The Sting

The Sting is a 1973 crime film starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Robert Shaw and Harold Gould. The film was directed by George Roy Hill.

Plot
Con men Johnny Hooker (Redford) and Henry Gondorff (Newman) make a big heist in Chicago.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) The film was well written and had an outstanding cast.
 * 2) Perfect reproduction of 1930s clothing.
 * 3) The iconic opening song The Entertainer by Scott Joplin was an interesting theme for the opening titles.
 * 4) Our main characters have superb chemistry.
 * 5) Interesting plot twist that Gondorff used to work for the F.B.I.

The Only Bad Quality
1. The film spawned an unnecessary sequel titled, The Sting II, which was panned by critics.

Trivia

 * According to screenwriter David Ward, he was signed on to make this film his directorial debut, but Robert Redford insisted he only would do the film with an experienced director. Redford thought that due to the structure of the movie, a real master director would be required to pull it off.
 * The script changed significantly when Paul Newman was cast as Henry Gondorff. The part was originally only a supporting role, and the character was envisioned as an overweight slob.
 * Robert Shaw’s limp in the film was not just part of his character. He was injured before filming on a handball court – but instead of dropping out of the movie, director George Roy Hill encouraged him to incorporate the limp into his character.
 * The film’s period feel was enhanced by cinematographer Robert Surtees. He used several period techniques that were popular in the 1930s, including the “iris shot” fadeout, in which the action closes in an ever-decreasing circle.
 * According to screenwriter David Ward, the entire first week of shooting for this film was reshot. Director George Roy Hill thought it could be better, so he decided to redo it.
 * The film’s score was adapted by Marvin Hamlisch from the melodies of ragtime music composer Scott Joplin? The success of the dilm led to a renewed cultural appreciation of Joplin’s music more than half a century after the composer’s death.
 * Robert Redford’s portrayal of Johnny Hooker in the film is the only performance for which he earned an Academy Award nomination for acting? All nominations received after that were in the category of producing and directing; he finally won for directing Ordinary People.
 * The film garnered 10 Academy Award nominations, winning seven of them – including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Editing. This was the first Best Picture win for a Universal produced film in 43 years; the studio’s previous win had been All Quiet on the Western Front in 1930.
 * Right before this film was announced as Best Picture at the Academy Awards, a streaker ran across the stage? The incident has become one of the most memorable moments in Oscar history.

Reception
The Sting currently holds a 93% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes with an average of 8.3 out of 10 and a critic consensus that reads "Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and director George Roy Hill prove that charm, humor, and a few slick twists can add up to a great film." Film critic Roger Ebert awarded the film a four out of four stars and stated in his review "The movie has a nice, light-fingered style to it."

Awards and nominations
The Sting won seven Oscars including Academy Awards and was nominated for 10 including Best Actor for Robert Redford. The film was placed in the National Film Registry in 2005.