bikes in the sunshine to Burt Bacurach songs. So its pretty hit and miss. Basically i watch westerns to NOT see cowboys… More
  WHEE DOGGEE SUNDANCE CHEATED!!!... oh ok lets see them ride horses in the river. WAIT WAIT BUTCH IS FIGHTING HIS OWN GANG!! .... oh nevermind now theyre riding bikes in the sunshine to Burt Bacurach songs. So its pretty hit and miss. Basically i watch westerns to NOT see cowboys riding pussy bikes in the stupid pussy green field and falling in love while NOT killing bad guys!

• Nelson P

  
  To say this movie is a masterpiece of film making would almost not do it enough justice. I can say I loved this movie growing up, not exactly understanding its message and over all philosophy, but I enjoyed all the same, but now it really speaks to me and I see on a totally different… More
  To say this movie is a masterpiece of film making would almost not do it enough justice. I can say I loved this movie growing up, not exactly understanding its message and over all philosophy, but I enjoyed all the same, but now it really speaks to me and I see on a totally different level. This has probably two of the greatest performances seen in any movie of any genre. Paul Neman and Robert Redford prove that while they can be whole hearted and charming they can also pull every string of every emotion. The piece of artwork created here made it a classic in its day, but will also stand the test of time as one of the greatest movies ever made.

• Mike S

  
  Slick, witty and incredibly classy western! Even though I, as mentioned in previous reviews, have never been much into westerns, the cinematography and acting alone here made it into an above-average experience. And in containing more than a few well-crafted action scenes, it's… More
  Slick, witty and incredibly classy western! Even though I, as mentioned in previous reviews, have never been much into westerns, the cinematography and acting alone here made it into an above-average experience. And in containing more than a few well-crafted action scenes, it's quite hard to believe that this movie was actually made in the 1960's. In other words, it sure isn't called a classic for nothing :-)<br/><br/>"Raindrops keeps falling on my head..."

• Dan S

  
  Although it misses "masterpiece" territory by ever so little, this is a mostly great film featuring two terrific turns from both Paul Newman and Robert Redford, a robbing duo who are on the run from their toughest opponent yet. There are instances when director George Roy… More
  Although it misses "masterpiece" territory by ever so little, this is a mostly great film featuring two terrific turns from both Paul Newman and Robert Redford, a robbing duo who are on the run from their toughest opponent yet. There are instances when director George Roy Hill overplays the humor card, although I still found the movie funny mostly. This film also gets compared to "Bonnie and Clyde" due to its good sense of humor and the ability to combine that with hard-hitting violence. The thing is, the relationship between Sundance and Cassidy isn't as magnetic as the one between Bonnie and Clyde, although I confess I still liked both characters quite a lot. The ending shoot-out is a blast, and the river jump is just classic stuff. Definitely worthy of the praise it gets, but I don't see it as completely flawless.

• Jon L

  
  This was a great, fun film and a pretty good western. It wasn't as memorable as some others westerns I've seen and although the soundtrack and music selection was great for the most part, I found that "Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head", although added to the… More
  This was a great, fun film and a pretty good western. It wasn't as memorable as some others westerns I've seen and although the soundtrack and music selection was great for the most part, I found that "Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head", although added to the scene, it really dated the film. Yes, it is one of the great American films, worth watching, just not one of my more memorable films to watch.

• Corey W

  
  A western with such high praise, in my own opinon, doesn't really deserve it. With what I thought was dull, slow-moving, and non-the-less un-enjoyable is somewhat rated 90 percent in reality. I guess this means I have bad taste. Whatever. [More coming soon]

• Ross C

  
  The ultimate outlaw buddies movie. You can tell it would have been something very special indeed back in '69, but now it's been imitated so many times it doesn't seem like anything new. Paul Newman is in top form in this movie that is so well made it feels plausible.… More
  The ultimate outlaw buddies movie. You can tell it would have been something very special indeed back in '69, but now it's been imitated so many times it doesn't seem like anything new. Paul Newman is in top form in this movie that is so well made it feels plausible. Great humour ("Who are those guys?!") and a great end scene.

• Chris W

  
  Besides being a super influential classic, this film is also lots of fun. It basically has everything:comedy, romance, drama, adventure, and a good story to tell. The way it's told, with a few great dialogue free sequences here and there, as well as some beautiful camera work,… More
  Besides being a super influential classic, this film is also lots of fun. It basically has everything:comedy, romance, drama, adventure, and a good story to tell. The way it's told, with a few great dialogue free sequences here and there, as well as some beautiful camera work, doesn't hurt either. This is the quintessential buddy film.

• Conner R

  
  The quintessential American western, perfect in every way. It is perhaps the most tastefully done, visually captivating movie of its time. Mainstream movies just don't get any more artistic, the visual style is extremely unique and a character in itself. Paul Newman and Robert… More
  The quintessential American western, perfect in every way. It is perhaps the most tastefully done, visually captivating movie of its time. Mainstream movies just don't get any more artistic, the visual style is extremely unique and a character in itself. Paul Newman and Robert Redford delivered knockout performances that have you siding with the outlaws. It's a fun movie, but one that delivers all the great aspects of the genre, leaving you in awe.

• Daniel P

  
  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is that rare Hollywood film that manages to at once be entertaining and a piece of art... that "Art House" is a genre in itself should tell us just how rare this is. The Western meets the buddy comedy meets the biopic in this one, and… More
  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is that rare Hollywood film that manages to at once be entertaining and a piece of art... that "Art House" is a genre in itself should tell us just how rare this is. The Western meets the buddy comedy meets the biopic in this one, and George Roy Hill's sepia-toned stills combined with a touching soundtrack come to life like no other film. Every shot is beautiful, every colour magnificent, and every line a good one: even the ones that are deliberately hokey. Paul Newman is good, sure, but Robert Redford steals the show in arguably his best performance. The supporting cast holds its own, and the result is one of the greatest films you will ever see. It's sharp, but it's accessible: well-plotted, believable, and yet completely enchanting as well. It's a fine line to walk, and Butch does it better than 99.9% of films ever made. Simply amazing. Watch this movie as soon as you can.

• Thomas B

  
  This is such a great movie. It basically engineered what we now refer to as the buddy movie and perfectly portrays this great pair of guys, Butch and Sundance. It has a perfect balance of beautiful moments, humour, drama and action as well as a good dose of suspense. Robert Redford is… More
  This is such a great movie. It basically engineered what we now refer to as the buddy movie and perfectly portrays this great pair of guys, Butch and Sundance. It has a perfect balance of beautiful moments, humour, drama and action as well as a good dose of suspense. Robert Redford is my favourite of the pair with a perfect performance of Sundance. The way he speaks his fantastic lines is extraordinary (Butch: "How long have we been here?" Sundance: "A while." Butch: "How long should we wait?" Sundance: "A while longer." Butch: "How come you're so talkative?" Sundance: "Dunno. Naturally blabby I guess." Brilliant.) and his slouching turned catlike way of moving is so much fun to watch. Paul Newman is great too. Even though it would be easy to be swallowed up by Redford's great character, Newman is the larrican of the two and just as loveable. His fantastic scene on the bicycle is a testament to this. However, these two characters alone a movie would not make. It is the comeradery between the two which brings the film into classic status the way they know what each other are thinking before the other does is a great thing to see. Katharine Ross is good for the time she spends onscreen, though she is almost unnecessary to the overall success of the film. The ending is written in history and even though Inglourious Basterds showed us that the truth is optional, it would have been foolish to end this story any other way. This is a great film, even labelled as a family film somehow. Really good movie, for anyone, I don't care who you are. Defining Scene: There are many good ones but it's hard to go past that fantastic jump. Great writing and great jumping. Great movie.

• Anthony L

  
  The best buddy film ever made. It?s got everything you could ever want in a film, I could watch this film over and over again and never get tired of it! Classic!

• Cassie H

  
  I love this. It's such a awesome western about the hole in the wall gang that Butch and Sundance lead.Another thing is that Paul Newman and Robert Redford had great performances, and Redford was so adorable and gorgeous and Newman was very attractive as well. I love this movie.… More
  I love this. It's such a awesome western about the hole in the wall gang that Butch and Sundance lead.Another thing is that Paul Newman and Robert Redford had great performances, and Redford was so adorable and gorgeous and Newman was very attractive as well. I love this movie. :)

• Al S

  
  An non-stop enjoyable adventure. An excellent movie. A wonderfiul film that packs lots of laughs, romance, thrills and plenty of action. One of the greatest westerns ever made. Paul Newman and Robert Redford are fantastic. These two redefine the standard buddy movie and deliver with… More
  An non-stop enjoyable adventure. An excellent movie. A wonderfiul film that packs lots of laughs, romance, thrills and plenty of action. One of the greatest westerns ever made. Paul Newman and Robert Redford are fantastic. These two redefine the standard buddy movie and deliver with amasing chemistry that makes me love them more and more everytime i watch this film. This is one classic film that will be remebered for years.

• Jason O

  
  This is without a doubt one of the best classic movies I've ever seen and probably ever will see. I don't watch that many movies that were made before the 80's very often, but I have watched this movie about 5 times. It's a great film that features two of the best… More
  This is without a doubt one of the best classic movies I've ever seen and probably ever will see. I don't watch that many movies that were made before the 80's very often, but I have watched this movie about 5 times. It's a great film that features two of the best actors of all time in Robert Redford and Paul Newman. The duo robbed one too many trains and that sets them off on a fast-paced journey to the tops of mountains, through towns, and many other places while trying to keep from being caught by people who are after them. For a nice subplot, the whole time, they both want the same woman. I recommend anyone to buy this movie cause it's a timeless classic to say the least. If you haven't seen it yet, you got to. It's one adventure you won't ever forget! Note: This was my Amazon review from 2000 - I've watched the movie a few times since then and STILL love it! Not only is the action and story a joy to watch, it'll also have you rolling with its comedic parts. "1 2 3, GO! *punch!*"

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