831: What Is Even Bolivia?
Summary
Host Jason Snell and panelists Dan Morin, Shelley Brisbane, Dr. Drang, and Philip Michaels discuss the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as part of a Robert Redford summer theme. They analyze William Goldman’s quotable screenplay, the iconic Burt Bacharach score, and the film’s depiction of the dying Wild West. The group highlights the relentless chase sequence, the dynamic between Paul Newman and Redford, and the movie’s unique 1970s vibe despite its late-60s release.
Topics discussed
Intro: Summer theme and panelist introductions
Opening scene analysis and Burt Bacharach's music
The film's 1970s aesthetic and Western genre context
Plot summary: Gang rejection, train robbery, and Etta Place
The bicycle chase and the trio's dynamic
The relentless posse chase and cinematic techniques
Escape to Bolivia and the failure of the plan
Going straight: Guarding the payroll and the massacre
The final shootout and the freeze-frame ending
Cast chemistry, modernist Westerns, and conclusion
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