The Sting (1973) - Hill

Stars: Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Robert Shaw

Pros: Acting, Score, Script, Entertaining

Cons: Drags in the middle.

Plot: In 1930s Chicago, a con-man (Redford) seeking revenge for his murdered partner teams up with a master of the big-con (Newman) to win a fortune from a criminal banker (Shaw).

What Kael thought: "The Sting is for people who like crooks as sweeties. The director is once again the implacably impersonal George Hill. The Script by David Ward is a collection of Damon Runyon hand-me-downs with the flavor gone. Newman and Redford are two of the sexiest men in the country but when they play boyish coquettes, the show is really cloying. I would much rather see two Gay men in love than see two romantic actors going through a routine whose point is that they're so adorable smiley butch that they can pretend to be in love and its all innocent. And the absence of women is really felt in the movie. But then not only is half of humanity left out, so is what engages the remaining half. I found it visually claustrophobic and totally mechanical." - From Reeling by Pauline Kael

“The Sting” is a slick, feel-good bit of fluff and Box office smash that re-unites Newman, Hill, and Redford. However, unlike Butch Cassidy, “The Sting” really isn’t a buddy picture, the two men have few scenes together. Newman has his moments, but he really supports Redford, who’s the main lead from start to finish. The two actors also switch personas. Instead of being the cool, serious Sundance to Newman’s Butch, Redford here is the warmer & more charming of the two. Also notable are Robert Shaw as the arrogant villain and Charles Durning as the crooked cop.

Except in the middle, “The Sting” moves briskly and its twists and turns kept me guessing. While played straight it never takes itself seriously and has no message. The script is clever and tight. The Scott Joplin music while historically inappropriate to the 1930s adds to the enjoyment.

It’s an unlikely Academy Award winner. While a nice entertainment the Academy rarely gives light comedies the Oscar and The Sting really isn’t that remarkable. Possibly, after giving Oscars to “Midnight Cowboy (1969)”, “Patton (1970), “The French Connection (1971), and “The Godfather (1972)” some AA voters wanted to reward a more wholesome, family-oriented film. Or maybe it was the best of the English-language films nominated ( “The Exorcist”, “American Graffiti”, and “A touch of Class”).

Conclusion: One of the weaker Academy Award Best pictures, but an enjoyable light comedy Rating ***