The Sting (1973)
This doesn’t happen with that many films, but the Sting is one of those few movies when you hear the first few notes of theme song (“The Entertainer”, tinkling across the keyboard, you suddenly remember the whole film. This is perhaps the best gambling movie ever made.
The film starts fledgling, Johnny Hooker (played by Robert Redford), being tutored in the art by his mentor, Luther. In the course of their petty cons, they take the wallet of man who is well connected with organized crime. This results in the death of Coleman.
To get revenge for Luther’s murder, Hooker teams with a retired gambler, Gondorff (Paul Newman). Their preferred method of vengeance doesn’t take the form of violence, or an eye for eye. They conspire to perpetrate a “big con” over the mob boss responsible for Luther’s death for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Sting is nearly perfect in every phase of the film. The acting is and chemistry between Redford and Newman is beyond compare. These two are backed up by a supporting cast that takes nothing away from the primary characters, while not allowing Redford and Newman to dominate the film. In short, there is not a weak performance in the entire movie. The writing is absolutely solid. The story keeps the viewer interested and on the edge of their seats, while never losing sight of where it is.
This film is as relevant today as it was in 1973, and if it was released this year, it would still be a hit.
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