Before I start, I would like to say that hopefully this blog will not be entry after entry of good reviews. I mean, I want my writing to be good, but don't some of these reviews need to be negative? I guess we'll see... If they are all good I hope they won't get boring.
So, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was absolutely amazing. From start to finish I loved it. I mean the very first line (as listed above in the title of this blog) the dialogue was amazing. I laughed, I was scared... I didn't cry, but I was a little sad at some points.
A little bit of the plot for you: Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) are famous bank and train robbers. Butch is the brains and Sundance is the sharp shooter. They are so famous, in fact, that the owner of a railroad company outfits a team of specialized trackers and lawmen to track down Butch and Sundance and kill them. For a good portion of the movie, we watch the team chase the duo all over the desert. After a few days of running, Butch and Sundance decide to take Sundance's girlfriend (and Butch's love interest) and escape to Bolivia. They begin robbing banks again, and eventually become so notorious that the team that was chasing them in America has followed them down to Bolivia. After a few attempts to get straight and lay low, Butch and Sundance get caught, and end up in a shoot out with the entire Bolivian police force.
The bad stuff: This isn't really a bad thing... But I've already told you that I'm hard on love stories in movies. Etta's love for Butch was sweet, but at times it just made me sad, like when she would be in bed with Sundance and Butch would be jealous. I was scared the entire time that she was going to break the two of them up (which is what usually happens in movies today.) I was relieved that she never really got in the way. And, this movie is based on a true story, so they couldn't leave her out.
On to the good stuff, which is the entire movie. I loved the witty banter between Butch and Sundance. They always had something funny to say, even in the worst situations (like when they first get to Bolivia and see all the pigs), even in the face of death. One of my favorite parts is when we find out that Sundance can't swim, but they have to jump off the cliff into the river. Sundance just kept saying the whole time they're floating down the river that he is going to kill Butch. So funny.
The ending of this movie is just awesome. The shoot out with the police is so cool. When the police back up shows up, they can't believe that so many police have been taken out by just two men. (Dos hombres?!) It was gut wrenching to see Butch get shot in the back, and then have Butch ducking under a rain of bullets. Still, even when they are all shot up and bleeding, they are still cracking jokes. Another one of my favorite lines comes from when they're talking about going to Australia next (even though they know they're about to die):
Butch: You could learn to swim!
Sundance: No swimmings not important!
Then, when they run out and face the police force, the movie stops on a snapshot of the two of them with their guns blazing. We can hear the sound of the head of the police force telling his men to fire on Butch and Sundance, but we don't see them get riddled with bullets. Instead they are allowed to live on in infamy as heroes. Even though they are bank robbers, they are still heroes. Awesome.
However, not only are these two funny, they are also real. Like how we find out in the middle of the movie that Butch has never shot anyone before, and they have to shoot those robbers. Afterward, Butch looks really torn up about it, and Etta is trying to calm them down. Also when Sundance returns to Etta from being chased by the special team, he pretends like he doesn't care and tells her not to make a big thing out of it, but then as she walks away, he pulls her back and says "No, make a big thing out of it." It is those moments, mixed in with the witty banter that makes this movie awesome.
I had to write down so many quotes while watching this movie. They were all so funny. I would give you a list of my top 5, but they wouldn't be as funny out of context. You really have to watch it.
This is my first Paul Newman movie. This is the first Robert Redford movie I've watched all the way though (I watched some of The Great Gatsby in high school English, and now I know what Mrs. Meadows was talking about.) Umm... how have I been missing out on these two all my life? They are some of the best actors I have ever had the pleasure of watching. I can't wait to watch more of them.
Also, this was my first western. I'm excited for more of them, especially some Clint Eastwood.
So... I give this movie a 5 out of 5. It was amazing. One of my favorites ever.
I was thinking though... If someone was going to remake this now, I have some ideas as to who they should cast. Butch would be Matthew McConaughey, because he talks fast, Sundance would be Brad Pitt (probably a younger version) because he can play the strong silent type, and Etta would probably be someone like Scarlet Johansson or Jessica Beil, someone they could make look trashy in western clothes. Also, I think they would probably play up Butch's jealousy, have the two split up or have an argument over Etta. Also, I think the end would have been a lot more bloody. Would it be nearly as good? Definitely not. Would people go see it? Definitely.
Okay, so next I would like to watch Cool Hand Luke, but it just depends on what I can watch instantly on Netflix. I hope this review was better than the last. I look forward to writing another one. I hope you look forward to reading it!
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