Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

If there is one film genre that I am lacking in both viewing history and knowledge (especially considering the fact that I am an American male) it is the Western. It isn't that I have anything against Westerns. It's not like John Wayne took a blood oath against my family or anything like that. I just haven't watched a lot of Westerns. So what better way to begin my sojourn through America's top 100 movies than by watching one of the most beloved Westerns of all time.

As hard as it is to believe, this was my first viewing of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Of course I have seen clips of some of the iconic scenes (the bicycle, the jump...) and I knew about the Bolivian shootout, but I really did not know much about the plot line so I was really looking forward to watching it.

Thankfully, I was not disappointed. In a number of reviews that I read, the movie was described as "pure entertainment". I would have to say say that I concur. All the Western standards are present; gunfights, train robberies, poker games, posses and dance hall girls. In addition, is has a screenplay that is as funny as it is action packed.

I think what I really enjoyed was the straightforward way that director George Roy Hill let the story play itself out. He didn't fill up the screen with crazy shots or have the actors mugging for the camera to get his point across. Instead he let the beautiful photography, the screenplay and the performances of the actors speak for themselves.

One example of his restraint is the dynamic between Butch, Sundance, and Etta. In a lot of movies the guys would have ended up in a fistfight on a moving train before realizing that nothing, not even the love of a good woman, should ever come between their friendship. In this movie the relationship between them  simply is what it is. During the New York photo montage, the shot of Butch watching Sundance and Etta dance tells us everything we need to know.

There are times I watch a movie to learn about something, Sometimes  I watch so that I can be moved. Most of the time though, I just want to be entertained. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid fits that bill perfectly.

And So It Begins

When I was growing up we did not go to the movies. The reasons why are too tedious to go into here, suffice to say, along with dancing, drinking and smoking, it just wasn't something that we did. This did not prevent me however from developing a fascination with movies at a fairly young age. I would read reviews of movies in the paper. I watched  Siskel and Ebert when they were still on PBS. I can remember watching The Sting win the Best Picture Oscar when I was 8 year's old. (I didn't know anything about the movie but I knew that it won Best Picture.)

Growing up in the three network era of television my movie viewing options were definitely limited. I can remember the annual airing of The Wizard of Oz. Another annual viewing tradition with my family was It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World. But for the most part my movie experience was limited to news print and commercials for the latest Hollywood offering being shown at the local cineplex. In fact, my most vivid movie memory growing up is being the only kid in my 5th grade class not allowed to see Star Wars in its initial theatrical release. (I'm still bitter.)

With the advent of the VCR and movie rentals came far greater opportunities to satisfy my cinematic hunger.  Not only did I finally get to experience "a long time ago in a galaxy far far away" and sample more contemporary offerings, I was also introduced to the works of masters like Alfred Hitchcock and Frank Capra. A whole new world was opened.

What I love about the movies is being told a great story. Whether its truth or fiction, drama or comedy, as long as it is a great story being told in a compelling way, I'm hooked. I'm fascinated by the different styles of story-telling that you find in films. It can be straight forward or sentimental. It can be down to earth or full of over-the-top special effects. There are movies in each of these categories that I love.

This blog is meant to be a way to both express and enhance my love of film. My plan is to watch each of the movies listed on the American Film Institute's updated 100 Years 100 Movies list and write about them. These are not going to be reviews so much as personal responses to the films. I have already seen a majority of these movies at least once and some many times. Some I have loved and others...not so much. What I hope to do is take a fresh look at the films I have already seen and find something new in them. With those I haven't seen I am looking forward to seeing what I have missed out on.

I'm not placing any timeline on this project, but having this blog should at least influence my Netflix and DVR choices. I will also use this spot for other types of posts, but they will probably be movie related as well. If anyone happens to stumble by, I encourage interaction and look forward to hearing your reactions and opinions.