The Sting (1973)
Retro Review #51: Newman and Redford together again in the classic caper that brought on a brief ragtime revival.
The Sting (1973)
+ Feature film, 2h 9m
+ 1️⃣/2 films in Sting series ⭐
A+^
Grade: A+^ (20.0) / HOF: 120
EQ 👍A++ | 📖A+ 👥A+ 📽️A+ 🎼A+
DW 😎8.4 | 🌚11 🌝8
POPCAP 💯n/a 🍿n/a 🧢n/a
L-R 💻⬇️1️⃣ 👀⬇️1️⃣ 🛐⬇️3️⃣
In one of the most infamous moments in the history of the Academy Awards, just before Elizabeth Taylor was to present the Oscar for Best Picture of the Year, a streaker ran across the stage, and David Niven, who was introducing Taylor, wryly quipped about the man’s “shortcomings”.
The award Taylor presented went to The Sting, a film with few shortcomings, as evidenced by its ten Oscar nominations and seven wins.
Besides Best Picture, The Sting justifiably won Academy Awards in every Entertainment Quality aspect I track. It won Best Original Screenplay, which impacts both Story and Characters. George Roy Hill won Best Director, significantly influencing the Characters and Visuals aspects.
Want more evidence of how good the Visuals are? Chalk up three more wins in visual categories: Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design (the eighth and final Oscar won by legendary costume designer Edith Head).
As for the Soundtrack, Marvin Hamlisch won the Oscar for Best Scoring, adapting ragtime compositions by Scott Joplin. The film sparked public interest in Joplin’s music, with the soundtrack album reaching #1 on the Billboard albums chart, while the primary theme, “The Entertainer” hit #3 on the pop chart and #1 in easy listening.
Paul Newman and Robert Redford, together again after playing Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, play a pair of professional con artists determined to put the sting on an organized crime boss (Robert Shaw) using a “big con” to avenge a friend’s death.
If you enjoy crime capers, this film is for you, with one of the cleverest twisty plots ever. For Dark Whimsy fans, there’s more Dark than Whimsy—the humor is mostly subtle, often delivered in surprise revelations along the way that make you feel in on the joke with our two grinning grifters.
The Joplin rags are the perfect Whimsy counterpoint to the deceptive deeds done in the Dark. In spite of nearly every character in the movie being a criminal of one sort or another, The Sting is nearly as fun as a film can be. I’ve revisited it a few times over the years and whether you’ve never watched it or watched it multiple times, this just might be a good time to add one viewing to your tally!
Onwards!
P.S. This was the first PG-rated film I ever saw in the theaters. I was twelve, and although I knew even then it was a great movie, the violence was beyond what I’d ever seen on TV and hit me between the eyes, so to speak. So don’t make the same mistake as my Dad and Grandpa by showing The Sting to a pre-teen kid. With lots of borderline content, no role models, and no positive messages, an argument could be made that you should think twice before showing it to a teenager also.
+ last viewed (~4) 2025-03-02, HDX7, 1.85v, 1M
+ first viewed 1974, ThX, 1.85, 1
+ ⏳🚂👤🤐💰😏😥🥸🎲♠️
+ ❌0️⃣ Problematic for teens and sensitive adults. | PGb
+ 😡-0 😵💫-1^ 🤬-1^ 🤭+0 🫣-0
+ 👀⬇️1️⃣ ➖(🗿)
+ ✝️ -2 ➖🤬🔥(👙🚬🍺)
+ ✡️ -2 ➖🌓🤑🤑🖤
+ 🗽 -0 ➖(🤎)
Last updated 2025-04-14
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