Review 455: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a magnificent Western, a quintessential Western and an absolute classic.

Loosely based on a true story, in late 1890's Wyoming, outlaws Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and his partner the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) carry out a series of train robberies that forced them to go on the run to Bolivia in the hopes of rejuvenating their criminal careers.

The plot is

It's also a thoughtful film that shows how hard it is to change a lifestyle you have to know and how it soon becomes the only thing that you can do.

Director George Roy Hill's direction is taut, visceral and suspenseful the cinematography is beautiful and captures the appeal of Wild West America, the scenery is breathtaking, the score by Burt Bacharach is simply fabulous, the production design is splendid, the costumes are magnificent, the locations are just stunning, the gunfights are excitingly brutal, expertly staged and well choreographed and the ending was shocking and unexpected.

The acting is splendid, Paul Newman & Robert Redford are simply brilliant in their roles as the two titular outlaws. Their chemistry is just enduring  and they work so well off of of each other.
Even though Butch and Sundance are outlaws who commit crimes, they have morals and principles.

Lagging not far behind them is Katherine Ross as Etta Place, Sundance's beautiful, lovely and headstrong love interest.

5/5.

The Anonymous Critic.