Taking place in Wyoming in the late 1890s, we follow Paul Newman as Robert Leroy Parker, more commonly known as Butch Cassidy, the affable and talkative leader of the Hole in the Wall Gang. Starring alongside him is Robert Redford as his laconic right-hand man Harry 'The Sundance Kid' Longabaugh. After a botched train robbery, the two outlaws find themselves being pursued relentlessly by a special posse formed by the railroad company. Unable to elude them, they flee to Bolivia with Sundance's girlfriend Etta Place, played by Katharine Ross, where they make a living as bank robbers known as "Los Bandidos Yanquis".
While the history might not be entirely accurate, it can be agreed that Paul Newman and Robert Redford have fantastic chemistry. Yes, they're outlaws, but they're so likeable. They're not even violent outlaws - in fact it's in an honest job where Butch kills someone for the first time. You want to root for these thieves, especially when they're being chased and can't catch a break. Everyone knows the scene when they're cornered on the cliffside.
The humorous dialogue between the two stars carries the film, and the daring escapes and poignant ending add to this to create an engaging story about the twilight years of the American West.
The on-screen chemistry actually worked so well that Newman and Redford reunited with director George Roy Hill four years later in The Sting.
"Well, we're back in business boys and girls, just like the old days."
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