Newman and Redford at Their Best

Rating: 9/10 (31 July 2002)

"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" is rightfully hailed as one of the greatest westerns ever made, although much of the movie takes place in South America. It is a great look at two likeable outlaws, full of witty dialogue and exciting action sequences.
Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and The Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) are two bank robbers, chased by the law. The plot follows them as they travel to Bolivia after a railroad president hires a posse to hunt them do. The story is mostly composed of short pieces telling a little story about them. There is really no connection all the way through, for the most part.
The story isn't about the plot, however. It is about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It is a close look at two criminals, the talented Sundance Kid, and Butch Cassidy, the one who does all the thinking. The charisma and screen presence of the two actors and the way they work together is what drives the film. Watching the two interact, with a superb script full of great dialogue, is what makes this movie so exciting.
See this movie if you are a fan of westerns, or just a fan of good movies. It is exciting, superbly made (with lots of interesting silent scenes to music and montages of photographs), but it also has a lot of depth.
**** out of ****