The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Gems: The Sting (1973)

How do you choose what to watch on all those streaming services you have access to? There are so many options that it is just overwhelming. These services constantly release new content and overshadow all the great films from the past that are already there and ready to watch. Now there is The Wasteland Gems! Here is a great film on streaming right now that you should check out this weekend:

The Sting (1973)

What is the art of the grift? There are plenty of iconic grifters in the world of cinema. They are dastardly but can be quite charming. They are the type of characters who make for fascinating subjects in films because they certainly have plenty of charisma and charm, but they are also criminals and quite flawed from a moral standpoint. There is one film that stands out as the definitive film about grifters. George Roy Hill’s crime caper The Sting is an all-time classic with some of the greatest movie stars of all time. This is such a wonderful gem to be hiding out on Peacock.

What makes this such a fun caper? The grifts are so wild! This is a film filled to the brim with twists, turns, fake outs, and comeuppance. Two grifts, a younger upstart and another grizzled veteran, must team up to take on a white whale of a con job that can put both in a great spot. There is a great sense of danger with dire consequences for some of these grifts who end up on the wrong side of an angry target. Hill keeps the audience on edge as they navigate the twists and turns of the story which never lets up. You will be shocked by just how well-crafted this story is and how each character, motivation, con job, and subversion are threaded together to create The Sting. Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker are a pair of charismatic grifts who make for engaging protagonists and they have the perfect, menacing antagonist in Doyle Lonnegan to go toe-to-toe with. The story grabs from start to final reveal in the end.

Who are the biggest selling points of the film? The opportunity to get more Paul Newman/Robert Redford shenanigans after Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid is quite exciting. Take away the western setting and drop them into a retro city setting and you have yourself a blast. Redford is young, spry, and confident which makes Hooker both charming and so frustrating. Gondorff is rugged and sly in a wily veteran type of way. Newman sells this perfectly as this aging star is still able to muster plenty of charm and charisma. Their chemistry together is off the charts as this odd couple pairing of grifters in a different place in their careers. This star-studded duo makes The Sting so special. But you also have an intense and ominous turn from Robert Shaw who brings the right amount of sinister presence to his big crime boss character. Throw in some strong supporting turns from Charles Durning, Ray Walston, Harold Gould, and Eileen Brennan, and you have quite the cast to engage you.

What truly ties this cinematic experience together? There are so many great technical elements that shine in The Sting as well. First off, the rich piano music, including the iconic theme, just gives the film plenty of personality. The costumes in this film are so pitch-perfect as they help bring this early 20^th century setting to life so vividly. Each hat and suit just pops on screen along with the expertly achieved production design that feels so authentic and genuine to the period. Sharp-dressed scoundrels all over the place gives The Sting such a distinct and impressive vibe to it that helps pull the audience in.

Is The Sting the type of cinematic classic that deserves a fresh look? Sitting right there on Peacock, this wily crime caper is quite the romp for any occasion. The dynamic duo of Newman and Redford is worth the price of admission alone. If you want a story that will keep you on your toes, look no further than Hill’s excellent classic.

The Sting is streaming on Peacock.