Western Movie

Western Movie: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
I have never really shared an interest in Western movies, as the ones I have seen have all had the same plot and tend to lean towards the cheesy side. Also, I tend to think of the idea of the Wild West shown in Western movies as a Hollywood invention. Needless to say, I was not that excited to have to  watch a Western movie this week. I decided to watch "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" because it had very high ratings, and it wasn't so old that the whole movie would appear like a joke production to me. I also wanted to watch something that wasn't super new in order to get the feel of the real Western movie. I enjoyed the opening to the movie, because even though it was the film credits, the shot of the black and white film in the background set the stage for the movie. The cinematography throughout the movie was probably my favorite part. The beginning starts out with a bank closing and the lighting is very dim, setting the mood, which reminded me a lot of "Citizen Kane's" opening of reporters in the news room. The film featured a lot of wide, landscape shots the show the audience how vast, beautiful, and unoccupied the West was. The depictions of Butch and Sundance were classic, as they were technically criminals, as they robbed banks and trains, but were also seen as heroes of some sort with their likable personalities and careless attitudes. The audience also feels bad for them when they cannot seem to escape the people who are trying to kill/capture them, no matter how far they go, even to Bolivia. The movie also offered some humorous relief, such as when Sundance and Butch learn Spanish simply so they can rob banks in Bolivia. The sound editing throughout the film was also very good, as the rhythm of the horses hooves clapping against the sound was on point the entire film. I also liked how near the end of the film other parts of the country were shown, like big cities, which showed how the times were for people all over America, not just in  the west. I enjoyed how the bicycle was implemented in, which showed how times were changing and inventions were finally spreading from the north to the west. The one part of the film I did not like was the music played when Butch and Anna were riding the bike, as it didn't really seem to go with the times of the West like the rest of the musical score. The ending scene, though tragic, was amazing, as the director created dramatic irony. The audience knew that the Bolivian police had lots of backup and weaponry, but Butch and Sundance had no idea. So when they decide that they can take the rest of shooters (which they think is only a few people), the audience knows the chances of them surviving are not very good. The movie doesn't show Butch and Sundance getting killed though, it just shows a picture of them while the audience can hear the Bolivian police yelling "Fire!" over and over again. The theme in this movie was man v. man, as Butch and Sundance fought for their lives against those who wanted to hunt them down and make them pay for their crimes. Overall, I would give this film a 8 out of 10, because while the plot was like every classic Western movie, the characters were well presented and the cinematography was outstanding.