The Sting (1973)

There are films that simply work, and then there are films that make you wonder how anyone had the nerve to put them together in the first place. The Sting, released in 1973 by Universal Pictures and produced by The Zanuck/Brown Company, belongs firmly in the second category. Set in Depression-era Chicago, it follows a young, small-time grifter who falls in with a veteran con artist to bring down a powerful and dangerous crime boss, not through violence, but through an elaborately staged deception. On paper it sounds like the sort of caper that might charm for ninety minutes and then evaporate. In practice, it became one of the defining American films of the decade, picking up seven Academy Awards including Best Picture, and cementing its place as the benchmark against which pretty much every con-artist story made since has been measured.

Director George Roy Hill had already shown a remarkable instinct for pairing Newman and Redford to dazzling effect (if you want the evidence, his earlier work with the two of them is covered in my review of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), and The Sting is very much a conscious reunion built on the goodwill that film generated. Hill's approach here is measured and considered, more concerned with timing and architecture than spectacle. The screenplay, written by David S. Ward, is an original story rather than an adaptation, which is worth noting given how thoroughly constructed it feels. Every scene earns its place. The production design carries the period detail with confidence, from the costuming down to the signage, and Marvin Hamlisch's reworking of Scott Joplin's ragtime compositions gives the whole thing a breezy, warm swagger that makes the film feel instantly familiar even on a first viewing. It is polished but never sterile, playful but never lightweight.

The cast is where things really click into place. Paul Newman, a screen presence of considerable range (and if you want a very different context for him, my review of Cars touches on one of his later roles), plays the seasoned grifter Henry Gondorff with the kind of relaxed authority that only comes from an actor who has genuinely nothing to prove. Robert Redford, as the younger and more volatile Johnny Hooker, provides the energy and the hunger that balances Newman's cool. Between them they create a dynamic that feels lived-in and easy, which is precisely what the film needs. Robert Shaw, in the antagonist role of crime boss Doyle Lonnegan, brings a cold, coiled menace that never tips into pantomime, and Charles Durning and Ray Walston round out a supporting ensemble that keeps every scene grounded. For fans of crime cinema, there is plenty to consider by way of comparison, including my take on Little Caesar, one of the genre's formative works, and the stylised Korean thriller A Bittersweet Life, which approaches crime from a very different angle.

The Sting (1973) is pure cinematic magic. A flawless, perfectly crafted con that doesn’t just entertain, it enthralls. From the opening frame, with its nostalgic ragtime score and vintage title cards, you’re drawn into a world of 1930s Chicago gangsters, backroom deals, and high-stakes deception. Paul Newman and Robert Redford reunite with electric chemistry (Newman as the seasoned grifter Henry Gondorff, Redford as the sharp, vengeful Johnny Hooker) and their partnership crackles with wit, charm, and quiet intensity. The screenplay is nothing short of masterful. Every line, every step, every twist is laid down with precision, building an elaborate scam so intricate you don’t see the trap until you’re already caught in it. And when the final act unfolds, you don’t feel cheated, you feel delighted. The film plays you like a mark, and you walk out smiling, knowing you were conned but not caring one bit. George Roy Hill directs with elegance and restraint, letting the story breathe while keeping tension coiled tight beneath the surface. The period detail is impeccable, the supporting cast (including Robert Shaw as the cold-blooded crime boss Doyle Lonnegan) is pitch-perfect, and Marvin Hamlisch’s reworking of Scott Joplin’s music gives it a soulful, timeless rhythm. There’s no higher praise. The Sting isn’t just one of the best con films ever made. It’s one of the best films, period. A perfect blend of storytelling, performance, and style. A classic in every sense. If cinema is illusion, this is the greatest trick of all.

I find myself coming back to this one every few years, and it never loses anything in the repeat viewing, which is a rare quality. If anything, knowing how the pieces fit together makes the craftsmanship more impressive rather than less, because you can watch Hill and Ward setting everything up in plain sight and still feel the pleasure of it landing exactly as intended. A lot of films try to leave you feeling clever. The Sting leaves you feeling genuinely entertained, which, in the end, is the harder trick to pull off.

Rating: ★★★★½  | Year: 1973  | Watched: 2025-11-15

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Trailer

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Related on Movies With Macca

More from George Roy Hill: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
More with Paul Newman: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) · Cars (2006)
More from the 1970s: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Here and Elsewhere (1976) · Italianamerican (1974) · Punishment Park (1971)
More comedy: The Eagle (1925) · The General (1926) · Americana (2023) · The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
More crime: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Angst (1983) · Stolen Face (1952) · Cairo Station (1958)