Blackthorn

Name: Blackthorn
Genre: Western
Released: October 7, 2011
Duration: 98 min
Rating: 61

2011

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Ratings

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5.9

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5.9	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Ratings

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Blackthorn

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Movie Details & Credits

Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: October 7, 2011 | R

Summary: It’s been said (but unsubstantiated) that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were killed in a standoff with the Bolivian military in 1908. In Blackthorn, Cassidy survived, and is quietly living out his years under the name James Blackthorn in a secluded Bolivian village. Tired of his long exile from the US and hoping to see his family againIt’s been said (but unsubstantiated) that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were killed in a standoff with the Bolivian military in 1908. In Blackthorn, Cassidy survived, and is quietly living out his years under the name James Blackthorn in a secluded Bolivian village. Tired of his long exile from the US and hoping to see his family again before he dies, Cassidy sets out on the long journey home. But when an unexpected encounter with an ambitious young criminal derails his plans, he is thrust into one last adventure, the likes of which he hasn’t experienced since his glory days with the Sundance Kid. (Magnolia Pictures)… Expand

Director: Mateo Gil

Genre(s): Western

Rating: R

Runtime: 98 min

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Critic Reviews

Lou Lumenick

Oct 7, 2011

With Paul Newman gone, you couldn't ask for a better senior-citizen representation of Butch Cassidy than Shepard. In his best performance since "The Right Stuff'' turned him into a reluctant movie star, Shepard makes Blackthorn worth seeing. Read full review

Steven Rea

Oct 13, 2011

Watching Shepard work his pony down a snaking mountain pass, playing a mandolin and singing the blues, or seeing him sitting, stone-still, beneath a railroad water tank, waiting for something to happen - these are scenes to be cherished, from an actor who has found the soul of the character he's playing. Read full review

Joe Williams

Oct 21, 2011

In place of a rousing adventure, Blackthorn is a haunting ode. Read full review

Marc Savlov

Oct 19, 2011

The film has a Leone eye (courtesy of cinematographer Juan Ruiz Anchía) coupled with a drowsy, doomy pace which, emboldened by the salt-licked Bolivian settings and the finely calibrated acting from all, makes for a phantasmagoric trip down a strangely different memory lane. Read full review

Boxoffice Magazine Sara Maria Vizcarrondo

Oct 9, 2011

It's a trenchant modern western and fans of the genre should embrace it for more reasons than just the presence of the epic Sam Shepard who, by the way, owns this Butch Cassidy. Read full review

Eric Hynes

Oct 4, 2011

Gil's alternative history gets one thing bang-on right: If Butch were to live into his senior days, he'd absolutely have to be played by Shepard. Wrinkled, leathery and densely carpeted in a salt-and-pepper beard, the 67-year-old playwright and actor still exudes intellectual mischief and hard-stare sex appeal; his self-styled ruggedness is a perfect match for an infamous gringo living incognito. Read full review

Nick Schager

Oct 2, 2011

Blackthorn's last-man-standing circumstances, far from a cautionary tale about the cost of the gunslinger life, are glorified as the height of macho nobility. Read full review

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User Reviews

corc79

Feb 2, 2012

Great movie. Seeing as only a couple westerns in the past decade can even be considered decent, this was a real score. Too bad barely anyone even knows it was made...

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Domgwy

Dec 20, 2017

Blackthorn effectively retells the story of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid made famous by the Robert Redford and Paul Newman film.

Sam Shepard plays an old Butch (now calling himself James Blackthorn) living out his days peacefully in Bolivia. As Butch makes one final journey back homeBlackthorn effectively retells the story of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid made famous by the Robert Redford and Paul Newman film.

Sam Shepard plays an old Butch (now calling himself James Blackthorn) living out his days peacefully in Bolivia. As Butch makes one final journey back home to America he gets tangled up with a young bandit called Eduardo (Eduardo Noriega) and soon he is once again being chased across a barren landscape by gangs and lawmen.

The film’s narrative is intercut with flashbacks revealing a new version of the Butch and Sundance myth, detailing how they survived the famous gunfight in San Vicente. The King Slayer himself (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) brings life to the young Butch and along with Padraic Delaney as Sundance the two capture the fun of the partners that made them so endearing in 1969.

Like Unforgiven before it, Blackthorn deals with the realities of cowboys living to an old age. Filled with regret and a longing for the past, Shepard portrays Cassidy with a subtle blend of melancholy and the same sense of humor and attitude that makes it clear this is the same character played by Paul Newman. The actor even contributes to the soundtrack, singing original versions of ‘Ain’t no Grave’ and ‘Wayfaring Stranger’ made famous by Johnny Cash and Jamie Woon respectively.

Lighter moments of the plot are often contrasted with some brutal violence, reminding us of the realities of the time.

While Blackthorn expands on a story and stands as a film in its own right I would definitely recommend revisiting the Robert Redford film beforehand if like me you have vague memories from watching it on TV on a Saturday afternoon.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

CitizenCharlie

Oct 18, 2011

Butch Cassidy didnâ

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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