This movie was one that I thought I knew, but had never really watched. I only knew a few scenes—the famous bicycle one where Paul Newman rides around with Katharine Ross on the handlebars to the now iconic song of “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.”
I selected this movie as the first, not because of a burning desire to see Paul Newman, but because the movie rental store did not have “Some Like It Hot,” which I had decided to rent first in honor of the near 100 degree temperatures that we had been experiencing. I also wanted to watch a movie that Brian would like for our first movie out of the 100 that we’re planning to view. As I am a huge old movie fan and Brian is not so much so, I thought I would try to make this as enjoyable for him as possible. So, as you can see, we will not be watching AFI's 100 Years 100 Movies list in order--or we would have started with "Citizen Kane."
I have to admit that I began this movie with the attitude of “I’m not going to like this as much as one of the old black and white movies we could be watching.” But, I was wrong. The movie opened with sepia-toned images of Robert Redford in an old west saloon...beautifully shot. There was tension from the start, and an unnatural quiet that heightens your visual senses.
However, the director takes you from the yellowish-brown tones of the old west into bright, colorful images, and you realize that this is not going to be the old standard shootem’ up western. Turns out we get to see the personal, real-life side of the western gunman—the human side. The movie is funny. It’s light hearted, and just when you think that it’s going to get serious—when it becomes clear that they are going to hunted down and killed—it doesn’t. I actually laughed out loud when Paul Newman declared that if the railroad would simply pay him the money that they are paying their hired guns, he’d stop robbing them!
The most beautiful scene in the whole movie is just a few moments long, and if you are not paying attention, you may miss it. During the bicycle scene, the camera is watching the couple ride through the countryside. At one point, the camera goes behind a fence, and you see the scene play out as if it is a roll of film…in slow motion so that you see each frame. The images and light are just perfect, and you understand that you and the camera are one—you are an outsider looking in on a moment in the life of Butch. The camera continues to take you on this journey throughout the film—always framing the shots, and showing you images, and telling the story visually as much or more than it does through the dialog.
If you haven’t seen this movie, or have not watched it in a very long time, I recommend that you give it a view. It shows up on the AFI’s movie list at #73.
One last thought before I post, does anyone else think that Robert Redford looks like Brad Pitt?
No comments:
Post a Comment