I find the moral stance of the characters simply unacceptable. They are liars, thieves, and robbers, and its ridiculou
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
robert3750 — 10 years ago(October 07, 2015 01:41 PM)
I find the moral stance of the characters simply unacceptable. They are liars, thieves, and robbers, and its ridiculous to portray them as some kind of heroes. Two things stand out as particularly offensive: The scene where Butch tries to justify being a bank robber because being a farmer, rancher, etc. would mean he has to work hard. So WHAT? That does NOT justify robbing people at gunpoint! Then theres the scene where they kill the bandits trying to steal the payroll, ending with them expressing regret at killing because theyve gone straight, implying that they were somehow in better shape morally when they were robbing, because they never killed anybody. What nonsense.
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asherp — 10 years ago(October 21, 2015 04:54 AM)
Back in that film generation the Anti-hero was big on the sceney'know the 60's counter culture and everything which seemed normal and secure turned on its head. Our WWII hero soldiers became the villians in VietnamRock stars became heroes
The question isn't the morality of the anti-hero.They typically aren't moral charactersBut you can pluck an ounce of them fighting society and society's norms and see how that reflects on the times.
Take Cool Hand LukeLuke is jailed for being a drunk and cutting the heads off of parking meters.he just wanted to stick it to the man. Very typical of that generation. -
ecarle — 10 years ago(December 24, 2015 12:58 PM)
Its definitely a "you had to be there" thing..but even around the time it came out, it had some enemies.
A few years after "Butch Cassidy" came out, actor/producer Jack Webbfamously the dour star of Dragnet and producer also of "Adam 12"said that Butch Cassidy inspired him to produce a new TV show: "Hec Ramsey", about a "frontier lawman," starring Richard Boone.
Said Webb of Butch and Sundance: "I had no interest in those two villains, I wanted to do a show about the lawman who ran them down."
Butch and Sundance ARE robbers, they hold innocent people at gunpoint, they blow up(badly) the clerk Woodcock on the train, and it remains distressing to see them down in Bolivia sticking up what look to be fairly poor and hard-working peasants while "living it up." Think of it: two handsome white guys sticking up South American peasants. I don't think this aspect of Butch and Sundance has survived very well in this day and age.
That said, the movie "gets it" about the price they pay for their criminal profession: early on , Sheriff Bledsoe tells them its too late to go straight, or to go into the Army, and that all that's left is for them to "die bloody." The movie is pretty relentless in showing first the Superposse, and then the Bolivian Army running Butch and Sundance to groundand ultimately killing them.
But Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the biggest hit of 1969. It tied, as Bonnie and Clyde had, to the rebellion of the Youth Culture against the Manand Newman and Redford were two guys about as handsome as two guys could ever be. As buddies. To the deathly end. Tossing off cool one-liners even unto death. -
Jakezen — 10 years ago(February 23, 2016 11:25 AM)
You do realize these characters actually existed in real life?
To portray them as saints in the movie would be untrue. Obviously they thought farming/ranching was not for them since they did not do it in real life.
I am not really sure what you are upset about. They were killed in the end for their lawless ways so the movie hardly glorifies what they did. -
lexyladyjax — 10 years ago(March 30, 2016 06:00 AM)
Way to miss the point. In your ignorance you're exhibiting the classic Historian's Fallacy, Bob. Look it up. Without comprehending the sociology of the era in which the film was made, you're judging something you do not comprehend.
How sad that you cannot get beyond petty morality and see this film for the masterpiece that it is. Its record of 14 British BAFTAS has never been surpassed. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID was the first great another buddy film.
Great white sharks are attracted to death metal music. -
clockworkorange13 — 9 years ago(May 25, 2016 07:16 PM)
I gave the movie 10/10 simply because it's a great film but I completely see what you're saying and I was thinking the same thing while watching it. These guys are outright criminals that are robbing and stealing their way through life but the movie presents them like great guys that you want to root for. The way the story and characters were presented in such a light-hearted and 'fun' manor seemed a little strange.