The art of the con
Thursday, September 12, 2013
It was a treat to rediscover the joys of "The Sting" yesterday, and our group discussion of the movie yielded some interesting observations. Here's a roundup of our analysis:
WHAT MAKES THIS
PICTURE SUCH A CROWD-PLEASING, ENTERTAINING AFFAIR?
· The script is like a well-oiled machine;
efficiently constructed, carefully crafted so you cannot easily guess the
twists and turns to come, ever kinetic and constantly in motion to keep our
attention, and loaded with fascinating characters.
· The brilliant re-casting of Newman and Redford
(earlier teamed together for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), who were both
major sex symbol actor celebrities at this time and who each fit their roles
perfectly.
· The rest of the cast, featuring top-notch
character actors and faces that perfectly fit their parts, including Robert
Shaw, Charles Durning, Eileen Brennan, Robert Earl Jones and Ray Walston.
· The timeless, jaunty, feel-good music of
Scott Joplin, interpreted here by composer Marvin Hamlisch; “The Entertainer”
is a catchy tune that bounces around in your head and is forever married to The
Sting as its theme song.
o
Interestingly,
this music was originally written decades prior to the 1930s setting of the
story; it works, however, because of its whimsical tone and because it conjures
up nostalgia for a bygone period, just as the older con artist characters are
nostalgic for a bygone period; hence, this would have been the soundtrack to
their lives when they were younger.
· The setup to the “sting” of Lonnegan,
referenced in the film’s title, and the payoff: the fact that Hooker and
Gondorff pull it off beautifully, with no loose ends or plot holes, is
enormously satisfying to viewers that pay attention throughout the movie. Those
that do are rewarded, and continue to be rewarded upon repeat viewings.
o
Keep in
mind that, prior to this film, con men and caper movies usually telegraphed the
schemes and grifts of the main characters with careful exposition and dialogue
that informed the audience about what to expect.
o
The climactic
“sting” itself—referring to the instant when a con man completes his play and
takes the mark’s money—and other earlier moments are a wink-wink “gotcha” to
the audience that we’ve also been fooled, which elicits admiration from the
audience.
THIS FILM HAS A
DISTINCTIVE LOOK AND TONE EVOCATIVE OF THE PERIOD IT INVOKES. CAN YOU PROVIDE
EXAMPLES?
· It’s a loving homage to bygone gangster
pictures of the 1930s.
o
It
employs period-accurate sets, costumes, props and vehicles to recall this Great
Depression-era time.
o
The
gangsters are threatening and capable of violence, but not Godfather-like
menace or murder; in an era when cinema was reflecting the dark, pessimistic
themes of early 1970s America in pictures like Chinatown, The Godfather, and The
French Connection, this was a more lighthearted, playful film in which the bad
guys weren’t terrifying or psychologically complex.
o
Those
1930s gangster pictures also didn’t’ use a lot of extras in their scenes, so
the Sting’s filmmakers also purposely chose to skip using extras in many
scenes.
· The movie is wistful in its tone for the
golden age of Hollywood.
o
Consider
the use of the classic Universal logo from decades earlier.
o
The
filmmakers also utilize old-fashioned transitions such as iris shots and
editing wipes.
o
A muted
color palette dominated primarily by browns and maroons was used, as well as a
throwback lighting style.
o
The Saturday
Evening Post-influenced title cards that head each chapter are also reminiscent
of the 1930s.
IF YOU LIKED THE
STING, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THESE SIMILAR MOVIES:
· The Flim Flam Man
· Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, an
earlier film featuring Newman and Redford as likeable anti-heroes who break the
law
· Paper Moon, spotlighting a father-daughter
con man team, also released in 1973
· The Grifters, a modern take on con men
· Ocean’s Eleven, another popular caper movie
starring big name sex symbol actors
· Sleuth, another puzzle of a movie that tries
to keep you guessing
· Films based on stories written by Damon
Runyon, famous for his colorful con men and gangster characters, including Guys
and Dolls, The Lemon Drop Kid, The Big Street, Three Wise Guys, and Bloodhounds
of Broadway
· The Shawshank Redemption, which also has a
great payoff ending where the protagonist gets the better of the villain in a
setup that you don’t see coming
OTHER FILMS
DIRECTED BY GEORGE ROY HILL
· Thoroughly Modern Millie
· Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
· Slaughterhouse-Five
· Slap Shot
· The World According to Garp