Blackthorn [Blu-ray] | DVD Review

Retooling a legend in cinema is often a difficult task to carry out, and harder still is to do so with a classic film already ingrained within the American canon. When you think of Butch Cassidy, your mind automatically recalls those bright blues of Paul Newman and his tag team partner Robert Redford as the Sundance Kid going down in a blaze of glory in the Bolivian plateaus. Director Mateo Gil and screenwriter Miguel Barros want you to forget all about that image, re-imagining the event with Cassidy surviving, reinventing himself down the road as James Blackthorne. It’s been marketed almost like a sequel that could never live up to its predecessor, but taken as a sovereign entity, Blackthorn is a beautiful new take on the legendary bandit that disregards the past and assigns Cassidy moralistic hindsight in his golden years.

After receiving notice that his dear friend Etta has passed, Cassidy (Sam Shepard) decides to abandon his ranch in Bolivia to return to the states to visit her son whom she had shortly after leaving her best friends back in the days of bank robberies and train hauls. He drains his account and saddles up for the long trek back to the US, but is quickly accosted by a robber (Eduardo Noriega) who doesn’t manage to get away himself; the horse and the cash though, gone. Stuck in the Bolivian plains, the robber admits his wrong doing, and describes a stash he will split with Blackthorne if his life is spared and he receives help taking it from an abusive mining company. When the plan becomes reality, the men find themselves the target of a tireless man hunt that forces them both to expose the secrets that define their lives.

All the classic western staples are abound, a lone man helping a community, a band of horse bound pursuers, deceitful theft, and cold blooded revenge, but set against the beautiful Bolivian landscape, it feels fresh. Juan Ruiz Anchía’s restrained cinematography promulgates the lush greenery and striking salt flats while the story complimentarily utilizes them to propel the tale forward. It is in its picturesque locale that the film truly shines, but that’s not to say that Shepard doesn’t shoulder some of the weight himself. He has put forth a wonderful performance here, portraying an elder reminiscing on the past, only hoping with what little time he has left he can do right by his friends now passed. Shepard does so with surprising nuance and pleasant bitterness.

Upon its release, there was much controversy over the fact that many flashbacks to Cassidy’s younger days are sprinkled throughout the film. No, not flashbacks to the original 1969 film, but new recollections of the events that led to their fleeing to Bolivia which feature young British actors. Without them, the film wouldn’t work, but their sometimes awkward inclusion makes you long for Newman and Redford’s beloved bank robbin’ buddies.

Magnolia has once again put together a solid package. The HD image presents the Bolivian plateaus with crisp detail and vivid color. The warm earthy tones give life to the rich forestry and dusty salt flats that are found throughout. Soundtrack wise, the DTS-HD 5.1 track, though often fairly subdued, letting the environment stay in the forefront, sounds natural, but packs a punch when necessary. Special features are abundant, complimenting the film nicely. The disc itself comes packaged in a standard Blu-ray case.

Deleted Scenes
There are a variety of extended flashbacks, and conversations between Cassidy and Eduardo. Also a variety of extraneous desert riding snippets that aren’t missed in the final cut are included. All of theses scenes seem to not have made it to the final audio mix, sounding pretty flat and bland.

Making of ‘Blackthorn’
Here we have a fairly standard talking heads ‘making of’ piece, featuring the director, the composer and a few other key production members. They about the fruition of the film, the casting process, locale choices and set production with enthusiasm for the film and candidacy about its financing stipulations.

‘Breaking and Entering’ – short film
This short, written and directed by Gil back in 1998, tells the tale of a pair of smooth talking door to door salesmen who con an unknowing mother into buying a set of encyclopedias by telling her she’s won part of the set. Its runs as one 17 minute scene, provokes some laughs, and leaves us wondering why all the scheming?

‘Say Me’ – short film
A 15 minute short, written and directed by Gil in 2008, about a guy and girl who subsequently meet in a bar after both of their long term relationships end in front of each other. They confront each other about the breakups, ultimately searching for what they actually want in the perfect relationship. Beneath the fluffed up egos is what everyone wants, honesty, even if that means hopping in bed with no expectations.

HDNet: A Look At Blackthorn
This could have been integrated in with the ‘making of’ piece, as it features an interview with Shepard on the films production, and just generally talking up the film, as it is a publicity piece. Not much substance here.

Trailer
The trailer is filled with flashes of the eye popping scenery, Shepard in all his haggard glory, and with a wide open surround track pumping its way through, this is a lively trailer that gives the idea that the pacing of the film is faster than it is, but over all, not bad.

It’s hard to not think of the images from George Roy Hill’s classic, but once you move away from the fact that this Cassidy is built upon a new framework, it is an enjoyable western set within a non-traditional location that helps breathe new life into a genre that’s long been on life support. Gil does an admirable job here, and Magnolia’s disc packs a very watchable presentation with a few enjoyable shorts to boot.

Movie rating – 3

Disc Rating – 3.5