Retrospective: The Sting (Patreon)

I'm late to the party on this one. Everybody knows The Sting is perfect; I'm the last one to find out. But man, I just finished watching The Sting for the first time and I'm almost deliriously happy. I don't think I've felt like this since I watched Michael Clayton for the first time. What a treat.

The Sting is self-evidently the greatest American screenplay of the Seventies, narrowly beating All the President's Men. Every scene is pitch perfect, balancing several layers of tension. Redford and Newman are playing one game against Shaw, who's as good a con as they are. They're constantly running the risk of being recognized and caught by their fellow crooks. Then there's the law lingering in the background, threatening to snatch up our beloved crooks. I dare not elaborate much more than that. If you've somehow not seen The Sting, go watch it as unspoiled as you can.

The craft of the movie is just beautiful. The camera work is economical, unflashy, and perfect for the story the movie is telling. The editing is also crisp and simple. There's no showing off here; just unpretentious cleverness and glee. And then there's Paul Newman's shit-eating smirk. Man. What a fucking treat.