Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

“Most of what follows is true.”

These words follow the opening title sequence of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), a series of sepia-tone clips of robberies projected on an old theater screen. Moments later, the scene opens on a sepia-tone shot of a barred-up bank in and old western town that is soon revealed to be a reflection in a window. The camera pulls focus onto a close-up shot of Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) standing in a dark room behind the window, looking introspectively at the gated building. The camera then begins a long continuous tracking shot of Cassidy walking through the town and entering the old dim bank. This smooth sequence is abruptly cut off by a sequence of sharp cut close-ups of bankers and guards slamming windows, closing locked vaults, and smacking down “closed” signs. The camera continues to cut to Butch’s face as more and more light-sources are cut off, until the final shot of him is a high-contrast shot of only half of his face perfectly illuminated, and everything else pitch black.

Butch asks, “What happened to the old bank? The old bank was beautiful,” to which the guard responds, “People kept robbing it.”

Butch leaves the bank with the famous closing comment, “Small price to pay for beauty.”

Intro sequence of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

This scene perfectly describes the Mise-en-scene for the entirety of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The 1969 film is filled with bank heists and train robberies, but these crimes are only a small price to pay for the beauty of the film. Having rightfully won the 1970 Academy Award for Best Cinematography, this classic western uses light, color, and focus to tell as much of a story as the script does.

Starting in the first scene, the cinematographers set up a harsh contrast lighting theme that define the rebellious character of these train-robbing outlaws. Not only are the majority of the shots of Butch and Sundance schemed with sharp cutting light or shadows, but the entire characters of the two are essentially captured in this cinematic style. The harsh lighting contrast scheme used on Butch and the Sundance Kid give them the feeling of isolation, freedom, and power, perfectly fitting for the two western outlaws. 

The sharp light line on the Sundance Kid's perfectly contrasts the light in the background (where the background is illuminated, his face is dark; where the background is dark, his face is illuminated) and the line of light on his face cuts the frame perfectly in half. In addition, both Butch and Sundance are framed lower than the aggressive card-dealer. This, in addition to the clear distance from the outside world represented by the window, gives our heroes a sense of powerlessness.

This next shot has very similar composition: the dealer is centered in between Butch and Sundance and the light on Sundance sharply cuts across his face and contrasts the background. This shot, however, conveys a completely different feel by creating a perfect visual line between the three, this time with Sundance framed highest in the foreground. This sense of power also continues to increase as Sundance gets closer and closer to the door.

The cinematographers behind Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid also use lighting to display power. For example, in scenes where the audience may think that Butch and Sundance are hopeless, the lighting will become flat and diffused. At the moment that it becomes clear that Butch and Sundance will regain control, however, the lighting returns to the classic sharp-cutting light or shadow that describes the powerful rebellious characters of the two. At this moment, the audience remembers how badass the two outlaws are and are reassured of their power.

A great example is in the scene where Butch is confronted by Logan, the large challenger of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang: just as the audience starts to doubt Butch's ability to fight this angry giant, the lighting gets very soft. Everything in the shot becomes equally exposed, all the shadows are heavily diffused, and the lighting becomes very realistic. This reminds the audience that Butch is only human and may not be able to take on the 8-foot giant.

Just as the audience is loosing hope, Butch goes to consult with the Sundance Kid. Suddenly, the slightest backlight appears on Sundance's face. Although extremely subtle, this tiny lighting change reminds viewers that our protagonists are more than ordinary humans; they are Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Butch then goes on to effortlessly knock Logan to the ground, and the movie continues. 

Another wonderful aspect of the cinematography in the film is the use of the zoom. This film uses long zoom shots not only to reveal beautiful scenery in the background, but also to reveal key information on the setting and story.

This shot follows Butch and Sundance down a slope as they are pursued by bounty hunters. As the camera zooms out, it becomes clear that the two fugitives are stuck and will have to jump down the cliff. 

The wide zoom shots in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid also give our protagonists a sense of power. Our heroes may seem like tiny specks on wide landscapes, but as Butch and Sundance cross through these magnificent scenes with confidence and effortlessness, it implies a sense of mastery and ownership of the land.

The final shot of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid starts as a closeup sepia-toned high contrast image of Butch and Sundance running into a square of Bolivian guards. The shot gradually zooms out and credits roll. This final shot is an homage to the Mise-en-scene of the film set up in the first scene, as it returns to sepia tone, has the harsh lighting, and ends with a long and dramatic zoom. 

Even after 45 years, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid remains a sheer piece of cinematic mastery that will easily continue to pass the test of time. I give this film an 10/10 and add it to my list of all time favorite movies.

Work Cited:

• "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Dir. George R. Hill. Perf. Paul Newman and Robert Redord. Twentieth Century-Fox Films, 1969. Film.
• Images from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Dir. George R. Hill. Perf. Paul Newman and Robert Redord. Twentieth Century-Fox Films, 1969. Film. Images edited by Jesse Nichols.