A fine piece of effortless entertainment

Rating: 10/10 (1 May 2000)

I fully admit that much of my passion for this film lies in the fact that it is one of earliest memories of seeing a movie. It is virtually impossible to remove this film from the memories of my parents and how they looked at the end of the 1960's-early 70's. My folks fancied themselves The Sundance Kid and Etta Place in terms of their dress, attitudes and values. This is not to suggest they were outlaws (maybe in the eyes of Nixon administration they were) but rather folks interested in an older time that never truly existed. That personal testimonial aside, I still love the film on its own merits. It isn't a work of art to be sure, but it is a fine example of Hollywood creating new myths based upon real legends. The performances of Redford and Newman are so seemless that it is easy to blur the lines between acting and being a movie star. It may be fashionable to knock their work in this picture as Hollywood confection, but I dare any other actors of the time to pull off these performances. There use of silences and evaluations are far more effective than their dead one line delivery- the mark of a fine acting craftsman. The fact that I as an audience member immediately accept and believe wholeheartedly their circumstance and become lost in the story is a testiment to their ultimate artistry. Conrad Hall's photography is both breathtaking and heartbreaking. He truly creates a romantic look at a time and place that truly only could exist in historic imagination. It is one of the few films I would absolutely love to step into out of real life. Director George Roy Hill knows exactly how to economically stage a scene while remaining invisible. He varies the stories pace effectively between tension, whimsy and gentle tragedy. His humour is remarkably subtle and sophisticated without the slightest hint of condensation to the audience- a hallmark of a good director. William Goldman's script does not simply rely on clever one-liners as so many imitators have in creating similar scripts. It is actually poignant in its simplicity and humour. The scene where Butch and Sundance, although mortally wounded still find the courage to dare to dream about a future is really what fine writing and performing is all about. Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid is a classic film in the sense that it never fails to entertain and touch the heart. Some may find it rather saccarine and manipulative now in this age of cynicism and media hype. I don't and since being a film fan is based so much on raw emotional response to a visual story, this is mine. This film is well worth its rabid following as it appears so effortless in its ultimately entertaining journey. A 9 out of 10.