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Who ARE those guys?
Outlaws Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert
Redford) were at one time the supreme rulers of the Old West. But when
an incredible superposse is amassed by one E.H. Harriman of the
Union-Pacific Railroad with the sole purpose of capturing the two dead or
alive, they know their days of robbing in America are at an end. Along with
Sundance's girl Etta Place (Katherine Ross) they flee to Bolivia with
intent to renew their notorious occupation. Unfortunately the times are
changing everywhere and they find that wherever they go they are
outnumbered and at a crossroads- their options are to either
retire from lawlessness and drift into the obscurity of normal lives, or
continue to steal at an ever-growing risk of having no life at all.
Directed by George Roy Hill, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a
film somewhat indicative of the movies of the time period in which it was
made, but clearly stands out amid other cinematic offerings not possessing
nearly the panache this movie holds and has attracted new audiences for
going on forty years. Both subtle and leisurely paced, it draws the viewer
in with a wide offering of intriguing elements and seems to invite one to
ponder any number of attributes inherent to the human condition. It may not
be the first thinking man's Western, but it's likely the most popular from
its time period. It is hard to slap a description on this film that will
tell a new viewer what to expect- its light hearted, a comedy, a tragedy, a
Western, a somewhat cerebral action film. Its a character study into the
workings of two outlaws who manage to somehow share the love of one woman
with little animosity. Its a study into the workings of friendship; a sad
look at obsolescence, regardless of the age of the dinosaur. One thing that
enables a film to receive classic renown is its ability to entertain the
viewer with repeated viewings, and almost four decades after this movie's
debut its still alot of fun to watch.
Of significance is the fact that we are watching a movie about a time
bittersweet in not only the lives of our 'heroes', but also the cold
blooodedness of inevitable progress itself. We are only privy to snippets
of information pointing to the glory years of Butch and Sundance, thus their
careers and legends are not so much glorified as they are eulogized here; we
witness a train robbery barely worth their undertaking, then another which
forces them to leave the country or else meet their almost certain demise.
We do witness a kind of semi-retirement they enjoy before leaving for
Bolivia, but the pair have little desire to change in spite of their ever
increasing difficulty in successfully being outlaws.
There are a number of telling ways in which it is conveyed throughout the
movie that this is a story marking the end of an era. The opening credits
show us footage of the Hole In The Wall Gang being portrayed in silent film.
After this we watch Butch surveying the closing of a newly built bank,
complete with electric alarms, closed heavy vaults, lock doored tellers
windows, improved security- and hear Butch lamenting the passage of flawed
but elegant simplicity in deference to improved but rather heartless
efficiency. There is the advent of the bicycle, a early precursor to the
automobile and the demise of the horse as transportation. The uber-posse of
veritable lawman all-stars being amassed by the railroad with the sole
purpose of putting an final end to Butch and Sundance robbing their trains
and being seen as heroic to the everyman in their doing so. This band of
lawmen were brought together with the sole purpose of taking the boys out,
and it has been orchestrated in a calculated, ahead-thinking manner. Butch's
old trail pal/sheriff Bledsoe tells the boys in no placating terms something
he sees clearly that Butch and Sundance seem to be ignoring- they've
inexplicably lived past their glory years, should long since have died in a
manner worth their legend, regardless,their day is over and they are going
to die bloody, plain and simple.
The Bolivia endeavors that make up the second half of the film are
bittersweet in nature, showcasing their ill-fated renaissance period; after
some irksome growing pains learning the language and habits of the locals,
Butch and Sundance once more begin plying their trade with ever growing
success and style in a country not used to such ingenuity. Unfortunately
this also works against the boys, as the two Americans stand out in too many
ways to the Bolivians to be able to blend in to the masses with any kind of
long period of success. It isn't long before the description "banditos
yankees" is on the tips of South American tongues and they begin feeling the
pressure of giving up the game altogether, going straight. Unfortunately
their attempt at leaving crime turns out to be bloodier than being bandits,
and they quickly abandon the idea in spite of Etta's pleas to try something
else such as farming or ranching. As a result, she quietly informs the two
that she is 'leaving ahead of them' for home. She is their mutual muse, an
angel in their midst, their tie to an existence more sane and domestic; she
warned the two before leaving for Bolivia that the one thing she would not
do is watch them die. Their refusal to give up robbery in spite of the ever
increasing odds against them is an almost certain kiss of death; Etta knows
it, solemnly leaving the two the next day. Of note there aren't any goodbye
scenes between the three, in a sense conveying to the viewer that for Etta
they were dead men long before she departed. Not in the eyes of the
boys; up until their last moments, bleeding and amid gunfire they are
searching for a way to continue their habit, their
addiction- even if it means going to Australia. The Bolivian Army sees to it
there are no more pages to be added to the legend.
Of all the things this movie manages to do right, the one most notable is
its pairing of two incredibly popular stars- Newman and
Redford. Newman of course was long since established at this point, and Redford was an actor already getting acclaim for his stage and comedic film work, just waiting for a role like this to push him into stardom. After this film they would combine forces again only on the popular
1974 offering The Sting, but for decades, in fact to this day, rumors and
musings have surfaced from time to time about the possibility of the two
making a new film together. The reasons for this are obvious. Any number of
actors have been paired in projects both before and since in an effort to
generate big box office revenue, but one would be hard pressed to name many
more successful ones than this. It is tempting to call Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid the original buddy movie, though that would be a stretch. It is
a piece of work in which we are given the impression that these two fine
actors are equally important throughout the story; they share the screen
together in a way so naturally one can hardly take one's eyes away from it.
Most buddy movies of these times come across as jagged attempts to give each
mega-star his due, showcasing a few blatant scenarios in which each can
shine, then haphazardly throwing them both together in the spotlight; in
almost all cases
one preening superstar or another appears to be the winning 'alpha male'.
Not so here. The respect and regard both actors seem to defer to one another
on this project is undeniable- they work together as if they had known each
other most of their lives. Newman and Redford is perhaps as graceful a
pairing of actors as I've seen in any film.
Newman is 12 years Redford's senior, but watching this movie I was surprised
to discover this; they appear to be peers in both age and poise. Viewed so
many years past this movie's debut the fact that Redford was still in the
early stages of his career isn't as evident, as he has gone on to do so much
successful work both as an actor and director in the decades since. That it
was such an early effort for him is amazing. The Butch Cassidy role was
almost certainly tailored for Paul Newman to play, for Newman comes across
as Newman here; affable, graceful, cerebral, yet with a masculine magnetism
women have swooned over decade after decade. While the tagline throughout
revolves around Newman's Cassidy being the thinking man's outlaw, the take
Redford gives on his Sundance character gives the impression of a man of
equal depth and thoughtfulness. Their union seems seamless, the characters
similar though different in their respective talents. Butch may be the
thinker, but he's dangerous like a sleeping snake; Sundance may be the
gunfighter, but he's capable of thinking his way out of trouble to improve
his chances for survival. The almost constant stream of one liners and
wordplay may seem out of place in what should be a Western about two
outlaws, but there is little denying the fact that it is an integral reason
why the movie is so well liked even today. Somewhere along the line the
screenwriter, director and stars themselves turned what should be two
blatantly different characters into twin sons of different mothers. You know
what? It works. While this isn't the first buddy movie, it is probably the
first to have been done this well and even in the decades since one is hard
pressed to name a better example of the genre.
Much has been made over the years of the "Raindrops" sequence early in the
film- the lighthearted love triangle of Redford, Newman and Ross shown in a
dreamy, carefree moment at Etta's home that seems more than a little out of
place in the movie. Granted, there are valid reasons for many people not
liking this portion of the film; it has a watering down effect on what in
many ways is just about a perfect movie; critics point to this segment in order to validate their claims the film being unworthy of such praise. It also seriously dates the
movie in a way some don't see in a positive manner. In its defense, it is
indicative of the filmmaking style of the times, heavy on lilting melodic
pieces interspersed throughout many notable movies of the period (cases in
point, The Graduate and Midnight Cowboy) and director Hill wanted this movie
to have one as well; in reality there are three musical sequences in the
movie, the difference being that fact that the other two have no lyrical
content. Another forgiving point here is it does give the viewer a look at
the bandits being more human, and validates the fact that when they make
their escape to Bolivia, Etta is eventually in tow to the approval of both.
Personally I think the film would have been a better one without the piece,
but I've grown used to it and it doesn't nearly take away from my
appreciation for the movie as a whole these days as it may have, say, 10
years ago. Noteworthy is the fact that Hal David and Burt Bacharach won an
Oscar for best song because of "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head", giving
the movie one more bragging right and footnote in cinematic history. Love it
or hate it, its there- and according to the documentary material is there
because Hill insisted upon having it there.
Any number of points can be brought up as to why Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid is an enduring favorite decades later. Newman and Redford will
always be the reason that stands above all others, but that in itself
wouldn't keep the movie alive. The cinematography on this film bears
mentioning; the scope and breadth of the West presented to the viewer is
incredible. Director Hill crafted a film that evenhandedly paces action,
comedy, and romance. While Katherine Ross may not seem to have a alot to say
or do in the film, she speaks volumes with facial expressions conveying joy,
excitement, concern and ultimately sad resignation. Its the kind of movie
that stands out in the careers of all those involved with it regardless of
their successes before and after.
The DVD-
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid is presented as a two disc set and
comes in a standard-sized clear box with a cardboard slipcase; it also
includes a fine insert with several pages of pictures from the movie as well
as some tidbits which one would need to watch the various documentaries in
order to discover.
Video-
The aspect ratio for the movie is 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Picture
quality on the old edition has always been irksome to me, but this new print
is something I can easily live with. There is no comparison to the old
release- get rid of it and double dip on this one. I watched this with a
critical eye in 1080i and frankly was blown away. Colors are aptly rendered;
at times they seem a bit on the weak side, but for the most part are very
true; skin tones appear natural, blues and greens are rich and accurate and
blacks here are deep black; I spotted nothing in the way of oversaturation.
While there is some slight print damage, a good deal of care has been taken
in cleaning up as well as sharpening the image; dirt here is negligable. Fox
has finally turned this movie into one that is a visual treat to watch.
Until an HD version hits the marketplace this should more than do the
job.
Note: There is an HD version of this film available that was released on JVC's D-VHS format but I've never seen it and can't comment on how this one compares.
Audio-
Sound options here are Dolby Digital Stereo, the original mono track, as
well as Spanish and French mono options. While nothing spectacular the
stereo track does the job well enough with the action centered at the front.
Extras-
There is a wealth of additional content here, with something for just about
anyone who is a fan of the movie. Some of it is a bit redundant but still
worth checking out. Happily, all the extras from the first DVD release of
this movie have made their way to this new edition, and are presented on
disc one.
Disc One-
Commentary by director George Roy Hill, cinematographer Conrad Hall,
lyricist Hal David and associate producer Robert Crawford Jr.- An
interesting and insightful track giving several perspectives, with focus on
why they came on board the movie as well as what makes it different in scope
from the classic Western of the past.
Commentary by screenwriter William Goldman- Goldman reminisces about
various happenings during the film shooting as well as giving insights as to
how many scenes came to fruition.
The Making of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid- Coming in at 40
minutes this documentary includes production footage as well as narration by
Newman, Redford and Hill.
Disc Two-
All Of The Following Is True: The Making Of Butch Cassidy And The
Sundance Kid- Clocking in at around 35 minutes this is a delightful
documentary on the making of the movie with insights from all three
major stars, Richard D. Zanuck, Burt Bacharach and a number of other
figures connected with the movie. Much is made of the attempt to bring
Steve McQueen in as Sundance but the ultimate failure to settle on star
billing and the subsequent pairing of Newman with Redford, an almost
mythical acting duo at this point. Also talked about here are the
exorbitant price paid for the script- $400,000 at the time-the
locations, camera work, inclusion of the Raindrops sequence,
disagreements of the major players....a number of tidbits I was unaware
of are brought to light here and this is pretty much essential watching
for any fan of the movie.
The Wild Bunch: The True Tale of Butch & Sundance- A fact versus
fiction look at Butch and Sundance, this 25 minute piece features interviews
with various historians comapring the film to reported real life
information.
History Through the Lens: Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid: Outlaws Out
of Time- A more extensive documentary that looks at the history of Butch
and Sundance as well as the making of the film, something of a hodge-podge
of the other featurettes and documentaries also included here.
1994 (25th Anniversary) Interviews with Paul Newman, Robert Redford,
Katherine Ross, writer William Goldman, and composer Burt Bacharach
Deleted Scene: Tent- with optional commentary by George Roy
Hill
Theatrical Trailers
Production
Notes
Alternate End Credit Roll A curious piece with different
music and a somewhat more jaunty feel.
The Films Of Paul
Newman
Featurette showcasing Newman with trailers from several of
his movies.
Final Thoughts-
At first I was hesitant to grade this film as
highly as I am here as so many new and improved editions of some fairly good
movies seem to be finding their way to the marketplace this year, but few of
them possess the renown of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or are so
deserving of the praise of this rerelease. The fact that this is one of
only two onscreen pairings of Newman and Redford (and in my opinion the
best) makes this cerebral Western a virtual must for any film lover. This
new edition offers a print that far surpasses its woefully inferior
predecessor, as well as bringing the viewer a second disc of additional
material that is worth delving into while porting over all the extras that
were present on its first DVD appearance. Fox is to be applauded for the
care taken with this edition of the benchmark Western, coming in at a street
price of under $20 to boot. If you already own the old DVD version, toss it
and buy this one anyway. If you don't own it at all, search this one out. 37
years after its theatrical release this is still a great movie to watch on a
Saturday night, and it finally looks as good as most offerings you would see
at the theatre. DVD Talk Collector's Series. |
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