Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

morrison-dylan-fan Whilst owning the film on DVD,I found myself drawn to stay up late at night a few weeks ago to watch the ultra-stylish Neo-Noir Cold In July get screened on TV,with Sam Shepard's being utterly chilling. Checking to see if anything interesting was being shown over the last days of the Easter holiday,I was thrilled to spot a Shepard Spanish Western (!) being shown,which led to me pulling out the black thorn.The plot:Leaving the US with a myth of him and Sundance both being killed, Butch Cassidy changes his name to James Blackthorn and goes to live a life of solitary in Bolivia. Waken up from his 20 year slumber by news that his former lover Etta Place has died,Cassidy writers to their son Ryan to give him news that he will be coming home to meet him. As he prepares to set off,Cassidy discovers people who want to make the myth of his death become true.View on the film:Riding across the beautiful hills of Bolivia,director Mateo Gil & cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchía dip the title in the ghostly myth of Cassidy with isolated crane shots sweeping along the wilderness that Cassidy has left the myths behind for. Tipping his hat towards the Chorizo Western genre, Gil gives the clipped shots of gunfire a dry,earthy colour,that keeps the action grounded with the stark reality of Cassidy.Unearthing Cassidy's "missing years" the screenplay by Miguel Barros superbly grinds into the daily life of Cassidy,with Barros gradually revealing the loves and relaxed daily rituals that Cassidy has come accustomed to. Getting Cassidy to put his cowboy hat back on, Barros struggles to make Cassidy's return thunderous,due to appearing to be like Cassidy,in enjoying the chance to focus on his domestic life,but being much less interested in unleashing Wild West Cassidy action. Joined by a rough and ready Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau as young outlaw James Joven, Sam Shepard gives a fantastic performance as Cassidy,thanks to Shepard making a mere facial expression strip the 20 year myths off Cassidy's face,to unveil a rugged,black thorn outlaw.

paul2001sw-1 'Blackthorn' imagines an alternative end for the legendary outlaw Butch Cassidy to the one in the standard story: that he died, still a relatively young man, in Bolivia. But supposing he'd lived on, made his peace with the world; yet still retained a certain affection for the life of his youth, one that tempted him into certain decisions that were maybe unwise for a man of his age, no longer through a lust for loot but merely through the memory of the camaraderie of a life on the run. The film isn't bad, and there are some subtle subplots, but it lacks a certain narrative drive: the character seems neither to be in control of events, nor to be controlled by them, and although his immediate motivation is always apparent, his wider motivation is less clear. The film looks back at Butch's youth, but skips over the missing years in between that would provide a stronger context. The Bolivian scenery, however, is unfailingly beautiful.

Adam Peters (63%) A handsome modern western that twists a legendary character more for personal acclaim than for the sake of good story telling. Sam Shepard has a perfect feel of an ageing old west outlaw and he is more than capable playing such a well known man. While the rest of the cast isn't exactly all that bad either. It's well shot with some fantastic location work, and the makers have created a very convincing setting. My only issue is whether or not the Butch Cassidy connection and everything that comes with it is actually required, because in all honesty this has enough of an interesting plot without the quite frankly unneeded association distracting from the perfectly fine central theme. The simple fact is this would have been even better, cleaner, more focused film if everyone kept well away from Butch and Sundance, or merely just hinted at the idea.

Matt Kracht The plot: Butch Cassidy, having survived in anonymity for twenty years after faking his death, is reluctantly drawn back into the outlaw lifestyle again, after a chance meeting with a desperate thief trying to escape an angry posse.Most folk heroes (especially outlaws) have persistent rumors regarding their escape from certain death. In this movie, Butch Cassidy is portrayed as having faked his death and lived under an assumed name (James Blackthorn). It's an interesting character study of morally ambiguous gunslingers, examining how far each one is willing to go and for what motivation. In some respects, the plot is a watered-down version of Unforgiven, with many of the same themes explored (such as violence, honor, and redemption).In the hands of a better director, this could have been an amazing movie, but it still turned out well. I found the frequent flashbacks to be somewhat disruptive and annoying. Also, I would have preferred more time given to characterization, instead of lavish shots showing off cinematography and scenery. Those were nicely done, but several of the characters (including Stephen Rea's bounty hunter) ended up being not much more than cameos. In fact, most of the characterization seemed reserved for Cassidy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but did cause a lack of memorable characters.It's a bit light on the action, but if you're looking for something mature, contemplative, and reminiscent of Unforgiven, this is a good choice. If you're looking for breezy, fast-paced action, I'd recommend you skip this movie.