Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid [Blu-ray]

Came on time and is still packaged as new

One of the biggest films of the late sixties and into 1970, the film that made Robert Redford a superstar, one of the highlights of Paul Newman's long career, famous for its hit song and winner of four Oscars including Best Picture, there is much to recommend Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Its greatest asset is the chemistry between Newman and Redford that is what the picture is all about. The studio had wanted Newman as the Sundance Kid and had pursued Marlon Brando and Steve McQueen to play Cassidy, Newman really liked Redford's acting and insisted on him to the extent of switching roles. Newman was right. What follows is a different type of Western. For one thing despite its increasing seriousness as it develops it is essentially light, at times a comedy. You can't take everything at face value and certainly not as history. Though the basic outlines of the plot are true, this is a buddy picture more than a classic Western and that has befuddled critics ever since it came out. One of the controversies of the film, and there are a few, is that its not a "Serious" Western and does not fit into the great Western tradition. Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch, based on relatively the same material with changed names does fit in, and is done with absolute seriousness and great violence had come out earlier in 1969 to great critical acclaim. To them Butch Cassidy looked like a sanitized, overly-groomed version of the West inhabited by glamorous characters. The public decided to ignore the critics this time and made it phenomenally popular far beyond the box office of Westerns into the stratosphere of its day. The film fall into three sections. The first part is a light look at the business of robbing banks and trains carrying payrolls and at times is purely comic. Things change when their famous robbery of the Union Pacific Overland Flyer leads to their relentless pursuit by a group of trackers 9representing the Pinkerton's) whose ability to follow them anywhere, always close behind becomes absolutely eerie, almost like the Black riders in The Lord of the Rings. After a photo montage trip to New York they flee to Bolivia where the remainder of the film becomes very serious. even then, the buoyancy of the two leads keeps the buddy movie atmosphere going and never allows it to feel truly grim. Throughout their ups and downs, Katherine Ross (recently in The Graduate) as Etta Place, Sundance's girlfriend, is able to hold her own with Newman and Redford. The Academy Award song, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, and score by Burt Bacharach and Hal David was one of the movie's supreme delights at the time but since then has also become controversial. At the time it was a daring experiment to use a pop song in a film, especially when it would be anachronistic. After all this was a Western set around 1898 to 1908 not exactly a Bacharach era. But for the public it worked, however odd it seems today, and they made it a very major hit. If you can give it a chance, it works in its way in this whimsical scene, early in the film. Just remember the raindrops are metaphorical as some people complain that it's not raining in the scene. The only thing I find odd is that it's between Newman and Ross and not Redford and Ross. Some people have objected to the robbers, and these guys are robbing the payrolls of hard working people, being portrayed as virtual heroes. But this is a film from the Late Sixties, a time of great change and unrest, and a time when antiheroes were popular and it was hip to have outlaws and those outside the system as heroes. The movie is light enough that you really don't need to take issues like that too seriously. The movie is about the end of the Old Wild West as the twentieth century dawns and the end of guys like Butch and Sundance. It's beautifully acted, full of spirit and worth seeing.

If you haven't ever seen this - IT IS A MUST! Right off the bat we see the beauty and wit of the pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford. Classic moments that are unforgettable. Also includes the best cast of the era: Strother Martin, Jeff Corey, George Furth, Sam Elliott and Cloris Leachman. I saw it when it first came out, and it remains one of my favorite movies.

Great dvd. Robert Redford and Paul Newman good actors. Can't wait to see this DVD movie. Hard to get most websites were sold out on this particular dvd.

A classic movie with Redford and Newman. Had hoped this would have been free thru Prime. Small cost to watch

This movie is one of the best I've ever seen. Every aspect of this movie is so well done, it is hard for me to point out any weak spots or faults.

You know it was a great film.

This is one of our all time favorite movies and actors hadn’t seen it since it released in the 70’s we started talking anout the movie I told my hubby I bet Prime has it to rent. They sur did and we had a fun evening watching the movie! Prime has just about everything we like to watch

Cliente satisfeito!

Two great actors in a classic. Can't go wrong.

Excelente película siendo un excelente producto

Excellent movie!

大好きな映画なので買ってみた。