Part of 1973
Harkening back to an earlier era right from the get-go, the classic Universal logo from the ‘40s and the music of Scott Joplin immediately transports the viewer to Depression-era Chicago. Robert Redford and Paul Newman play a duo of swindlers who plan to fleece a homicidal racketeer (Robert Shaw) with a phony racetrack scam involving a string of double and triple crosses. THE STING not only managed to put “The Entertainer” back on the charts, but picked up seven Academy Awards, including Oscars for Best Picture, Directing and Original Screenplay along the way.
“The style here is so seductive and witty it's hard to pin down. It's like nothing else I've seen by [director George Roy] Hill, and at times, it almost reminds me of Jacques Tati crossed with Robert Altman. It's good to get a crime movie more concerned with humor and character than with blood and gore; here's one, as we say, for the whole family.” —Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times (Dec 27, 1973) “One of those instances where everything good about Hollywood just fell into one place at the right time, it's almost impossible not to get swept up in the vivaciousness of THE STING as a whole. Magnificent, timeless stuff.” —William Thomas, Empire Magazine “In an era full of auteur-driven turbulence in Hollywood, THE STING stands out as a model of old-school craft, a richly appointed studio production with big stars and a premium on efficiency and pace.” —Scott Tobias, The A.V. Club
