Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
1969 · Directed by George Roy Hill
Original language: English
- western
- crime
- drama
The story
As the west rapidly becomes civilized, a pair of outlaws in 1890s Wyoming find themselves pursued by a posse and decide to flee to South America in hopes of evading the law.
What it’s like
Warm, sun-bleached Western light with a jaunty, wistful glow: wide dusty plains, sepia-tinted canyon country, and sharp mountain vistas framed with the easy confidence of a 1960s studio picture. Director George Roy Hill keeps the camera loose and playful, cutting to freeze-frames and sepia stills, while Burt Bacharach's piano-led score (the bright, bouncing tune and its softer reprises) gives the whole thing a buoyant, bittersweet swing. Its vibe is affectionate and irreverent, with a melancholy undertow that tightens as the outlaws' luck runs out. The mood suits a lazy weekend afternoon, a buddy-movie comfort rewatch, or a night in with someone you like. Pacing is brisk and witty, with stretches of banter and horseback chases, and the emotional arc follows two charming men who cannot quite outrun a changing world and each other. Violence is present but stylized: several gunfights and a train robbery, with some sudden deaths, though little gore and no sexual content. It suits viewers who want a playful, handsome Western and an old-fashioned male friendship at its center.
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