As Hollywood prepares for the release ofPedro Almodóvar’s shortStrange Way of Lifein Cannes, the horniness inherent to Western movies is back in the spotlight. And, although Almodovar’s flick is surely bound to be among the top movies of the genre, it’s not likely to surpassthehorniest of them all,Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. This 1969 classic broughtPaul NewmanandRobert Redfordas the title duo, a pair of outlaws that find themselves on the run to Bolivia in order to avoid the stretch of the long arm of human law. Despite it normally not being regarded as such, the movie is deeply queer-coded, something quite ahead of its time in terms of mass media — decades beforeBrokeback Mountain, by the way.
Every Western is, deep in its core, a movie about sexuality. It’s always been there as one of the defining traits of the whole genre, which demands certain behaviors and postures from its characters, especially its leads. Usually, they are men portrayed as hardened silent warriors, while women are the ones who can’t defend themselves, no matter how fierce they are, and are often at the mercy or protection of men. Many iconic movies depict this, fromJohn WaynetoClint Eastwood. The boldest exception is, naturally,Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
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Yes, ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ Is Queer-Coded
To say that no Western depicts masculinity the wayButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kiddoes is pretty much common ground nowadays. The genre had time to evolve and adapt to our current reality, yet no one had the presence to make another movie that portrayed masculinity in such a positive light as this one. The movie took a lot of liberties when telling a story based on real events, but it worked for the best, making it one of the first to properly depict relationships among men, even dipping its toe into LGBT+ territory. Or, better yet, the whole leg.
The dynamics of Butch and Sundance’s relationships are certainly confusing for those who don’t know where to look for signs of its true nature. At first, they seem like two men who are very close, sharing a deep friendship and respect for one another. They do everything together, from robbing trains to loving the same woman, Etta Place (Katharine Ross). In fact, that’s the first sign that what they have is something beyond just friendship. Something common to all men is competitiveness when it comes to sexual partners (yes, all men, some more, some less). The fact that there’s none when it comes to Etta means that Butch and Sundance enjoy each being together just as much as they do being with her. That’s how these things work, but more on that later.
Do Butch and Sundance Have a Bromance or Romance?
Intimacy is another important factor when looking at them. Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid are not their real names, as one could imagine. The only people who know their actual names are each other, and that’s not the kind of secret one gives away lightly. It’s not about work, it’s about feeling comfortable and safe with someone else to the point of sharing something so intimate. There’s a lightness to their relationship, one that’s only visible when the ones who are in it are more than friends. They are very different from one another but they intimately connect and understand each other deeply. They treat each other like they are a couple, with everything that entails, from the bickering to the tenderness. Few things are hotter than this, honestly, and the fact that it’s these two men just makes it even hotter.
We never see them go to bed together, sure, and words like “bisexual” or “gay” are never said, but that is merely a narrative choice. Despite it being the Swinging Sixties, being that straightforward could still cause some trouble for production. Still,despite whatAndy SambergandJustin Timberlakemay say, it reallyisgay if it’s in a three-way. Don’t let your heteronormativity get in the way, the area’s not grey. You just have to accept it, then you’ll see it’s okay. No shame in going from bromance to romance, people feel what they feel!
Are Butch, Sundance, and Etta in a Throuple?
Technically speaking, Etta is Sundance’s girlfriend, but it’s as fluid a relationship as you can get. The iconic bicycle scene, for example, is an intimate moment between Butch and Etta, and that’s okay by Sundance — he even tells Butch to “take her” when the latter jokes about stealing the former’s girl. As they make their way to Bolivia, it’s the three of them together, complete with a whole musical sequence depicting them doing everything together, from boats in Central Park to family portraits. I mean, that’s as official as it gets, right?
Of course, their throuple’s dynamics are very fluid. We see Butch with many different women in the movie before their move to South America, and he’s always respectful and kind to all of them, while Sundance keeps himself to Etta. At the end of the day, though, they are always back together. When taking that into consideration, it’s impossible to say the three of them are in a love triangle. There’s no jealousy, no competition between Butch and Sundance when it comes to Etta, therefore, it’s a throuple. I mean, if it isn’t, then Butch is definitely the most easy-going candleholder ever.
The Cast Makes the Movie Ever Sexier
It certainly helps that Paul Newman and Robert Redford were two huge sex symbols back then, and remain so to this day. Those two never needed more than a look and a grin to make anyone melt, and they shared a special relationship outside the sets, too, which certainly made them feel easier when filming. And Katharine Ross, to her credit, was never behind them, as she had just starred inThe Graduatea while earlier, another horny movie of the 60s. These three actors populated the minds and imaginations of a lot of moviegoers at that time, and deservedly so.
A sexual revolution was taking place during the Swinging Sixties, andButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidfits right in this context. The gift that this movie gave us was combining the most popular genre of that time, the Western, with the sexual freedoms that the period allowed those with open minds. More than five decades later, watching it feels just as good and liberating.
