You know the acting is good when you don't think about it at all.
Really, even when you think, "Wow, that was good acting," you're admitting it's acting. Something was not done in earnest. Something made you believe it was fake. Of course, there is a lot more to the ability to pull off a good story than plain acting talent. The screenplay by William Goldman had a lot to do with it. Filming the actors through nature, literally, also helped. The lighting was right, camera moves were smooth, and the actors had strong chemistry. The score played nicely with the attitude of the film. The last ingredient is the legend of Butch Cassidy himself. Mixed together, these elements created the story and added a heartbeat, made it breathe and brought it to life.
The film starts and ends in sepia. While adding an artistic touch, it brings the audience back in time, lets them enjoy the thrill of the film, then reminds them it was all in the past before sending them home. The sequence of photographs portraying the gang in New York City has the same effect. It puts the audience back in place, and they accept the film more readily as fact. Even when it's fiction, the story needs to be believed. Not taking many straight shots adds to the documentary-like feel, but not in a dull way. If this were a newer, high-budget feature, even if the faces were blocked for a shot, the camera would switch to a clearer shot, then back again. If he had the budget for this, I don't know, but Conrad Hall kept an honest tone with the audience by not switching views all the time. One shot that I admired in particular is one shot when the guys are sitting on a cliff, contemplating their next move. At one point Butch turns to face toward the Sundance (and the camera), Sundance's hat blocks some of his face. The look of concern on Butch's face is intensified, perplexing and wild because we, the audience, only see one eye. And that's all we see. The audience is not given the leisure of many viewpoints. Often the actors are put behind or through or under nature. The camera does not switch to clearer shots, as mentioned before, but lets the actors' strong personalities shine through any obstacles. Added to the sepia, this smooth style of filming does not leave gaps between now and then, or between cuts, but knits it all together.
One other effect that lent to the picture's true-story feel was the over-exposure of the film. This made the world look older, brighter, hotter and dustier than it really was. It was not overdone, to the point where things seemed unnaturally bleached, but only enough to give it that coveted sun-drenched appearance. The lighting was natural. Dark was dark, light was light, indoors and outdoors were noticeably different. (I do realize I make this point frequently, but when you see a poorly lit film, you will realize what a difference it makes.)
My last comment on the picture itself comes from the diving scene. At wit's end, the boys make a final escape attempt by diving into rapids. Of course, this was done in a studio back home by stunt doubles. To make it look like they were still in the mountains, a glass was painted and placed between the camera and action. I knew the glass was there only because I was aware of the technique. Had I not been aware, I would not have seen it. The sets and props were very well done, again adding to the plausibility of the story.
Finally, the score. Very little music was used in this film. I believe the overall time is less than 12 minutes. It is modern in tone, tying into the more modern language used by the actors, yet wild and unsophisticated. It was not dedicated to only the sepia sessions, and not all sepia shots were under music. Dialogue and music are only together once in the film. The rest of the music is over the picture, not jarringly, but flowing along and keeping the pace. Also, I did not notice any missed gunshots. You could hear the actors walking. I short, the sounds were relevant and believable.
This movie was a beautiful experience. Every element propelled the story. Costumes, music, actually reloading guns, acting, set, effects, taking long shots, exposure, props, extras and score; these are the elements pieced together in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. History and the present have met, without any disjointed tone. This is a timeless, genuine, and seamless piece.
Enjoy.
Really, even when you think, "Wow, that was good acting," you're admitting it's acting. Something was not done in earnest. Something made you believe it was fake. Of course, there is a lot more to the ability to pull off a good story than plain acting talent. The screenplay by William Goldman had a lot to do with it. Filming the actors through nature, literally, also helped. The lighting was right, camera moves were smooth, and the actors had strong chemistry. The score played nicely with the attitude of the film. The last ingredient is the legend of Butch Cassidy himself. Mixed together, these elements created the story and added a heartbeat, made it breathe and brought it to life.