A Story About Two Outlaws

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2018)

This is one of my favorite Western movies because of it's compelling story and characters. Butch and Sundance are outlaws that go way back. Their favorite pastime activity is robbing banks at gunpoint.
Both of them have their heart in the right place but they just can't stop robbing banks because it's the only thing that they're good at. As they themselves have put it. Early in the movie we get an idea of how notorious the two are. Both are professionals and know exactly how to skillfully execute each robbery. Sundance is a quickdraw prodigy like no one else; both in aim and speed. Butch on the other hand is more of the strategist aka the brain of the operations. Storytelling-wise I really liked how both protagonists were introduced. It was on point, perfectly executed. More movies should pay attention to these types of aspects. Ever since I took Werner Herzog's masterclass on Filmmaking I realized how important it is to properly introduce characters (especially the protagonists) . I digress. The movie has a lot going for it. It has a fair amount of character development, good chemistry between the protagonists, memorable scenes and dialogues. It also has plenty of funny scenes like e.g. the dynamite scene.
Another thing that makes the movie so interesting is the fact that it's vaguely based on real life events. There's nothing quite like a good 'ole Western movie about redemption.
The main premise of the movie is quite self-evident: "Can criminals be good guys?". Well, Butch and Sundance sure tried to find out if that's possible. They are both self-aware enough to realize that what they've been doing so far is morally questionable. So, eventually they'll try to turn it around. If you want to know how the story ends you'll have to watch the movie I'm afraid. I don't want to spoil the movie.
The cinematography is superb and especially impressive once you realize how old this movie is. My favorite scene, cinematography-wise, is the bicycle scene. Very smooth camera handling, I wonder what type of dolly system they used.
Final verdict: highly recommended (it's an awesome movie with a lot of character. Even if you don't like Western movies; this one is worth a watch)