Redford and Newman Together - This Time, Hollywood Gets It Right

Rating: 8/10 (28 April 2011)

Justifiably praised for the successful pairing of Robert Redford and Paul Newman, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" is an expertly crafted Western which turns away from being bombastic or hard-hitting. The moderate to light tone the film-makers choose makes this film like a refreshing summer breeze: By the time you appreciate how fine it is, it has nearly blown past you. Thoroughly entertaining yet not insipid, this movie has visually memorable moments. For example, when Butch and Sundance flee to high ground as night falls, they turn round to look for the trackers pursuing them and see the beams of their lanterns advancing in the darkness - a scene which is simultaneously beautiful and unsettling. Well wrought and enjoyable, Butch and Sundance displays a very rare achievement in Hollywood: combined star power effectively employed.