Thursday, August 2, 2012

Rootin' Tootin': Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

One of my New Year's resolutions I have botched time and time again is viewing every movie on the AFI Top 100. Just in case you're as big of a nerd as I am about this kind of stuff, let me clarify it is the original list, not the laughs or thrills, etc. Oh yeah, those exist, too. But I digress.

This year I have finally been making some real, dedicated headway on the AFI resolution and I figure someone out there might be interested to know my thoughts on the classics as I view them for the first time. I am a film fanatic, but I can simultaneously view a movie analytically and for the sheer joy of it. I can see what qualifies it as a classic while honestly admitting if it's one I will watch more than once. I'll even make sure to tell you just how geeked out you'll need to be to enjoy it. Along the way, feel free to give me questions to consider or suggest which movie I should watch next. But without further ado...


Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Director: George Roy Hill
Writer: William Goldman
Main Actors: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross
Synopsis: Two Western bank and train robbers head for Bolivia when the law gets too close.
AFI #73

Kneejerk Reaction: From beginning to end, I was entertained. I had seen the ending a million times in school and I still never tire of it. The script is impeccable; I dream of writing as well as William Goldman with his mix of understated wit and heartbreaking honesty about the human condition. Hill is a master when it comes to directing and this is one of his crown jewels. Beautiful scenery and shots.

High Points: This is a tough one, but I love the opening, with the silent short film about the infamous Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, when Butch and Etta play around on the bicycle, when Butch and Sundance are chased through the desert, Butch, Sundance & Etta's old timey photos of their adventures, the montage of them robbing in Bolivia and, of course, the end. Can we all agree I am terrible at picking high points? I basically loved the whole movie. Sheesh.

Why I Think It's On the Top 100: Hill and Goldman take a classic genre and add some humor and life while making social commentary that goes beyond 1969: aging, feeling disconnected from a changing world and unable to keep up anymore/not wanting to, the evolution of technology, film, storytelling and history, the complicated nature of human relationships, the microscopic line between "good" and "bad" and probably many more I haven't thought of yet. If you have seen this movie, is there anything you think I am missing?

Geek-Out Scale: I would say you need to be at about a 6 (10 being you could watch silent films for a day and be entertained). It isn't as long as some classics and as I said, the music, cast, writing and scenery are lovely. If you are a little wary, trust me and be open to it because I promise it is not the dry and boring classic that you might be imagining. It was made in 1969 which was an incredibly exciting time for filmmaking. The Production Code had just been lifted in 1968, so subject matters like sex and violence were no longer implied. Filmmakers could openly discuss and show these things and got really experimental with it. This one is not super gory or sexy, but they are not hiding anything like old school Westerns did. So if you are on the fence about classics, the 60s and 70s are a good place to start!

When Will I See You Again?: I'm ready to see this one again so I can fully absorb what I saw the first time. In fact, I might just buy this movie.


There you go. That's all I really needed to get off my brain. Hopefully that wasn't too painful. I promise I am not writing up my thoughts to be a pretentious asshole. If anything, these posts are more for me than anyone else. I love everything about movies and this is just a way for me to expel all the emotions and excitement I experience after I see a really good movie (even a so-so movie!). And who knows, maybe I can inspire some doubters out there to take a look at not only the classics, but every movie they watch. So please! Let me know what you think, if you've seen it, where I am wrong, where I am amazing and perfect. I love discussing and want this to be a place for that.

Stay tuned - the next breakdown will be posted soon! Wondering what movies I have seen so far? Click here and check my progress!





flowers & sunshine & those Saturday Night at the Movies feelings,
bunny