Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Chris Moran

Ms. Taylor

APLaC, Period 2
12 February 2012

Four-time Academy Award winning film by director George Roy Hill Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a treasure in the world of movie-making. In this humorous, action-packed film based on the true exploits of a pair of western bank robbers and their cohorts, the 1969 film delivers some of the best the movie industry has ever offered.. In fact, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is ranked as number 73 in the prestigious American Film Institute’s list of the Top 100 Movies.

        But what makes a movie great? Generally, there are multiple things that can turn a good movie into a great movie. The first is the plot line. Many movies are criticized for having good acting, good action scenes, even good effects, but not a decent plot line in sight. Not this time. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid pulls through with a plot that is not only exciting, intelligent, and humorous at the same time, but also manages to stay fairly true to the real life events on which it is based. Or, as a dry subtitle at the beginning of the movie says, “Most of what follows is true”.

        Another thing that sets movies apart from one another is the dialogue that is found between the actors-and the delivery of such dialogue. A movie could have a great script, but still be dry and unfulfilling. Instead, the dialogue found between main characters Butch Cassidy(Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid(Robert Redford) is not only flowing and realistic, but delivers the point with a pinch of humor, as well.

“I think we lost ‘em. Do you think we lost ‘em?”

“No.”

“Neither do I….”

These little examples of banter between the main characters of the movie help to keep the audience interested, while still maintaining a light-hearted connection to the main characters.

But this is not to say that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid lacks action or intensity. No, far from it. In fact, the film is founded on the exploits of both Butch and Sundance’s own adventures, and their Hole-in-the-Wall Gang’s robberies of banks and trains. There are a lot of scenes including dynamite, gun fights, and even a knife fight (or Butch’s version of one). The action in this film is never “action for the sake of action”, but instead is rather tasteful, and is instrumental in the depth and accuracy of the film.

And as for intensity, the film sets up the constant chase of the pair of outlaws so realistically that you can almost feel the adrenaline rushes, bouts of weariness, and frustration of Butch and Sundance yourself.

Overall, this fantastic film comes highly recommended with a personal rating of 9/10 and an IMDb rating of 8.2/10. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid shows some of the best that a movie can offer in it’s 150-minute run-time, from action, to humor, to witty dialogue that all ends up forming one of the best movies of all time.

       

Works Cited:

IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064115/