'Blackthorn' imagines an alternative end for the legendary outlaw Butch Cassidy to the one in the standard story: that he died, still a relatively young man, in Bolivia. But supposing he'd lived on, made his peace with the world; yet still retained a certain affection for the life of his youth, one that tempted him into certain decisions that were maybe unwise for a man of his age, no longer through a lust for loot but merely through the memory of the camaraderie of a life on the run. The film isn't bad, and there are some subtle subplots, but it lacks a certain narrative drive: the character seems neither to be in control of events, nor to be controlled by them, and although his immediate motivation is always apparent, his wider motivation is less clear. The film looks back at Butch's youth, but skips over the missing years in between that would provide a stronger context. The Bolivian scenery, however, is unfailingly beautiful.
Review of Blackthorn
