Blackthorn (2011)

Strong and Moving!

Memorable, crazy movie

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Having watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid only a few months back the story was still in my mind quite well giving me a chance to better understand this movie, to be honest I didn't really need to have that knowledge going into this as it was easily self sustainable and watchable in its own bubble.This was a good character driven/story based Western, the sort I can actually sit and watch and enjoy. It was interesting to have seen what became of Butch and what he had become (even though the whole thing was fictional and not based in fact). his character arc was well done and you could see just where he was coming from.The storyline was simple enough to follow with the final outcome being quite satisfing to the rest of the story and the characters involved.

'Blackthorn' imagines an alternative end for the legendary outlaw Butch Cassidy to the one in the standard story: that he died, still a relatively young man, in Bolivia. But supposing he'd lived on, made his peace with the world; yet still retained a certain affection for the life of his youth, one that tempted him into certain decisions that were maybe unwise for a man of his age, no longer through a lust for loot but merely through the memory of the camaraderie of a life on the run. The film isn't bad, and there are some subtle subplots, but it lacks a certain narrative drive: the character seems neither to be in control of events, nor to be controlled by them, and although his immediate motivation is always apparent, his wider motivation is less clear. The film looks back at Butch's youth, but skips over the missing years in between that would provide a stronger context. The Bolivian scenery, however, is unfailingly beautiful.

Sam Shepard is as watchable as ever as the titular Blackthorn in this predominantly Spanish-produced Western that harks back to the latter days of the genre's golden period. But Blackthorn also rejoices in some of the fresh realism that has been a feature of the few successful Westerns since the likes of Robert Mitchum and the Duke himself hung up their spurs in the late 60's, with Kevin Costner and godfather of the modern western, Clint Eastwood, seemingly at the forefront of the drive to keep the genre alive. Shepard does hard-bitten outlaw as well as anyone, but it would be a lesser watch without the strong support of Eduardo Noriega (Vantage Point, The Devil's Backbone) and Stephen Rea (no reference required!), and the characters around them, including support from South American actors led by Peruvian actress Magaly Solier, which deserve much credit, and all enhance the production significantly. The flashbacks to more familiar past events are inevitable given the central conceit, and this is where the main scenes are in danger of being undermined. The scenes from the past, featuring Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau, Padraig Delaney and Dominique McElligott, seem to attempt the easy comedic camaraderie of the original Newman-Redford film, but fall a long way short. Still, the flashbacks are not long, and Shepard's performance relegates any concerns to the back of one's mind. Blackthorn is less po-faced and introspective than The Assassination of Jesse James, more expansive than Unforgiven and more challenging than Open Range. Not to be missed by genre fans, and deserving of attention from everyone.

The Legend of Butch Cassidy can be compared to that of Robin Hood. Steal from the rich, give to the poor. Butch Cassidy is closer to us in time than Robin Hood, his descendants are known to us and we do not live in a feudal but in a capitalist system, just like Butch. The legend Butch is real, whereas Robin is closer to King Arthur and Merlin.Blackthorn makes us sympathize with the figure of a hunted criminal, Butch Cassidy having survived the ambush, living in old age of his humble farm in Bolivia. The death of his and his deceased comrade's love draws him home to the United States. He says farewell to his Bolivian lover, takes all his booty money from the bank and gets back into the saddle for his last long ride. Before our hero crosses the Bolivian border, his plan is interrupted by another criminal, who is being hunted for stealing money from a Bolivian mine. He teams up with the young robber, seeing in him his younger self or rather his dead brother in arms: the Sundance Kid. All looks good, until the terrible truth comes out. The young robber stole from a collective of families that bought the run down mine for the people from the coorparation.Butch Cassidy never stole from the poor so the myth tells us, he fought the law, the system. In this story he is being confronted by a different kind of criminal. One that does not hesitate to exploit the trust and need of the poor to take what little they have.For this alone I would give the movie ten stars. It is not 50's Western it is not Italo, Action fans beware. This is thoughtful post- Unforgiven. Blackthorne has everything my beloved genre demands: great sorytelling, amazing photography of country, desperados, indians, colt revolvers, cartridges, liquor, smoking and riding. It even has chewing of coca leaves. A statement, knowing our drug war.Very good movie, even for people who do not like the genre.