Blackthorn

An old man living in Bolivia under the name James Blackthorn breeds horses and decides after thirty years to go back to America to meet a nephew he has never seen. His real name is Butch Cassidy; he was said to have died in 1908 and he was not there that day. On the road he meets a young Spanish engineer, learns about the money the man stole, and becomes a hunted man again. Mateo Gil does not tell the continuation of the legend but what comes after it: the man has aged, riding hurts, and the story of his youth is a weight. Sam Shepard plays the part without trying to prove anything. The Bolivian highlands and the salt flat give the film its visual character. Who it is for: viewers who like late westerns and stories set after the legend. Who it is not for: anyone expecting a classic action western.