Through the undeniable chemistry of Paul Newman and Robert Redford, 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a striking depiction of brotherly love. Willfully evoking raw emotion out of his stars' interactions, director George Roy Hill presents an intricate crafting of male friendship that oscillates between in-fighting and fraternal affection. Narrating the story of two outlaws doing their best to leave their dangerous ways, the film revels in the mutual admiration of the titular characters despite their obvious differences. In a multitude of ways, it represents the authenticity of the life of friends.
Loosely based off a true story (which will soon be given a remix by Amazon), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid presents two outlaws who steal their way to infamy, as they rob trains, banks, and any other establishment they set their sights on. Butch (Newman) uses his wits to maintain leadership of their "Hole in the Wall" gang, while Sundance (Redford) safely entrenches himself next to Butch's throne with his skillful marksmanship. Sundance does find time to visit his old girlfriend Etta Place (Katharine Ross), who also takes a sort of romantic bike ride with Butch. But soon the twosome are departing for another train robbery, which proves to be a tragic mistake. The train was used as bait, and an expert group of trackers and hired guns chase the fleeing duo. Failing to shake their hunters, Butch and Sundance take Etta and flee to Bolivia to go straight and start anew. However, when their new boss gets killed in a botched robbery attempt while they were working as guards, they decide that it's best for them to return to their thieving ways, which leads to ... let's call it a less-than-favorable outcome.
Butch and Sundance's Refreshing Sense of Brotherhood
From the beginning of the film, Butch and Sundance display an interesting bond with each other. They are opposites in a sense. Butch is the charismatic wise-ass whose mouth often gets him in and then out of trouble. On the other hand, Sundance lets his actions do the talking, and the legend of his gun-slinging is known around every corner of the West. Like magnets of differing polarities, their divergent personalities are what brings them together and makes them a force to be reckoned with.
We see glimpses of this in the sequence where Butch is challenged to a duel by Harvey Logan for control over their gang and asks Sundance not to interfere. Butch whispers to his partner that if he loses, Sundance should kill Logan anyway. Using his mouth as his weapon, Butch distracts Logan and kicks him in the groin before knocking him out. In only a few minutes, we see how Butch's verbal acuity can prove useful, the fear and respect for Sundance's ability, and the pure trust the two have for one another. Butch didn't need to convince Sundance to grant his request, but we know that should he have fallen in the duel, his brother would have his back no matter what. It asks viewers to think about their own best friends, giving them comfort in knowing someone who would act in the same way Sundance does.
Another thing that makes Butch and Sundance's friendship so authentic and emotionally investing is in the way they reveal their insecurities to one another. When Butch takes out Etta for a bike ride, the film shows them as a couple that could have been. The sexual tension between the two is extremely palpable, and it is confirmed with Etta's question on whether they would have been together if she had met Butch first. He shrugs it off and Sundance catches them in an embrace, with Butch jokingly telling him that he was stealing his woman. Sundance dismisses them and gives him the okay to take her. There are absolutely no traces of jealousy, despite Etta's attraction towards Butch, creating an easy-going relationship between two close friends that feels refreshing in its lack of drama. If the figurative "bro code" was written during the times of the Wild West, Butch and Sundance would have been the centerfold.
Butch and Sundance's Friendship Never Wavers
It's also relatable to see that the flaws of one are covered by the abilities of the other. In essence, Butch is the thinker while Sundance is the doer. During their wild escape from the skilled trackers, the duo are forced to take a high jump into a fast-moving river. The perpetually stoic Sundance now shows emotion and mentions to his partner that he cannot swim. Instead of comforting him, Butch laughs his belly out -- which allows the audience to laugh too. It feels familiar, like how a lot of people would find the humor in helping his brother out of a sticky situation. It is, after all, what real friends do. The two eventually leap into the water to escape are free from their tracker's eyes for the time being. In another sequence, when the two finally catch up to the bandits who killed their employer in Bolivia, they are left in a dire situation. The bandits refuse to surrender, and Butch and Sundance are forced to draw their weapons. When Sundance instructs him to take out some of their enemies, Butch conveniently confesses that he has never shot anyone before. Sundance takes over with Butch joining him, and they eventually take out all of their enemies. Their egos never get in the way of opening up their fears and weaknesses to each other. Their bond is strengthened, and it harkens back to the audience's own confessions of their insecurities with their own friends.
When the authorities finally catch up to them, Butch and Cassidy engage in a bloody shootout. With both men injured, they seek cover in a corner of the building -- surrounded with nowhere to go. They subconsciously realize this, and they exchange pleasantries through playful insults. Despite the good times they have shared, all that Butch and Sundance have left are the memories and thrills they have shared through the years. In the most moving shot of the whole film, the pair go out with guns blazing as the frame freezes. It is an enduring and mythological picture that evokes the partnership of two best friends.
What's interesting is that even through the violent eyes of the Western, Butch and Sundance embody the sensitivity, happiness, and despair of true friends. It is a timeless representation, mirroring modern close-knit friendships. Sure, they bicker like any other couple, but their platonic relationship is rock solid. It is a rather comforting thought that Butch and Sundance covered each other's backs until the bitter end. In the end, after the credits have rolled, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid makes us want to call up our best friend, open up a couple of cold beers, and exchange oft-repeated stories until the sun rises. It is a moving piece of art that reminds of us of that person in our own life who would be there for us in our darkest times.