Blackthorn – Review

Blackthorn is a slow-paced western which spins the tale of an aged Butch Cassidy, having escaped the impending Bolivian army by faking his death. He now lives as an older James Blackthorn (Shephard), breeding horses and fishing in a small river home deep in the woods.

The death of an old love back in the U.S. causes his heart to yearn for his homeland. He knows he is getting older, and his wild outlaw life has had a heavy toll physically and emotionally. He misses his friends, long gone. As he takes what is left of his cash, he rides north, on a journey to reach the States, and meet his friends again down the final road.

As he rides, gunshots ring out, Blackthorn drops to the ground, and a stranger (Noriega) winds up on his scared horse. This sparks a chain of events as Cassidy/Blackthorn must once again enter the wild west, which he had tried to leave behind.

This movie is really well shot, and while it is a bit deliberate in its pacing, it can be a decently rewarding and well-acted character study. The younger Butch seen in flashbacks played by Coster-Waldau is a good match to present day’s Sam Shepard. Everyone does a very good job in their respective roles, and the cast is quite good, even in bit roles like the Sundance Kid and Etta.

While not really a sequel to the classic “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” Blackthorn is one to check out if you enjoyed that film and want more of those characters. The two movies vary in presentation of a few events; however, they are mostly complimentary.