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Winner of seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay, this critical and box-office hit from 1973 provided a perfect reunion for director George Roy Hill and stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford, who previously delighted audiences with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Set in 1936, the movie's about a pair of Chicago con artists (Newman and Redford) who find themselves in a high-stakes game against the master of all cheating mobsters (Robert Shaw) when they set out to avenge the murder of a mutual friend and partner. Using a bogus bookie joint as a front for their con of all cons, the two feel the heat from the Chicago Mob on one side and encroaching police on the other. But in a plot that contains more twists than a treacherous mountain road, the ultimate scam is pulled off with consummate style and panache. It's an added bonus that Newman and Redford were box-office kings at the top of their game, and while Shaw broods intensely as the Runyonesque villain, The Sting is further blessed by a host of great supporting players including Dana Elcar, Eileen Brennan, Ray Walston, Charles Durning, and Harold Gould. Thanks to the flavorful music score by Marvin Hamlisch, this was also the movie that sparked a nationwide revival of Scott Joplin's ragtime jazz, which is featured prominently on the soundtrack. One of the most entertaining movies of the early 1970s, The Sting is a welcome throwback to Hollywood's golden age of the '30s that hasn't lost any of its popular charm. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Sting (blu ray)…a five star movie with underwhelming video and audio, but for $10, it is a steal!
Aug 31 2012
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
VIDEO:
The Sting arrives at blu ray with MPEG-4 AVC 1080p 1.85:1 encode. I skipped the standard DVD edition of this great movie because the video was pretty bad. Now jumping directly to blu ray and with Universal 100th Anniversary edition, the video is only slightly improved. Focus is not always sharp. There is a soft feeling to the video. Colours are very well done. Earth tones are strong in the opening sequences, and once the story shifts to Chicago, primary colours are used more and standout, as seen in the bright reds and yellows of the arcade to Newman's sparkling blue eyes. Film grain is evident, but looks unnatural in some places. Unlike previous disasters, like the Predtaors (blu ray), Universal’s notorious DNR (Digital Noise Reduction) is not excessive in this transfer. (3/5)
AUDIO:
The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio is wonderful. Based on Scott Joplin's music, Oscar-winner the late Marvin Hamlisch's arrangement fills the surrounds as the opening credits run at the start of the film. The piano rings out with great clarity and the subwoofer augments the metered thump of the drums. This is a very enjoyable soundtrack. (4.5/5)
AWARDS:
The Sting won 7 Academy Awards in 1974:
01 Best Picture
02 Best Director: George Roy Hill
03 Best Art Direction
04 Best Costume Design: Edith Head
05 Best Film Editing: William Reynolds
06 Best Original Score: Marvin Hamlisch
07 Best Screenplay: David Ward
The Sting was nominated for the following Oscars:
01 Best Actor in a Leading Role: Robert Redford
02 Best Cinematography: Robert Surtee
03 Best Sound
STORYLINE:
The Sting reunited director George Roy Hill and actors Paul Newman and Robert Redford, who first found success together in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
In 1930s Chicago, a young con man seeking revenge for his murdered partner teams up with a master of the big con to win a fortune from a criminal banker. (movie: 5/5)
TRIVIA:
It has an estimated budget of $5.5 million, but grossed $156 million…a huge amount by today’s standard.
Robert Redford's character (Johnny Hooker) is supposedly named after blues legend John Lee Hooker.
Robert Shaw injured his knee and incorporated the resulting limp into his performance. According to "You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again" by Julia Phillips, Shaw split all the ligaments in his knee after slipping on a wet handball court at the Beverly Hills Hotel a week before filming started. He had to wear a leg brace during production which was kept hidden under the wide 1930s style trousers he wore.
Technical advisor John Scarne doubled for Paul Newman's hands in the film. It was he who did all of the card manipulations and deck switching in the film. It would have taken a long time for someone to be able to master all of the card routines shown. In the film, we see Scarne's hands disappear off screen; a clever invisible cut hides the switch; Newman's hands return, and the camera pans up to his face.
Did you know that the gin that Paul Newman uses in the train scenes is Gordon's Gin, the same gin that Humphrey Bogart drinks on The African Queen?
PRICING:
My copy of The Sting blu ray is only $9.99! This set has the standard DVD, plus Digital Copy. A great value! If you want the blu ray book set (only mentioned as blu ray, and not a blu ray book (like Jaws) by Amazon.ca, but I noticed that from the pictures of the set), it costs much more at $35.99!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This 5-star movie with two Hollywood legends hits Blu-ray with above average but slightly underwhelming video and audio presentations. But the music is still brilliant. The film is such a perfectly crafted bit of Hollywood magic, that I still will whole-heartedly give my high recommendation…especially for only $9.99! As people say in the Con World, it is a steal! Buy it now before the price goes up.
I hope the above review is helpful to you.
The Sting arrives at blu ray with MPEG-4 AVC 1080p 1.85:1 encode. I skipped the standard DVD edition of this great movie because the video was pretty bad. Now jumping directly to blu ray and with Universal 100th Anniversary edition, the video is only slightly improved. Focus is not always sharp. There is a soft feeling to the video. Colours are very well done. Earth tones are strong in the opening sequences, and once the story shifts to Chicago, primary colours are used more and standout, as seen in the bright reds and yellows of the arcade to Newman's sparkling blue eyes. Film grain is evident, but looks unnatural in some places. Unlike previous disasters, like the Predtaors (blu ray), Universal’s notorious DNR (Digital Noise Reduction) is not excessive in this transfer. (3/5)
AUDIO:
The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio is wonderful. Based on Scott Joplin's music, Oscar-winner the late Marvin Hamlisch's arrangement fills the surrounds as the opening credits run at the start of the film. The piano rings out with great clarity and the subwoofer augments the metered thump of the drums. This is a very enjoyable soundtrack. (4.5/5)
AWARDS:
The Sting won 7 Academy Awards in 1974:
01 Best Picture
02 Best Director: George Roy Hill
03 Best Art Direction
04 Best Costume Design: Edith Head
05 Best Film Editing: William Reynolds
06 Best Original Score: Marvin Hamlisch
07 Best Screenplay: David Ward
The Sting was nominated for the following Oscars:
01 Best Actor in a Leading Role: Robert Redford
02 Best Cinematography: Robert Surtee
03 Best Sound
STORYLINE:
The Sting reunited director George Roy Hill and actors Paul Newman and Robert Redford, who first found success together in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
In 1930s Chicago, a young con man seeking revenge for his murdered partner teams up with a master of the big con to win a fortune from a criminal banker. (movie: 5/5)
TRIVIA:
It has an estimated budget of $5.5 million, but grossed $156 million…a huge amount by today’s standard.
Robert Redford's character (Johnny Hooker) is supposedly named after blues legend John Lee Hooker.
Robert Shaw injured his knee and incorporated the resulting limp into his performance. According to "You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again" by Julia Phillips, Shaw split all the ligaments in his knee after slipping on a wet handball court at the Beverly Hills Hotel a week before filming started. He had to wear a leg brace during production which was kept hidden under the wide 1930s style trousers he wore.
Technical advisor John Scarne doubled for Paul Newman's hands in the film. It was he who did all of the card manipulations and deck switching in the film. It would have taken a long time for someone to be able to master all of the card routines shown. In the film, we see Scarne's hands disappear off screen; a clever invisible cut hides the switch; Newman's hands return, and the camera pans up to his face.
Did you know that the gin that Paul Newman uses in the train scenes is Gordon's Gin, the same gin that Humphrey Bogart drinks on The African Queen?
PRICING:
My copy of The Sting blu ray is only $9.99! This set has the standard DVD, plus Digital Copy. A great value! If you want the blu ray book set (only mentioned as blu ray, and not a blu ray book (like Jaws) by Amazon.ca, but I noticed that from the pictures of the set), it costs much more at $35.99!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This 5-star movie with two Hollywood legends hits Blu-ray with above average but slightly underwhelming video and audio presentations. But the music is still brilliant. The film is such a perfectly crafted bit of Hollywood magic, that I still will whole-heartedly give my high recommendation…especially for only $9.99! As people say in the Con World, it is a steal! Buy it now before the price goes up.
I hope the above review is helpful to you.
By Wigmund
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ce film de gangster et de petits escrocs est une pure merveille. Il fait partie des films à voir au moins une fois dans sa vie. Distribution extraordinaire, humour, drame, rebondissements, il y a de tout dans ce film.
By PBR
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Great actors, great script, great plot, one of the top 25 movies of American cinema. A classic story that should satisfy all!
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4.2 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
A pleasant evening's entertainment
The Sting is still as much fun as the first time, even after all these years. Like Butch and Sundance, the relationship between Redford and Newman is the centre of the film. Read more
Published 16 months ago by PD Johnston
5.0 out of 5 stars
Revenge is Sweet!
The acting is perfect; the tensions are not too hard to bear; the surprises are really surprises and the good (the little guys)guys win! Read more
Published on Oct 20 2009 by Kenneth Jackson
4.0 out of 5 stars
Feels a bit dated now but still a classic
I remember this movie as a kid, and even then loving the music, and thinking that Newman and Redford were the coolest guys out, even though I didn't really get the plot. Read more
Published on Jun 23 2009 by Neil Olsen
5.0 out of 5 stars
To pull off the "BIG CON," all you need is some...CONfidence!!
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"You're right...[The con game] is not enough. But it's close!"
The above is what one of the con artists (or CONfidence game artists) says at the end of... Read more
"You're right...[The con game] is not enough. But it's close!"
The above is what one of the con artists (or CONfidence game artists) says at the end of... Read more
Published on Dec 22 2008 by Stephen Pletko
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stop whining about "full screen"!
Please stop whining about this DVD's aspect ratio. It's not "full-screen." It's widescreen with the original top and bottom sections restored. Read more
Published on Dec 17 2004 by Ander
2.0 out of 5 stars
THIS ONE REALLY STINGS!
"The Sting" is a classic throwback to Hollywood's golden age: a fish out of water tale about a couple of con artists (Paul Newman and Robert Redford) who seemingly meet their match... Read more
Published on Jun 9 2004 by Nix Pix
4.0 out of 5 stars
Redford and Newman at it again
I just rented this DVD and watched the whole thing, but I've seen this movie several times before.
Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) is a con artist who unknowingly swindles a... Read more
Published on Jun 4 2004
1.0 out of 5 stars
Widescreen?
I love the film, but why is this not available in Widescreen on DVD? There's been a Widescreen VHS, and I've seen it in Widescreen on Turner Classic Movies. Read more
Published on May 30 2004
1.0 out of 5 stars
Full Screen Lobotomy Of 5-Star Film
The great reviews of the theatrical experience of this film are true. So where is the W I D E S C R E E N version ?
Published on May 22 2004
1.0 out of 5 stars
Widescreen or not Widescreen, that is the question
The majority of complaints about The Sting in DVD are about the lack of a Widescreen version, while one exists on VHS. Read more
Published on May 16 2004 by Leganto
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