Movie Review: "The Sting" (1973/USA)

Movie Review: "The Sting" (1973/USA)

1973/USA/129 minutes Director: George Roy Hill Screenplay: David S. Ward Cinematography: Robert Surtees Cast: Robert Redford/Paul Newman/Robert Shaw/Charles Durning

It feels as if the film is talking about cinema itself. There is another fictional world within the film. It has the feel of a "film about making a film." Just like building a movie set, they construct a fictional set in an empty basement. And all the actors perform together. Even though the theme is con artists, in that sense, it feels close to talking about one's own world. Naturally, it has reality and persuasiveness. Moreover, it depicts human beings who are full of life. As expected of con artists, their movements are flawless. Whether in the world of Chicago gangsters or the world of Hollywood, I felt a tension where a slight mistake could mean the difference between life and death. Although it was a small role, Dimitra Arliss, the female clerk at the coffee shop, left an impression. It was a mysterious role where she was completely integrated with ordinary people, sharing loneliness with Redford, while also being a dangerous presence. I felt the depth of the real world, where even a cool-headed con artist could be taken for a ride. The story has an atmosphere of poetic justice, where ordinary citizens defeat gangsters. A swindler is absolutely evil in the eyes of the law. There are many swindlers who steal money from drunks or the socially vulnerable. However, in this film, they are depicted as somewhat charming characters who coldly steal property by taking advantage of the vanity of the rich and the arrogance of those in power. That is quite well done as a film. The background music of the film is ragtime. This sweet, light melody, which evokes nostalgia, might feel different from the world of high-stakes fraud or the blood-soaked world of Chicago gangsters, but it is in great harmony with the film. It felt as if the director himself had poured positive feelings into the music instead of dialogue, as if moving forward toward a happy ending in a happy mood. "He's not as tough as he thinks." "Neither are we." The legendary con artist played by Paul Newman is the director's role in this "film within a film." While being the person in charge of overseeing the entire fictional world, he also actually acts in the train card game scene. He doesn't look invincible because he has been hurt before. That's what's good about it. He is depicted as a life-sized human being. He is quite scarred and down-and-out. He can't sleep on the night before the final showdown. Because he has been out of practice, his card-handling is not steady. There was a scene where he looked at his merry-go-round before leaving for the final showdown. I felt his resolve that he might never return here again. There is a taste to that short scene. The presence of the actor outweighs his presence in the script. He has lost once, but he is not a loser. There is an element of empathy there. Even when he looks dashing in the best clothes designed by Edith Head, that is merely a side of him as a con artist, and the essential part feels the same as the audience. Since it looks like an ordinary person making an effort to pull off a con, there is an atmosphere where he might fail at any moment, which makes you want to root for him. There are many scenes where acting ability is key, such as pretending to be drunk or pretending to be deceived. It is full of the charm of switching between the front and the back. Redford is the lead, but he is depicted as lacking stability, which seems to be integrated with his actual existence as an actor at the time. A young con artist. He looks like he is giving his best performance with the warm support of those around him. His performance in this film further increases the interest of the script. He has childishness, is cheeky, lacks personal maturity, gives himself over to momentary emotions, has a roughness, and is somewhat lonely. He is full of raw charm, giving the story a sense of instability where you don't know where it will end up, and a sense of dynamism as it pushes forward. In the end, he seems to have grown as a con artist and as an actor. Newman's acting ability was superior, but Redford's immature charm was also wonderful. I feel that the director was directing while taking into account the current state of the actors. Just as Robert Shaw, who walked with a limp, had dignity. Just as Charles Durning, who played the fat Snyder, was made to move intensely to create tension. The charm of this film lies in its perfect ending. As if the film itself were a con, the audience is completely deceived. Everyone is wrapped in a sense of accomplishment, having pulled off all the acting as con artists and all the acting as actors. At the end, you feel a sense of liberation, like at a wrap party after a film is completed. It is brilliant. Every actor in this film is a first-class actor and a first-class con artist.