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Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Special Edition)Rating:
Release Date: 16 May, 2000 Retail Price: $14.98 Sorry, this product is not currently available. Cast: Complete Cast (10 total) |
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Special Edition) Reviews
Still Great Contemporary-Feeling Western Classic in a Robust DVD Package Heavy on Extras
It amazes me how incredibly well this 1969 western has held up after all these years. At once classically structured and satirically executed, director George Roy Hill and screenwriter William Goldman have pulled together a supremely entertaining period picture that caters to contemporary sensibilities to this day. It is to their credit that the film remains true to the characters and never gets too broad during its quickly paced 110-minute running time. The story naturally revolves around the legendary outlaws who robbed banks at the turn of the last century. Their escapades are divided roughly into three sections in the film. The first is the introductory set-up where their opposite yet complementary personalities are established. Leading the motley Hole in the Wall Gang, they ultimately pull off a train robbery with an excess of dynamite. The second part is an extended chase sequence where Butch and Sundance are chased relentlessly by a group of unknown bounty hunters.
The third and final part details their escape to Bolivia where they are determined to go straight but get caught up with local bandits and find their infamous past catching up with them. It seems inconceivable to have anyone other than Paul Newman and Robert Redford in the title roles. As the more established star at the time, Newman is characteristically laconic as Butch. His innate likeability is enhanced by his rascally manner and crack comedy timing. In the more traditional gunslinger role, Redford provides the ideal partner with his flinty manner and unavoidable charisma. In between them is Katharine Ross, fresh from "The Graduate", who plays Etta with sensual élan, though she does not figure in the most critical scenes. Of course, Burt Bacharach's instantly recognizable musical score is here, and while there is an anachronistic feel to such 1960's-sounding pop music over a western, it somehow works because the attitude of the film seems so modern. Even the comically romantic bicycle sequence manages to preserve its buoyancy thanks to the inane but undeniably catchy "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head".
Conrad Hall's vibrant, burnished cinematography deserves special mention as it has been preserved well in the 2006 Ultimate Collector's Edition DVD package. The rest of the two-disc package is robust though bordering on overkill, adding on to the features that were already included in the previous 2000 Special Edition DVD. Retained from that edition is the interesting combination of perspectives provided by Hill, Hall, lyricist Hal David and associate producer Bob Crawford in their joint commentary track. New is separate and equally insightful commentary from Goldman. Another holdover from the previous edition is the forty-minute vintage documentary, "The Making of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid", a still terrific featurette from 1970 with participation from Newman, Goldman, Hill and Redford.
There are three new documentaries - a 2005 retrospective look at the film called "All of What Follows is True: The Making of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"; a fact-check featurette called "The Wild Bunch: The True Tale of Butch & Sundance"; and the somewhat repetitive "History Through the Lens: Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid: Outlaws Out of Time", a cumulative effort which combines elements of all the other documentaries into one ninety-minute feature. Lots of great insight is provided on the 1994 interviews with Newman, Redford, Ross, Goldman and Bacharach. A deleted scene is also included with Hill's commentary (since the audio had been lost) - it is a disposable transitional scene where Butch and Sundance are watching newsreel footage of themselves in a Bolivian theater while Etta quietly leaves to the train station. Lastly, there are trailers for eight of Newman's vintage films. This is definitely a robust package for one of the great films of the 1960's.
Butch and Sundance Ride into Film History
Butch and Sundance is an amazing wonderful film: in this ultimate collectors edition it sparkles like a beautiful jewel. The package is complete (I always thought the 1997 version was missing William Goldman's commentary - this one has it!): if you were a fan of this terrific western when it first appeared in the first flush of 1969-70 you will not be disappointed to revisit with Butch and Sundance and their hole in the wall gang. Its also a great chance to listen in again as 3 beautiful stars and countless other key personnel recount what it was like to put this wonderful film together.
God bless Geo. Roy Hill et al for making this western and changing many of our lives in the process. For this formerly 11 year old boy, I left the theater determined to be a film director. I studied writing by reading and re-reading Goldman's original screenplay over 40 times. When I finally got a chance to shoot film, of course I experimented with sepia tones!
This is not the most coherent review I've ever slapped together but it makes up for coherence by being heartfelt. If you haven't seen Butch (and I know a lot of film scholars who haven't) you really don't know film.
This is a classic film from several key players who have made their share of immortal classics. And the best part is, its not a bitter pill to swallow. This one tastes good going down!
note: this review is for the 2 disc version, although the special edition released a few years back is also a wonderful buy. no matter how much Butch you want in your life, they are both worthy editions. In general, anything by Redford or Newman is well worth watching (when its penned by Bill Goldman, you're in for a special treat!) .
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