Not Your Typical Western, But All The better For It

Rating: 8/10 (4 November 2018)

Amidst my recent western marathon, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is the only film I've watched based on true events. This film is carried by the tremendous chemistry between Paul Newman's Butch Cassidy and Robert Redford's Sundance Kid. It is by far one of the best on screen duos I've ever had the pleasure of watching. They play off one another brilliantly with a back and forth witty dialogue that reminded me of Ocean's Eleven. One of my favorite lines being:
Sundance Kid: "I'll go."
Butch Cassidy: "This is no time to be brave. You go."
The film picks up with the two outlaws near the end of their career in robbery. After being chased off to Bolivia the two begin robbing banks there until the authorities finally catch up with them. Going out on some further witty dialogue about moving to Australia moments before stepping out of a barn and going out in a blaze of glory.
Going into Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid I only knew two things about it; they both die and the famous bike scene highlighted with the soundtrack Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head which plays a pivotal moment for the infamous duo. This moment is meant to depict the high point of their careers because after that moment everything starts to go downhill leading to their demise - a calm before the storm if you will.
Another interesting scene for me was when they decide to go "straight" taking up a job as an older man's hired protection. Here Butch Cassidy admits to The Sundance Kid that he's never shot anyone before. The first time he kills anyone is when he's on the right side of the law blurring the line between bad and good. You forget that these two are the outlaws, but you can't help but find yourself rooting for them.
One thing I noticed about this film was how much Brad Pitt looks and acts like a young Robert Redford. It is almost uncanny and now makes me want to go watch 2001's Spy Game starring the two. This is a great western, but at a much slower pace than most. The film focuses mostly on the relationships and dialogue than it does the action. However it is captivating with the beautiful scenery and makes you feel like you know these two men after two hours. This isn't your typical western, but it is all the better for it.