George Roy Hill's Western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) tells the story of robbers, Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and his partner the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford). After a train robbery goes wrong, the two are on the run from the law and decide to leave the midwest and go to Bolivia in order to continue their criminal careers. Their companion Etta Place (Katherine Ross) joins them on their journey to South America and helps them become some of the most infamous robbers of their time.
One of the most striking cinematic aspects is the film's mise en scene. Ranging from creative lighting, to diverse set designs, to extravagant costumes, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid gives its viewers numerous magnificent shots to admire. Some cinematic analysis also reveals that these aspects serve special purposes in the film.
Like in many other films, the lighting in
Hill's classic movie was artistically manipulated to evoke certain emotions in the audience. One of the scenes where this is most easily noticed is when Etta Place is introduced for the first time. Here, Sundance Kid breaks into her house and startles her as she comes in. At this point in the film, the viewers have no knowledge of Etta and Sundance's relationship and the lighting plays a large role in making the audience think that Etta is in trouble. For example, the dark room establishes a fearful mood. This is the same technique that is used in numerous horror films to provoke anxiety. Lighting is also used to cleverly light half of Sundance's face. Like in Night of the Hunter, this tells the audience that the character has both a light and a dark side. As you can see, the filmmakers used these two techniques to evoke an unnecessary concern for Etta's fate.
Other parts of the mise en scene that stick out in this film are the set design and costumes. For an American Western, these are some of the most important aspects of the mise en scene. The film's protagonists are seen in various settings including bars, the desert, a brothel, and the mountains wearing outfits that correspond to the setting. Landscape shots, like the one to the left, are vital to Western films, as Richard Barsam and Dave Monohan's Looking at Movies explains; "Because setting is of such primary importance, Westerns are dominated by daylight exterior shots and scenes" (104). The costumes are also very
specific to the genre. Ross' character, for example, is seen throughout the film in elaborate dresses of the time. These costumes (long dresses, cowboy hats, etc) are signature items that are very specific to the genre. As you can see, set designs and costumes work hand in hand to make Westerns its own unique genre.
Overall, there are several aspects of the mise en scene that can be examined in Butch Cassidy and the Dance Kid. The lighting was purposefully manipulated to provoke certain emotions in the audience. Also, the shots of the landscape and particular costumes helps to define this film as a classic Western.
One of the most striking cinematic aspects is the film's mise en scene. Ranging from creative lighting, to diverse set designs, to extravagant costumes, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid gives its viewers numerous magnificent shots to admire. Some cinematic analysis also reveals that these aspects serve special purposes in the film.
Like in many other films, the lighting in
Overall, there are several aspects of the mise en scene that can be examined in Butch Cassidy and the Dance Kid. The lighting was purposefully manipulated to provoke certain emotions in the audience. Also, the shots of the landscape and particular costumes helps to define this film as a classic Western.
----------Citations----------
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Dir. George R. Hill. Perf. Paul Newman, Robert Redford. Twentieth Century-Fox Films, 1969. DVD.
Barsam, Richard Meran., and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies; An Introduction to Film. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2013. Print.
Night of the Hunter. Dir. Charles Laughton. Prod. Paul Gregory. By James Agee. Perf. Robert Mitchum, Shelly Winters, Lillian Gish, James Gleason, Evelyn Varden, and Peter Graves. United Artists, 1995. DVD.
Barsam, Richard Meran., and Dave Monahan. Looking at Movies; An Introduction to Film. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2013. Print.
Night of the Hunter. Dir. Charles Laughton. Prod. Paul Gregory. By James Agee. Perf. Robert Mitchum, Shelly Winters, Lillian Gish, James Gleason, Evelyn Varden, and Peter Graves. United Artists, 1995. DVD.
