Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Overrated

brilliant actors, brilliant editing

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

The acting in this movie is really good.

I saw this when it came out, at the theater, as a high school kid. Even then it was boring. Nothing like The Sting. I was happy to be on a date and just glad to be out with my boyfriend, so I have good memories of that night, but the movie was the least of them.This movie did fit the zeitgeist of the time perfectly (anti-heroes = counterculture). After all, this was the year of Easy Rider, Midnight Cowboy, The Wild Bunch, and many others in this style, but BC&SK was by far the worst of them. It was the first Western which incorporated pop culture and music. It was the "thing" to see it on a date. It hit pop culture like a canon. I remember people dressing up like the characters of Redford, Newman, and Ross and getting photographs in sepia enlargements for proud display. Lines from the movie were oft repeated, esp perhaps the movie first, "Oh...sh....it!". Several TV shows were spawned (all cheesy, too). Fashion was influenced. Every teenage girl wanted to be Katerine Ross (I did and I don't see why, now). "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head", was a huge pop hit, and stands up well today.And so this movie was all about the music. I don't think popular music had ever been used in a Western before, which explained much of its appeal. The music video, to the vocal pop song, "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head", introduced the relationship between Cassidy, the Kid, and Elle, and was gorgeously filmed. But unlike Easy Rider, this soundtrack then moved from the good to total cheese, with a 60s "doobie doobie dooo..." vocal interlude, during a *chase* scene, of all things! While they were forgivable in commercials and Alfa Romeo gorgeous girl scarf trailing Italian movie scenes, they were not here. I feel a lot of nostalgia when I hear 60s "doobie doobie dooo..."s, but they are still just cheesy remnants of that time. The rest of the Bacharach/David score was good, but nothing memorable. I'll take majestic Western movie music over this Western soundtrack, anytime, which better describes the sweeping majesty of Western locations. The music rarely induced any kind of excitement or suspense, either. Doobie doobie doooooooo...The script was terrible, with Newman and Redford taking up the slack with their so-called chemistry and renowned sex appeal. I can't believe William Goldman, a notable novelist and screenwriter (The Princess Bride, Marathon Man, All the President's Men, and many more) penned this AND won an Oscar for it (over Midnight Cowboy, etc????). It was an innovative script only in that the outlaws escaped and had more adventures after, which gave the movie an excuse to last another hour. It lost my interest after the music video, however, and went seriously begging for plot through to the end. Bad direction and editing was to blame here. There was too much "filler", like still photos panned over too long, instead of the real scenes, which looked like they would have been far more interesting. Likewise, the extended chase scenes quickly lost their charm, as they were not designed well and had none of the elements that we expect from chase scenes. Of course, only so much you can do with a horse chase. Other than that, the well filmed (although too many strange telephoto shots) western country at least gave us something of value to watch and won an Oscar (they weren't THAT great, if you compare any John Ford Western, or the love song to NYC that Midnight Cowboy's cinematography was, or even Easy Rider's America).In the end, this is a movie which relies on music, the pairing of Redford and Newman, in their prime, cute banter, and MTV slickness, but lacks in any substance whatsoever. To call it "great cinema" is a real disservice to truly great cinema. After the music video bike scene, it is all downhill and if this movie was released today, it would be a complete flop. Virtually nothing happens in the last 3/4 and no one would now put up with that.I hate to offend so many people, but I think the high ratings are from those who accept pop culture's myths without thinking for themselves, or who haven't seen the movie since its release and since they grew up, now without the zillions of $$ of promotion, which made the myth before the myth was even seen. The ultimate in "group think". You just cannot watch this NOW and write a favorable review, unless you specify the first third. If you were alive when it came out, watch it again to see the truth. If you weren't, don't bother, you will never get the time back. Funny, I almost didn't watch it today, as I always thought of it as rather boring, and wondered what didn't I get that everyone else seemed to. I did and it was.

This is one of my favorite Western movies because of it's compelling story and characters. Butch and Sundance are outlaws that go way back. Their favorite pastime activity is robbing banks at gunpoint. Both of them have their heart in the right place but they just can't stop robbing banks because it's the only thing that they're good at. As they themselves have put it. Early in the movie we get an idea of how notorious the two are. Both are professionals and know exactly how to skillfully execute each robbery. Sundance is a quickdraw prodigy like no one else; both in aim and speed. Butch on the other hand is more of the strategist aka the brain of the operations. Storytelling-wise I really liked how both protagonists were introduced. It was on point, perfectly executed. More movies should pay attention to these types of aspects. Ever since I took Werner Herzog's masterclass on Filmmaking I realized how important it is to properly introduce characters (especially the protagonists) . I digress. The movie has a lot going for it. It has a fair amount of character development, good chemistry between the protagonists, memorable scenes and dialogues. It also has plenty of funny scenes like e.g. the dynamite scene. Another thing that makes the movie so interesting is the fact that it's vaguely based on real life events. There's nothing quite like a good 'ole Western movie about redemption.The main premise of the movie is quite self-evident: "Can criminals be good guys?". Well, Butch and Sundance sure tried to find out if that's possible. They are both self-aware enough to realize that what they've been doing so far is morally questionable. So, eventually they'll try to turn it around. If you want to know how the story ends you'll have to watch the movie I'm afraid. I don't want to spoil the movie.The cinematography is superb and especially impressive once you realize how old this movie is. My favorite scene, cinematography-wise, is the bicycle scene. Very smooth camera handling, I wonder what type of dolly system they used.Final verdict: highly recommended (it's an awesome movie with a lot of character. Even if you don't like Western movies; this one is worth a watch)

It was not my first time watching a western and yet I was completely mesmerized and in awe of their personality and the way it complemented the setting.The movie seems to be made less on their exploits and more on their friendship with the robbery and the what-nots simply highlighting the nature of their characters. It feels like their friendship was a class apart, with an understanding between them that could speak dozens with a single glance.A star off for the brief attempt at comedy in the middle as it did not suit the tone of the movie which according to me, was more about their camaraderie.

Just on the cusp of the 1970s, this movie is a total classic, with some very dated but still fun to watch 70s montage scenes. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is famous for several reasons, one was the iconic first pairing of real-life friends Paul Newman and Robert Redford. They play off each other beautifully; it's easy to see their true friendship radiating off the screen. Of course, the ending is a famous and often spoofed scene, as is the jumping off the cliff scene.To me, the legacy is the most beautiful aspect of the film. Paul Newman created a children's camp in 1988 for sick kids and their families, named Hole in the Wall Gang Club after the gang in this film. And everyone knows (or should know) Robert Redford founded the Sundance Film Festival in 1978, named after his character in the movie.Obviously, this film touched their hearts. Even if the movie wasn't a classic, it should be watched and respected for what the two men gave back in its name.