Here I go criticizing another classic. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is based on a true story about two bank robbers who are being hunted down for one of their train robberies. They escape to Bolivia, but it doesn't stop the posse that is following them, and they end up getting killed.
The main problem of this film is that it's very boring. I couldn't help thinking how overrated it was every single minute while I was watching it. I don't like westerns that much, but this one was one of the least entertaining of all the westerns I've seen in my life, I just couldn't wait for it to end. I don't even want to mention all the countless clichés that are in this movie.
Still I have to admit that the style itself was pretty good. I liked the way the editing was done, specifically when the main characters were on their way to Bolivia, and also at the end of the movie, before they got shot. I thought that the photo sequence was great. Still it wasn't enough to make me enjoy this film.
Some of the dialogues were really good, but most of them were lost in translation, so I had to re-read them on IMDb to catch up. May be if I had watched the movie in English, I would have liked it more, but the problem is, I never want to see it again.
Favorite quote: "If he'd just pay me what he's spending to make me stop robbing him, I'd stop robbing him".
Interesting fact: Katharine Ross enjoyed shooting the silent, bicycle riding sequence best, because it was handled by the film crew's second unit rather than the director. She said, "Any day away from George Roy Hill was a good one."
Whoa, whoa, whoa! I'm so sad that you didn't like this. I absolutely love anything involving Paul Newman and Robert Redford and this one is TOPS in my book. The dialogue is awesome (I love the jump scene and the Paul Newman's constant reference to LaFours with "Who are those guys?").
ReplyDeleteAnd the ending is great. I guess different people have different tastes - I have to admit that I love westerns, especially quirky ones like this - but I had really hoped you would like this one.
Oh well, the countdown continues.
it is a true classic -- have to agree with Tyrie here Paul Newman and Robert Redford are some really great actors and together in this one you can almost see them being like that together in that day and age.
ReplyDeleteGreat movie.
Wow, it's not my favorite either and you skewer some established classics, but you just exiled this poor film to Siberia.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling you need to have some background with westerns and the change in American movies during that period to really get into it.
I know, I know... May be it's a guy movie. Or may be I'll watch it ten years from now and realize how wrong I was. By the way, I forgot to mention that the soundtrack is good too.
ReplyDeleteI'm in the middle here. I really loved the movie and I loved the cast, especially the interaction between the two stars, but it seemed stretched out to me. I saw it again a short time ago and this time I thought the "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" song was out of place in a "western."
ReplyDeleteI never thought that when it was new...
I've read a couple of your reviews [planning on cemmenting when I have more time], but I felt I had to comment on this one as it's one of my favourites.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you didn't like it :< Maybe you will in ten years?
It might have something to do with the language, though, because Newman and Redford are absolutely hilarious in this movie and far from boring!
Lovely post.
ReplyDelete