Blackthorn

2011

Action / Adventure / Drama / Western

26
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 61% · 76 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 61% · 1K ratings
IMDb Rating 6.5/10 10 11228 11.2K

robbery miner treachery sundance kid native peoples butch cassidy

Plot summary

In Bolivia, Butch Cassidy (now calling himself James Blackthorn) pines for one last sight of home, an adventure that aligns him with a young robber and makes the duo a target for gangs and lawmen alike.

Director

Mateo Gil Photo
Mateo Gil

Top cast

Eduardo Noriega Photo
Eduardo Noriega as Ing. Eduardo Apodaca
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Photo
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as James Joven
Sam Shepard Photo
Sam Shepard as James
Magaly Solier Photo
Magaly Solier as Yana
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
941.47 MB
1280*546
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
24 fps
1 hr 42 min
Seeds 2
1.89 GB
1916*816
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
24 fps
1 hr 42 min
Seeds 9

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Wuchakk 7 / 10

What if Butch Cassidy didn't die in 1908?

Released in 2011, "Blackthorn" is the unofficial sequel to the 1969 Western hit "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." It took 42 years, but it was worth it.THE PLOT: Almost 20 years after Butch Cassidy was supposedly shot-down in Bolivia he is shown alive and well, living in a ranch house in the mountains under the name James Blackthorn. He has a "nephew" (or, more likely, a son) in the USA and decides to take his stolen loot, retire there, and live happily ever after. Unfortunately for him, a young outlaw (Eduardo Noriega) puts the kibosh on his plans, but they eventually team-up, perhaps because the dude reminds him of his younger days or of his deceased best friend, the Sundance Kid.Another reviewer pointed out that Butch Cassidy is essentially regarded as a real-life Western Robin Hood. Yes, he was an outlaw, but he stole from the rich (the banks, trains and such) and gave to… well, himself. Okay, so he wasn't exactly Robin Hood, but people give him a pass because he fought the system and won, at least until his reported death at the age of 42 in 1908. But there are theories and support for the idea that he didn't die and this movie explores this possibility.The reason I bring up the whole Robin Hood ethic -- i.e. steal from the rich, etc. -- is that the movie illustrates that, outlaw though he may have been, even Butch Cassidy had an intrinsic moral code that he followed. Those who broke that code were not worthy of his time, respect or compassion. Period.Another reviewer seemed to read too much into this element and interpreted the movie as a Socialist vehicle with didactic politics: The idea that being singularly rich is intrinsically evil and therefore those less fortunate are morally justified in demanding (i.e. stealing) their wealth. But I don't think the filmmakers necessarily support this view any more than the makers of the original movie did in 1969. It's basically just Butch's personal justification for his lifestyle. He's a thug who unsurprisingly made excuses for his foolish way of life and he keeps payin' the price: Everyone around him dies prematurely, he's left alone & weary, and his stolen loot seems to keep falling through his fingers, one way or another. Yeah, Karma's a real biyatch. When my wife or I watch Westerns we always ask each other: "Was it as good as Dances With Wolves"? The inevitable answer is always, "No, but…" Of course, few Westerns are as good as "Dances With Wolves"; it's the "but" that will determine if the movie is worth seeing. In the case of "Blackthorn," this is definitely watchable for a number of reasons, including the intriguing ideas noted above. It's just a solid modern Western with many of the requisite staples that mark the genre, such as excellent landscape cinematography (in this case Bolivia, shot on location), a quality modern Western score, shoot-outs, brooding outlaws, saloons, booze, posses, mines, escapes, beautiful women, Pinkertons, Natives, cowboys, horses and locomotives. Speaking of posses, the posse-pursuit in this film is at least twice as long as the elongated posse sequence in the original movie, and probably longer. "Blackthorn" borrows from Westerns like "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (naturally), "The Shootist" (1976), "Unforgiven" (1992) and the more modern "Seraphim Falls" (2006). The association with the first film is obvious. It's reminiscent of "The Shootist" and "Unforgiven" in that the story involves an aged and meditative outlaw who doesn't have much further to go. It brings to mind "Seraphim Falls" (and Jack Nicholson's "The Shooting" from 1966) with its long, surreal chase scenes in the desert. The modern gloss also brings to mind "Seraphim." Lastly, the basic tone is akin to "The Long Riders" (1980). What makes "Blackthorn" unique is its setting in Bolivia; and, to a lesser degree, the time period, 1927.FINAL SAY: I suppose you could say that this is a character study and Sam Shepherd is excellent as Butch Cassidy. Like "Unforgiven," it's a brooding, elegiac Western focusing on less-than-respectable characters with flashes of Western-styled violence. It also has something interesting to say, although it's nothing enlightening or deep.The film runs 98 minutes.GRADE: B+
Reviewed by LeonLouisRicci 7 / 10

A Rhythmic Ride

Great outdoor cinematography highlight this darn good Western. The story of an aging outlaw returning home is engaging and the morality tale is delivered decisively. It has a number of dramatic details that make it believable (taking a slice of meat off the dead horse and roasting it on the campfire).In all the expanse of the Bolivian landscape the humanity and characterizations are not lost and we care about Butch Cassidy, his lady love, and even the ex-Pinkerton who discovers, then assists our anti-hero on his way to settle the score.All the elements of classic Westerns are at work here and the pace is methodical and maintained for a rhythmic ride. The gun-play is realistic and never stylized and the result is a new Western with an old West feel.
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