Blackthorn Blu-ray Review
The basic premise is straight forward enough. Butch Cassidy survived the Bolivian Army in 1908 and lived another couple of decades to a ripe old age under the name of James Blackthorn. The film proposes to spin a yarn of an old man wanting to return home, but thrust into one more adventure as he traverses the beautiful Bolivian terrain (not to mention his fortunes he has lost along the way – no thanks to a young Spanish criminal (Eduardo Noriega).
The two band together and head from one trouble to the next, but eventually end up going in circles as forces from both past and present are set upon their trail – each pursuant with their own agenda towards the two men.
Blackthorn is a story we have seen before, but it is none the less a beautiful looking film – thanks to some of the most gob-smacking natural terrain seen in film for a while. The film is also raised a standard or two by Sam Shepard’s leading performance. The film also introduces a decent flashback scheme into the narrative that retells opart of the Butch and Sundance tale including the aftermath of their aparent demise
The Blu-ray doesn’t come with any extra material, but the picture quality is top notch. This one comes highly recommended for lovers of turn of the century westerns. The blend of political and social history into the story adds weight to the tale of the withered Butch. Despite what we know of the end of the Butch/Sundance tale, Blackthorn doesn’t rob him of his blaze of glory, rather continues a legend.
Steven Hurst