A small-scale western about two outlaws and their true-to-life endeavors.

Much has been said about Messers Newman and Redford –

They bounce off of each other like the greatest of duos.

Just like a pairing as iconic as Abbott and Costello harmoniously riffed off of their differences, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are fun to watch even in the simplest of moments.

Which what I found to be surprising was how this movie dishes them out in plenty.

Amongst some excellent action scenes are little bits of banter that make these criminals all the more endearing.

The overall hushed tone of the film is set up from the opening credits, and it is sustained throughout by a lo-fi melancholy soundtrack.

If anything, the lack of grand orchestral moments which one might find in a Sergio Leone epic elevates the tension as the pair are being chased by the relentlessly ominous force of the law.

We know that the days of thieving bandits and vagabond desperados are long gone –

These two don’t.

They’re fighting a battle that’s already lost.

Complete with great writing, performances, and a clear vision, this movie is truly a swan song to that bygone era and a landmark in 60s cinema.