Robert Redford is the rare titan of the industry who radically reshaped multiple crafts and remained an inspirational figure for nearly six decades since his breakthrough. As an actor, Redford represented an old-fashioned class of charismatic, unequivocally heroic leading men, but also a star who showed a willingness to adapt to the experimentation of New Hollywood. As a director, Redford used his clout to spotlight small, introspective stories about the human experience, and didnโt make vain attempts to always place himself in the spotlight. Perhaps most important is Redfordโs contributions to independent cinema through the Sundance Film Festival; it’s safe to say that without the opportunities that Redford created, a vast majority of todayโs greatest filmmakers would have never earned their breakout opportunities.
Redfordโs rise to stardom is a classical tale of an undeniable talent; although the romantic comedy โBarefoot in the Parkโ and the Marlon Brando vehicle โThe Chaseโ wouldnโt be necessarily listed as classics, the sheer force of Redfordโs charisma seemingly announced a figure who would be an important part of the industry moving forward. Beyond his classical good looks, charming self-awareness, and ability to speak with conviction, Redford was someone who understood the way he appeared on camera and took advantage of the medium. The only way for his personality to not completely envelop his co-stars was to cast him alongside an established legend; with โButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,โ Redford and Paul Newman created one of the most iconic depictions of friendship in cinematic history.
โButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidโ is pure movie magic; itโs a western, a farce, a romance, an adventure, a tragedy, and a whimsical rewriting of history all at once. Itโs one of the rare films that can be enjoyed by audiences of any age but understood more deeply by those who have gone through the same experiences as the characters. Even if Redford was playing another dashing rogue with a resistance to authority, there was a dignity and compassion to the role that made him unique. Itโs not hard to see why Redford became such a successful activist and political speaker; heโs someone whose unencumbered sincerity and thoughtful eloquence were apparent whenever asked to discuss important matters.
It was this wholesome familiarity that made Redford well-equipped to play many different screen heroes, as he had the ability to play the expert in a field who could also be someoneโs next-door neighbor. There was a diversity to the roles he took on, as Redford always showed willingness to adapt to the material; whether he was an arrogant Olympic competitor in โDownhill Racer,โ a lonesome mountain man in โJeremiah Johnson,โ an ambitious politician in โThe Candidate,โ or one of literatureโs most iconic characters in โThe Great Gatsby,โ Redford imbued his performance with the appropriate degree of weight and sensitivity.
The New Hollywood movement of the 1970s allowed for the industry to put its money where its mouth was when it came to advocating for social, political, and moral causes. Redford, a lifelong advocate for the environment, LGBT allyship, Native American rights, and restrictions on federal authority, was more than willing to put Washington, D.C., on blast during one of the most chaotic decades in American history. โThree Days of the Condorโ warned of the insidious conspiracies covered up within governmental infrastructure, and โAll the Presidentโs Menโ tackled a recent tale of corruption at the highest level. Even his more crowdpleasing adventure films, such as โThe Electric Horsemanโ and โThe Great Waldo Pepper,โ spoke to the importance of blue-collar craftsmen who were willing to put in hard work.
Redfordโs peak as a movie star came in 1973 when โThe Stingโ reunited him with Newman for another electrifying caper. โThe Stingโ is Hollywood escapism at its best, and won the Academy Award for Best Picture after a legendary run at the box office. Redfordโs nomination for Best Actor was the sole acting recognition of his career, but his interests lay behind the camera. Although stars like Brando and Charles Laughton had unsuccessfully tried to establish themselves as directors, Redfordโs first effort as a filmmaker became one of the most impressive debuts in history.
When compared to the spectacle and bravura that dominated the 1980s, โOrdinary Peopleโ was quiet, unassuming, and deliberately patient. Even โKramer vs. Kramer,โ the previous yearโs Best Picture winner, examined hot-button issues in an inflammatory manner that couldnโt have been more different from Redfordโs reserved approach. This moving story of grief, guilt, and self-hatred cut to the core of the โNuclear Family,โ exposing the tenderness of characters who suffered an unimaginable loss. Rarely has such a small-scale film managed to capture the immediacy and authenticity of real life, all whilst presenting itself in an artful way. While some cinephiles took issue with โOrdinary Peopleโ winning the Oscar, as it came at the cost of Martin Scorseseโs masterpiece โRaging Bull,โ time has proven that the Academy made the right choice.
Redford never gave up his movie star status entirely; 1985 saw him starring in another Best Picture winner with โOut of Africa,โ a flawed film that nonetheless spoke to the environmental causes he dedicated so much of his life to. However, Redfordโs evolution as a filmmaker signified that โOrdinary Peopleโ was the first of many stories he had to tell about the merits of compassion and forgiveness. โA River Runs Through Itโ was both a remarkably personal coming-of-age story and a breakout opportunity for Brad Pitt, who Redford would later share the screen with in Tony Scottโs underrated espionage thriller โSpy Game.โ โQuiz Showโ became another Oscar favorite, and allowed Redford to reflect on the significant changes within Americaโs relationship with media that had been made apparent since he first started his career.
Not all of Redfordโs subsequent efforts as a director were hits. โThe Legend of Bagger Vance,โ โThe Conspirator,โ and โLions for Lambsโ were all attempts at more classical storytelling that proved too turgid for modern audiences, and even his strong performance in the prison drama โThe Last Castleโ failed to kickstart a second act for his stardom. However, the respect that Redford had earned from his years of service both in front and behind the camera led to an interesting moment in which he reckoned with his legacy in creative ways.
There arenโt many stars that can say that their last decade was among their most interesting, as Redford capped off his directorial career with โThe Company You Keep,โ a profound spiritual sequel to his โ70s political thrillers that reflected on the newfound relevance of the Weather Underground. Redford picked smart projects from young, energetic filmmakers, in which he could look back at different facets of his career; โAll is Lostโ was an epic survival story in which he played the filmโs sole character, and โThe Old Man & The Gunโ offered a whimsical tale about a gentlemen bank robber who falls in love during his twilight years.
Although Redford never forgot who his core audience was, he was also willing to reinvent himself for a new generation; young film fans who were born long after Redford was already at a late stage in his career may now know him best as the sinister HYDRA agent Alexander Pierce in โCaptain America: The Winter Soldier,โ or as the kindly animal love Conrad Meachum in โPeteโs Dragon.โ
Tributes to Redford have poured out in the wake of his passing from his admirers, collaborators, and luminaries. There are those who remembered his kind-hearted behavior on set, those who cite Sundance as the origin of their careers, and those who passed along heartwarming stories about the various favors and opportunities Redford gave throughout his time in Hollywood, as he was always someone who could โlook out for the little guy.โ Redfordโs work will stand the test of time, but like the Sundance Kid, he has ridden out within the glory of an eternal sunrise.
