Sam Shepherd as James Blackthorn, a horse breeder in Bolivia. Blackthorn is getting up in years, and he just wants to go back to the States to see the son he never really knew he had. He knows a trip home might be dangerous because he is really Butch Cassidey, and while he's believed dead, if anyone finds out he's alive, his life will be in jeopardy. Selling his last bunch of horses he takes all his money out of the bank and heads home. Along the way he loses his money when a young mining engineer tries to steal his horse. The young man, himself a thief, having stolen money from the mine owner, promises to return his money if Blackthorn keeps him alive long enough to retrieve it. They get the money and a bond forms between the men. However the rightful owner of the cash wants it back and they have sent a bunch of killers after it.
Don't worry, it's not that exciting, rather its a meandering "thoughtful" western that keeps insisting it's about something other than the illogical plot. It's a film that thinks an out of left field turn and some disconnected flashbacks give weight to the proceedings. Sadly it doesn't. Some thing I read about the film before the screening talked about how westerns are a moral genre, but I can't find one here since the plotting is so haphazard. Think of it as the work of one of the new generation of filmmakers who love westerns and their ability to deal with larger issues as mythic stories, but who truly don't understand the genre's rules (you can't bend the rules if you don't know what they are to begin with).
Personally if it wasn't for the excellent cinematography and the award worthy performance by Sam Shepherd this film would be disposable. Shepherd is so good,he's almost iconic, I can almost consider recommending the film. Almost, but not quite.
Don't worry, it's not that exciting, rather its a meandering "thoughtful" western that keeps insisting it's about something other than the illogical plot. It's a film that thinks an out of left field turn and some disconnected flashbacks give weight to the proceedings. Sadly it doesn't. Some thing I read about the film before the screening talked about how westerns are a moral genre, but I can't find one here since the plotting is so haphazard. Think of it as the work of one of the new generation of filmmakers who love westerns and their ability to deal with larger issues as mythic stories, but who truly don't understand the genre's rules (you can't bend the rules if you don't know what they are to begin with).
Personally if it wasn't for the excellent cinematography and the award worthy performance by Sam Shepherd this film would be disposable. Shepherd is so good,he's almost iconic, I can almost consider recommending the film. Almost, but not quite.