BUTCH AND SUNDANCE: THE EARLY DAYS

US, 1979, 112 minutes, Colour.
William Katt, Tom Berenger, Jeff Corey, John Schuck, Arthur Hill.
Directed by Richard Lester.

The gamble to produce a follow-up to the classic Newman-Redford? western. Since they died, the only way to anticipate is a prequel! It has paid off nicely in this genial look at the west and its would-be heroes. Tom Berenger and William Katt do well (though somewhat strainedly) and resemble Newman and Redford respectively more than a little. The locations, seasons, interesting details of the way of life of the west, are expertly captured by director Richard Lester (not so tricksy in style as usual). The screenplay echoes nicely the whimsy and action of the original without trying to outdo it. All in all, pleasant entertainment, well done.

1. The popularity of the original film? The stars? The decision to make a prequel ten years later? Aiming at popularity, aiming at understanding the heroes and their myths? The treatment of the original compared with the second film? The heroes of the 60s and the myths? The treatment of them in the late 70s?

2. The function of sequels - giving audiences more about the characters, the styles and situations? Sequels trying to outdo the originals? Drying up the original impulses and inspiration? How did this sequel function? The idea of a prequel? Not attempting to outdo the original?

3. The modest approach of the makers of the film: the build up of the characters, the parallelisms of the plot with the original, the scope of the early years of the two heroes? The establishment of the characters, their meting, their introduction to robberies, their hankering after myths, the beginnings of their career? The presentation of the West ? the wide open spaces as well as the small waterlogged towns and the orchard farm? The importance of the stars and their similarities to Paul Newman and Robert Redford? On this level, how successful was the film?

4. The film's portrait of the West: the atmosphere of the prisons, the Governor's mansion? The towns, water, saloons, farms and houses, hovels in the countryside? The Hole in the Wall hovel? The range of landscapes and their use? The mountains, the plains, the farming lands? The use of the seasons for the passing of time and the range of beauty, the dangers to people in the West especially during the winter? The attention to details of shops, homes, work? The characters within these locations ? e.g. Butch and his work as a butcher, his home, the details of the robberies especially in the saloon. the jails, the courts? A feel for the real West? The highlighting of the need for heroes?

5. The musical score and its variety of range? The music suiting the variety of moods of the film?

6. The actors and their looking similar to Paul Newman and Robert Redford? Their manner? The continuity thus gained with the original film and its effect on the audience? The skill of the two actors in themselves in portraying their roles? Establishing the credibility of Butch and Sundance and their consequent actions and career?

7. The introduction to Butch ? the impact of his personality, leaving prison, his promises to the Governor and to the Sheriff? His involvement in action? His return home and his companions thinking that he had betrayed them? A gentlemanly type of the West, his friendship with Harry Longbaum? His ambitions to be an outlaw? His idolising Mick Cassidy? His capacity for thinking and planning? The possibility of an outlaw future?

8. The contrast with Harry Longbaum? Seeing him at work in the saloon, his failure and the need for Butch's help, his skills with the gun? The posse and the siege? (And the humour of the posse refusing to go on ? and the contrast with the obsessive pursuer who ultimately confronted them?), Butch and Sundance and their initial clashes, their discussions about themselves and their hopes, the discussions about the names that they would take? The importance of the stories circulating about them? Both of them as heroes for the future?

9. The nature of the bonds between the two, their being similar, different? Butch and the thinking, Sundance and the action? Their robberies and the humour of their execution? Their putting up at the hotel and enjoying wine, women and song and gambling ? and boredom? The tension with the pursuit by O.C.? The decision to take the vaccine to the diphtheria patients? Situations of life and death especially in the snow? Butch helping Sundance and his wounds, Sundance and the confrontation with O.C.? Their work together as an effective combination?

10. How well did the film sketch the character of Butch? The impact of his being released from jail, his promises to the Governor, the friendship with the Sheriff even to the court case? His promises? His buying the necessities of life, the sequence at the casino. joining the posse, the meal on the mountain. the friendship with O.C. and the gang and O.C.'s arrest, his escape? The introduction to him as a character, the humorous touches and details?

11. The character of Sundance, especially as illustrated at the casino, in the siege. the meal with Butch, the further jobs? The humour of the robbery with the skunk, the punches, becoming an outlaw? Enjoying wealth?

12. The character of O.C., prison, his escape, the pursuit, the shooting, the sequence with the barber, being deaf, the confrontation in the muddy street and his death? The effect on Butch, the effect on Sundance and his regrets? Butch explaining the harsh laws of the West and indications of the future?

13. The sequences in the snow, the diphtheria people, the learning to ski with its humour?

14. The contrast with Spring, Sundance and his wound? His waking up to Mary, his discovery of Butch's family life, the boys and Sundance's stories about Butch Cassidy as hero? Mary and her patience? Butch at work as a butcher? The pressures on him to leave? O.C.'s confrontation and death? His having to move on and Mary's accepting of this? The portrait of the patient woman of the West and her children?

15. The ambitions to free Cassidy, the robbing of the bank, the court case, the Sheriff? The posse leader and his vengeful pursuit?

16. The would-be outlaws and their assistance for the train robbery? The elaborate attention given to the strategy, the detail of the robbery? The humour of the plan and the fact that such a robbery could be achieved by two young men? The humour of their escape to mythology?

17. A genial portrait of the West? The audience knowledge that their lives would be short and that they would die violently? The presentation of the more ordinary life in the West and the significance of western legend?