I have spent my entire life thinking of The Sting as the movie where Robert Redford and Paul Newman play cards for two hours. It never really occurred to me that there might be more to it until I finally sat down to watch it, but I fear it will continue to live in my memory as the movie where Robert and Paul play cards for two hours. The Sting made me feel like such a girl! I usually love “guy movies”, but this time I felt like I’d walked into a men’s club full of cigarettes, gin, and parlor games, and just didn’t speak the language. As much as I’d smile and pretend to be in the loop, they didn’t seem to care whether I was included or not.
Clearly The Sting is a beloved movie, so I feel I’m in no position to criticize it. I could see that the plot is clever and well crafted, the dialogue is witty, the music of Scott Joplin is an excellent backdrop, and the major players are all charming. I frequently found myself smiling, but as a whole, The Sting blew right past me. It is, in short, the story of two grifters teaming up to pull off an elaborate con. The writer describes their ruse as elaborate real-life play, and in this light, you can’t help but appreciate how well-executed their plan is. Even so, as I watched the movie, the main thing that stood out was how cute and funny Robert Redford is. He’s got a great expression in his eyes, and a wonderful deadpan sense of humor.
It wasn’t until I started watching the disc of Extra Features that I began to appreciate the movie itself. Through interviews with the cast and writer of The Sting, we learn of the painstaking attention to detail that went into making the film. The layout of the film was inspired by comic strips, the costumes were designed by the famous Edith Head, and even the sets we never see were elaborately detailed. All of the actors have plenty of stories about the late George Roy Hill, and they aren’t shy about lavishing him in praise.
Surprisingly, the best interviewee is Ray Walston, who passed away in 2001. He tells the liveliest stories, and is certainly the most cheerful cast member. Robert Redford shares a few good anecdotes, though his demeanor is rather serious, and Paul Newman makes an excellent point about the state of movie-making today. He talks about decay of creative vision in an era of test audiences and alternate endings. How sad that so many writers and directors no longer have the confidence or the opportunity to execute their dreams onscreen – it’s all about giving the audience what they want, or what some studio executive thinks they can handle. Aside from that, I don’t really get Paul Newman. His sense of humor escapes me.
All in all, I found the Legacy Series Edition of The Sting educational, but the next time I want to enjoy Robert and Paul at the top of their game, I think I’ll stick with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
