Blackthorn

Plot synopsis:
Twenty years after his disappearance in 1908, an aged Butch Cassidy (Sam Shepard), living under the assumed name James Blackthorn in a secluded village in Bolivia, decides to end his long exile and return to the United States after learning of the death of Etta Place. He writes to her son, Ryan, who is in fact his own son, telling him he intends to return. After years of raising horses and living a solitary life, Blackthorn sets off for Potosí to sell his horses. He tells his lover, Yana (Magaly Solier), that he will see her again before leaving Bolivia.
At Potosí, Blackthorn withdraws his savings from the bank, sells his horses, and then heads back to his village. Along the way, he is ambushed and nearly killed. He shoots his attacker, but not before Blackthorn's horse, Cinco, bolts off with his money. The shooter is Eduardo Apodaca (Eduardo Noriega), a Spaniard mining engineer who claims he was shooting at pursuers. He begs Blackthorn to save him, and offers to share part of the $50,000 he stole from Simón Patiño, a powerful Bolivian industrialist and mine owner. The money is hidden in an abandoned mine, and he will compensate Blackthorn for his help.
Blackthorn and the Spaniard set out across the desert plateau with Patiño's posse within a day's pursuit. They reach the abandoned mine and find the money, but the posse catches up with them. Following a shootout, Blackthorn and the Spaniard escape with the money. They make their way to Blackthorn's cabin, where the famous outlaw remembers his old friendships with the Sundance Kid and Etta Place, and how they escaped from Pinkerton Detective Mackinley (Stephen Rea). Yana joins the men at the cabin, and Blackthorn gives her a pocket watch he won in a card game. At first she rejects it as a "gringo machine", but then accepts the gift as something to remember him by. Despite his asking her to spend one last night with him, she advises she must return to her own family. Later that night, Yana returns to the cabin to stay with Blackthorn on his last night before leaving.
The next morning, two female members of the posse come to the cabin looking for the Spaniard, and in the ensuing gunfight, Blackthorn is wounded, and Yana is killed. A heartbroken Blackthorn and the Spaniard leave with the rest of the posse not far behind. They set out across the Uyuni salt flats, hoping to reach the coast where Blackthorn can find a boat to take him home. Halfway across, the posse catches up to them, but Blackthorn and the Spaniard split up and are able to kill their pursuers and escape.
When he reaches Tupiza, Blackthorn is treated by a doctor, who notifies former Pinkerton Detective Mackinley—now living a quiet life in Bolivia—of his famous patient. Mackinley confirms the man's identity. For years Mackinley claimed that the two bandits killed at San Vincente were not Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and now he will finally be proven correct. But after initially notifying the Bolivian army of the discovered outlaw, Mackinley changes his mind, returns Blackthorn's pistol, and helps him escape. When Mackinley later discovers that Blackthorn was involved with the Spaniard, he reveals the truth to him about the Spaniard and his pursuers. Apparently, the $50,000 the Spaniard stole was not from the powerful mine owner, Patiño, but from the mining families who recently took control of the mines. The Spaniard stole the money from "the people"—something Butch Cassidy would never have done. Although disgusted with Blackthorn's involvement, Mackinley does not betray him.
In flashbacks to those days when he and the Sundance Kid rode together, he recalls how his partner, being wounded and near death, asks for Butch to "do it," and so Butch regretfully and lovingly takes the life of his best friend.
In the present, Blackthorn, distressed, tracks the Spaniard into the Andes, with the Bolivian army not far behind. When Blackthorn catches up with him and confronts him with the truth, the Spaniard does not deny it, saying the money he stole was indeed from the mine owners—just "different owners." Blackthorn shoots the Spaniard in the leg and leaves him and the money for the Bolivian army, who soon arrive and kill the thief.
In the closing scene, Blackthorn, remembering his life and friends in better days, is last seen looking back over his shoulder and presumably escaping across the mountains.

Tags: revenge, flashback

Review:
I am not to sure about the stories take on Butch, but besides that I really enjoyed it, the scenery was fantastically caught on film, the story moves at a nice pace, and at times really hit a nerve with me about life, friends that have come and gone, and growing old, and looking back at what we might have done different.Anyway I enjoyed this film, not a Oscar winner, but well worth it, solid acting by all actors, I gave it a 7.5 out of 10.
The meditative beauty, poetic narration and sublime photography of Salles and something of the supercool bravura of Kim Jee Woon's masterpiece.Everything pays off here: the unexpected flashbacks which actually work dramatically and interact with the central story, the performance of Shephard which is Oscar worthy - this sounds like a cliché but he is really wonderful in this film and deserves recognition for his brilliant work - Eduardo Noriega is also back to being the resolutely appealing actor able to make you feel for him even when his character is unsympathetic, which he proved in the classic Abre Los Ojos.Blackthorn is a sad film which tells the story of an aging outlaw's attempt to make up for the things he regrets as he's nears the end of his life.
Not so, for here is Butch Cassidy 20 years after the supposed event, alive and well and living in a secluded Bolivian village under the name James Blackthorn.What a lovely idea, that of one of history's most famous outlaws actually living longer than history led us to believe.
But not all is as it seems and with flash backs showing Butch and Sundance in their prime (Waldau as the young Cassidy is an inspired choice as per likeness to Shepard), aided by the feisty Etta Place, this is a fully rounded tale.The film quite simply is unhurried and respectful to the art of story telling and is rich with a lead characterisation of considerable substance (Shepard is wonderful, really gets to the soul of the character).
I'm awfully glad I did.20 years after the standoff in which he and the Sundance Kid supposedly died, an aging Butch Cassidy (Sam Shepard) still lives in Bolivia, laying low and breaking wild horses for wealthy riders.
It has a number of dramatic details that make it believable (taking a slice of meat off the dead horse and roasting it on the campfire).In all the expanse of the Bolivian landscape the humanity and characterizations are not lost and we care about Butch Cassidy, his lady love, and even the ex-Pinkerton who discovers, then assists our anti-hero on his way to settle the score.All the elements of classic Westerns are at work here and the pace is methodical and maintained for a rhythmic ride.
This tale of an aging-exiled American outlaw and his attempts to return home may seem a bit straightforward and tame, but in the end it's not and you'll be glad to have spend the hour and forty-five minutes partaking in this latest great example of the genre.The directing isn't too bad either and the actors generally deliver their lines well, although a few are a bit over-read.For a modern western that's not an adolescent fantasy and has a great deal of heart, it gets 9/10..
This Spanish picture is an enjoyable drama Western with an interesting characterizing about the celebrated leader of the ¨Wild Bunch gang¨ of train robbers , Butch Cassidy who along with Sundance Kid were one of the last old-style bandits of the West and they had the quick wit and strength of character to dominate more desperate men .
In Bolivia, Butch Cassidy who left long time ago his criminal activity and now calling himself James Blackthorne (Sam Shepard) , pines for one last sight of home , an adventure that aligns him with a young robber (Eduardo Noriega) and makes the duo a target for gangs and lawmen alike .
Furthermore , it deals with young Butch Cassidy (Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau as James joven) , Sundance Kid (Padraic Delaney) and Etta Place (Dominique McElligott) , whose scenes are developed in flashbacks , both of them when the Pinkerton and railroad agents (Stephen Rea) hot on their trail , the Wild Bunch broke up and both sailed to South America after the turn of century and disappeared there , possibly dying in a shoot-out in 1909 near La Paz , though the story here narrated is quite different .The film contains human drama , thrills , violence , riding pursuits and action Western complemented with moving tension and intrigue , including some twists and turns .
Cassidy, going by the name Blackthorn decides to help the man.Outstanding: Filmed beautifully and directed with a solid hand that really shows the vivid beauty of the locations.
You would like Blackthorn if you like Unforgiven, Appaloosa, Open Range or, of course, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid but not if your taste it's nearest to The Quick and the Dead, Young Guns I or II, or Cowboys & Aliens..
An aging Butch Cassidy (Sam Shepard), now calling himself Blackthorn and living a quiet life in 1920s Bolivia, learns that Etta Place has died in San Francisco, living her young son behind, to whom Butch has long been writing in the guise of "Uncle Butch." He decides to travel back to the States to see his "nephew," and sets off with the blessings of his indigenous girlfriend Yana (Magaly Solier).
But Eduardo isn't all that he seems, and in addition to the posse, an old broken-down Pinkerton man, Mackinley (Stephen Rea), is also aware that Butch Cassidy didn't die all those years ago....I'm not big on Westerns usually, but this is an exception.
Beautifully filmed on location in Bolivia, and employing numerous indigenous actors, we are also treated to flashback scenes of a younger Butch (played as a young man by Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau, who looks very much like a younger Sam Shepard), his friend the Sundance Kid (Padraic Delaney) and their mutual love Etta Place (Dominique McElligot), which deepen and enrich the larger story.
It's the story about an aged Butch Cassidy that goes by the name James Blackthorn now and that lives a retired life somewhere in Bolivia.
In the flashbacks Nicolaj Coaster-Waldau and Padraic Delaney play Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But the star of this movie is Sam Shepard.
Released in 2011, "Blackthorn" is the unofficial sequel to the 1969 Western hit "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." It took 42 years, but it was worth it.THE PLOT: Almost 20 years after Butch Cassidy was supposedly shot-down in Bolivia he is shown alive and well, living in a ranch house in the mountains under the name James Blackthorn.
Unfortunately for him, a young outlaw (Eduardo Noriega) puts the kibosh on his plans, but they eventually team-up, perhaps because the dude reminds him of his younger days or of his deceased best friend, the Sundance Kid.Another reviewer pointed out that Butch Cassidy is essentially regarded as a real-life Western Robin Hood.
"Blackthorn" borrows from Westerns like "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (naturally), "The Shootist" (1976), "Unforgiven" (1992) and the more modern "Seraphim Falls" (2006).
What makes "Blackthorn" unique is its setting in Bolivia; and, to a lesser degree, the time period, 1927.FINAL SAY: I suppose you could say that this is a character study and Sam Shepherd is excellent as Butch Cassidy.
But Sam Shepard embraces the role of Butch Cassidy and provides a strong and driven protagonist for the film.
As that is what Butch Cassidy is, a legend, and it was only a matter of time before cinema decided to embrace his presence once again for another fantastic western.Both Shepard and Noriega are implausible in their roles, complimented with a sturdy performance of a washed up pinkerton by Stephen Rea. But an actor who hasn't had nearly enough recognition within cinema is Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau, who a lot of you will recognise from the popular television series, Game of Thrones (2011).
His presence in Blackthorn not only reinforces the film, as he plays a young Butch Cassidy, but he also bears great similarity to Shepard conveniently.
Butch Cassidy is probably the most recognizable name in Western film history that by obfuscating the hero's identity & rewriting cinema history only contorts what the film's story should be.I think this is probably one of the finest westerns to be made in some time along w/Ed Harris' Appaloosa which treat the Western as is should be; a true American art form.What holds my praise back a bit are the various flashbacks which kinda rewrite what we know of Butch's adventures only to justify character shadings which if dropped would've still have been appreciated via Sam Shepherd's great performance.Not a total miss & definitely worth a view..
Blackthorn (2011)** 1/2 (out of 4)This film goes on the assumption that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid didn't get killed by the Bolivian Army in 1908.
Our film kicks off twenty years after those said events when Butch (Sam Shepard) finds himself wanting to get back to his family in the U.S. so he takes his life's savings and heads off but a turn in events places him with a Spanish (Eduardo Apodaca) criminal on the run from the law.
this film was a very nostalgic journey for a viewer like me, witnessed the good and old wild, wild west faded away with the last bandit in American history of the west, just like butch cassidy/blackthorn said: 'and then came the railroad and the big ranchers that changed everything....', indeed..
I like westerns, I liked "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", so I was intrigued by this movie.
I suppose we do wish that this was a true story.James Blackthorn (Sam Shepard) once known as Butch Cassidy seems to be alive in Bolivia and wants to go to the United States to see his nephew Ryan.
Notables: Magaly Solier as Yana, love interest to Blackthorn; Dominique McElligott as Etta, who traveled with Butch and Sundance initially to Bolivia and later is shown as pregnant seemingly with Sun Dance's child; Padraic Delaney as Sun Dance; Stephen Rea as Mackinley the Pinkerton man who takes Blackthorn to safety.This was well told and acted throughout.
Having watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid only a few months back the story was still in my mind quite well giving me a chance to better understand this movie, to be honest I didn't really need to have that knowledge going into this as it was easily self sustainable and watchable in its own bubble.This was a good character driven/story based Western, the sort I can actually sit and watch and enjoy.
It boasts a compelling story, a fine script, an excellent cast, stunning photography of some magnificent Bolivian locations and a terrific performance from Sam Shepard as Butch Cassidy (alias James Blackthorn).
The picture is different in tone - more serious and downbeat - than the classic "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969), but it is still a worthy companion piece to that film - largely due to Shepard's expert characterization and Mateo Gil's sure-handed direction.
The actor and playwright who passed away in 2017 shows here what an excellent actor he could be when given the right role.Shepard plays the ageing Butch Cassidy who did not die in a shootout in Bolivia but laid low living a modest life with his housekeeper Yana and longing to go home which he tries to do when his old flame dies back in the USA.On his way back to America Butch comes across a Spanish mining engineer named Eduardo Apodaca (Eduardo Noriega) who has stolen from a mining company and is now in pursuit.
Butch decides to team up with this young upstart who does not realise that legendary outlaw he is riding with.However pretty soon McKinley (Stephen Rea) an old alcoholic agent from the Pinkerton Gang senses Butch's scent as he never believed that Butch died all those years ago.This is a contemplative film, with maybe a too simple story.
'Blackthorn' imagines an alternative end for the legendary outlaw Butch Cassidy to the one in the standard story: that he died, still a relatively young man, in Bolivia.
Flash forward 20 years and Butch, now known as James Blackthorn (Sam Shepard), is still in Bolivia and living a quiet life breeding horses and enjoying the scenery.
James and Eduardo get tangled up together as only two people can in the middle of nowhere Bolivia and they start working together to get the money and stay alive.But what happened in the 20 years from when we last left Butch Cassidy and what happened to the Sundance Kid?
In 1927 Bolivia, Butch is living under the assumed name James Blackthorn (Sam Shepard).
There are flashbacks of Butch and Sundance with Etta as they are pursued by Pinkerton Detective Mackinley and the Bolivian Army.Spanish director Mateo Gil takes on the modern western.
In this movie, Butch Cassidy is portrayed as having faked his death and lived under an assumed name (James Blackthorn).
In any case, it is a great film, so it makes me hope it's not too late for Mateo Gil to develop a fruitful career as a full-length film director.On the surface, Blackthorn doesn't tell anything new; it brings back the crepuscular atmosphere of the likes of Sam Peckinpah's westerns, with an iconic but worn-down figure as the main character.
The most original aspect of the film, again only at first sight, comes from the setting; this western takes place in the barren landscapes of Bolivia, the country where supposedly Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid got killed (see the last shot of George Roy Hill's 1969 movie).
Unless I'm wrong, there are six flashbacks throughout the movie, showing us the younger years of Butch Cassidy and his teaming up with the Sundance Kid and their lady friend Etta Place.
So when we see him in the present, supposedly as a character with great relevance in the film and in Butch Cassidy's life, it doesn't work very well because we've only seen him for about a minute before that.Blackthorn has a few other flaws, mostly in the form of missed opportunities, not to mention a somewhat unsatisfactory ending, but its qualities easily outshine them.
For those unfamiliar with the original "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" movie it is a worthwhile thing to rent it and watch this classic high rated western of 1969 as well as to browse the annals on the subject of the characters at the library.
He writes that it's time to come home - meaning he is to leave the quiet life in rural Bolivia and make the long journey back to the U.S. This aging "Uncle Butch" we meet is played by the great Sam Shepard.
Of course, Butch has become more trusting in his old age, and Noriega turns out not to be the partner than Sundance once was.This whole story is a bit outlandish, but it's at its best when Blackthorn runs smack dab into Makinley, one of the old Pinkerton men who was chasing him twenty years ago.
This is not a follow-up, by the way, to George Roy Hill's 1968 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but one might be tempted to think so.
Throughout the picture we get flashbacks to the good old days, to Butch and his outlaw buddy The Sundance Kid. Those scenes are propped up to show up the glory years, but they don't seem to have a point.Shepard does an okay job at playing the lead, but there's something too polished and relaxed about this Butch Cassidy.
Blackthorn is really good.Sam Shepard puts in a top notch performance as a late life Butch, living a modest life in Bolivia and dreaming of going home 19 years after...
it adds a deep level to the film.I saw some crazy reviews on here, including a long one that got most of the movie, and Butch's real life wrong so I assume they didn't actually see Blackthorn, or know anything about the man....
I went back and watched the 1969 blockbuster "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (which I saw first run when it came out and loved) and came away feeling that it was kind of commercial and that Blackthorn was the far better film which is something that I never ever...
Mateo Gil's "Blackthorn" ranks as a rugged, entertaining western set in South America that qualifies as a kind of sort a sequel to George Roy Hill's exceptional horse opera "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." This visually stunning oater lensed on location in scenic Bolivia by "The Others" lenser Lucio Godoy should be seen on the biggest screen possibly because the film reeks of grandeur.
Basically, this western concerns an older but wiser Butch Cassidy after the Sundance Kid has died and their girlfriend Etta Place has left the country.
No, "Blackthorn" isn't as good as the brilliant "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," but it makes a worthy companion piece.
Like the posse in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," the posses in "Blackthorn" don't know when to quit and they are determined to bring back our heroes dead or alive.
Checking to see if anything interesting was being shown over the last days of the Easter holiday,I was thrilled to spot a Shepard Spanish Western (!) being shown,which led to me pulling out the black thorn.The plot:Leaving the US with a myth of him and Sundance both being killed, Butch Cassidy changes his name to James Blackthorn and goes to live a life of solitary in Bolivia.
An old lawman after the young Butch and Sundance- Stephen Rea- also shows up, and all hell breaks loose.Yet another great performance from all-around "Renaissance Man" Shepard, as well as great story and direction.
BLACKTHORN is a low key little western story with the added attraction of having been filmed in Bolivia.