A classic western that broke the genre conventions and gave us some of the greatest movie moments in history

Rating: 10/10 (30 October 2016)

What can be said about 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' that hasn't already been said? We all know about the great performances, the smart witty dialogue and brilliant direction backed up by a magnificent score from the countless positive reviews published by people over the years but I will throw in my 2 cents for what it's worth.
For many years, Butch and Sundance has been a movie which has enthralled me. From when I first saw it as a child right up until the present day, it always seems to be able to capture my attention whilst keeping me on the edge of my seat, yet also never fails to make me howl with laughter throughout. And of course the biggest element which allows the film to achieve this is the excellent natural chemistry between leads Newman and Redford. They play off each other perfectly, allowing for great comic moments to shine through and a sense of underlying tension between the brotherly love that they possess for each other.
I have to admit, the very first time I saw the opening ten or so minutes of the film, I wasn't interested. And those ten minutes are crucial to a child to capture their attention. I saw it as too slow and I hadn't a clue what was happening or why. But I'm so glad I stuck with it because pretty soon I was near crying with laughter at times and could begin to understand what the pacing of the film was trying to achieve.
Don't get me wrong, Butch and Sundance is by no way a flat out comedy – it's just that the leads play off each other magnificently with absolution timing perfection performing from a genius script that allows the actors to play the lines in any number of ways yet, no matter how it was directed or performed, was always going to shine through as a very comic, intimate adventure odyssey of the best bad guys the west ever saw. No wonder it won the Screen writing Academy Award for 1969.
The tension packed desert scenes, the sprawling cinematography and lush colours, the marvellous lead and supporting performance, the fast paced editing, the exacting art direction and costumes, they all add up to make Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid one of the greatest films ever a classic that will last for all time to be enjoyed by generations to come.