Blackthorn

Call him Robert LeRoy Parker, or Butch Cassidy, or James Blackthorn--the last one is the fictional name assigned to Cassidy in the movie, “Blackthorn” (2011)--the legend of a notorious robber still lives on.  In the climax of “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969), the final scene freezes as Butch and the Sundance go down in a blaze of glory with their guns. We hope they escaped death at the hands of the Bolivian army. But as the segment ends, the outcome of the encounter was never revealed to the audience. Whether Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, whose bodies were never found, survived the deadly encounter is still intensely debated among historians, leaving a wide speculation on their whereabouts and their eventual deaths.  As such, the year and time of their deaths is still marked as “unknown” in historical artifacts. Indeed, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid belonged to the counterculture of the late 1890’s and early 1900’s, and in spite of their crimes, they are still romanticized, at least by the film industry.

“Blackthorn” portrays the events in the aftermath of the shootout, suggesting that Butch Cassidy, now known as James Blackthorn, survived the standoff. Sam Shepard plays the aging Butch Cassidy, who decides to take the long journey back to home in the U.S. He lives with the locals in Bolivia, and helps them in their daily activities. Upon starting his journey, Blackthorn meets a young robber named Eduardo Apodaca (Eduardo Noriega) who has stolen $50,000 in cash. Through various events, Butch and Eduardo become good friends, and they decide to travel together through the rough countryside terrain, escaping from the occasional bandit attacks. Blackthorn takes a break in a local village, where a man from the past recognizes him as the real Butch Cassidy. Meanwhile, we learn more about Eduardo and how he got the money. In addition, the plot flashes back to Blackthorn’s past, showing Butch and Sundance on the run through South America.

Spanish director and writer Mateo Gil directs his first movie in over a decade. He is mainly known for writing screenplays for Alejandro Amenábar (“The Sea Inside,” “Vanilla Sky,” and “Agora”), and Gil’s first attempt at the Western genre is rather enjoyable, although not without issues. The story portrays Blackthorn’s final attempt at redemption, and one feels that Blackthorn is a Robin Hood for a little mining community, especially in the manner the plot details are revealed. Unlike other Western movies, “Blackthorn” lacks gunslingers, traditional shootout setups, and a threatening villain. Fans of the Western genre looking for an action packed movie will be left a bit disappointed with the movie’s pacing. But I think the film’s strength lies in presenting Blackthorn’s past and how it eventually overlaps with his current state of events. Everything connects in the end, and it makes for a moderately satisfying tale. While we get a full characterization of Blackthorn, I found it difficult to connect to other characters due to lack to details. Perhaps the intent was to present a full-world view from Blackthorn’s eyes, and everything around him is almost secondary.

Issues aside, “Blackthorn” is a beautifully shot film comprised of grand panoramic vistas set against the backdrop of Bolivian mountains and a snowy desert.  There are shots that teleport the viewers to South America, specifically in scenes shot in remote villages. There is a sense of authenticity with these shots as Blackthorn leads his life with the locals. “Blackthorn” still borrows a lot from classics of the genre, and in the process, plays it safe in embodying the elements associated with a traditional Western movie.

“Blackthorn” is entertaining at times because of Sam Shepard’s performance. As a veteran actor, Shepard certainly knows how to carry a role as a main protagonist. Mainly known for his good supporting roles, Sheppard brings wisdom and serenity to Blackthorn’s character, as Blackthorn reflects on his past that dictates the course of the present events in his life. Blackthorn is always thoughtful, bringing in the added emotional stability that is required from the character of his caliber. In spite of getting old, Blackthorn is sharply focused, intelligent, and swift during encounters with his enemies. On the domestic front, Blackthorn realizes the importance of a family, and wants to spend his final moments with them. In the end, the story and characters are purely fictional, and it only attempts to answer what might have happened to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid after their fateful encounter with the Bolivian army.

Video:

“Blackthorn” arrives on Blu-ray in a sharp-looking 1080p transfer, encoded using an AVC codec and framed in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Shot using a Sony F23 digital camera, the transfer has remarkable clarity and sharpness. The detail is generally pleasing to the eyes, with beautiful landscape images. The colors are deep, especially the greens and blues in the outdoor sequences. The close-ups reveal good details, which is evident when we see Blackthorn’s aging face. Similarly, the flesh tones are warm and realistic and never appear waxy. There is no trace of compression artifacts or DNR, but the indoor shots have variable black levels.

Audio:

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master track included for this release perfectly presents the sound envelope for a Western movie. The film has its fair share of long verbal exchanges, and the dialogue remains audible and clean. In the action sequences, the rear channels are triggered and the gunshots are deep and pack enough punch. Overall, the track is clean that has well-balanced audio levels.

Extras:

First, we get a bunch of deleted scenes that are rightly left out of the final cut. These are extended scenes that don’t add much to the story and its characters. Following this, a “making-of” featurette shows the director discussing the real story of Butch Cassidy and how the movie’s story was shaped keeping in mind the aftermath of a shootout with the Bolivian army. Next, we get two short films by director Mateo Gil. The first one, “Breaking and Entering” shows scam artists and the second one, “Say Me” is a romance between a man and a woman, who have recently split up with their partners. Up next, “HDNet: A Look at Blackthorn” has a few promotional clips, along with interviews with the cast. Finally, we get a theatrical trailer of the film.

Parting Thoughts:

Mateo Gil’s “Blackthorn” lacks impetus as it is devoid of tension and a necessary buildup to the shootout sequences. Still, the film is a sedate viewing experience consisting of soothing landscape images, and a remarkable performance from an ever-reliable Sam Shepard. Fans of the Western genre might want to check this out.