American Legacy: Robert Redford, a Radiant Screen Icon Exuding Grace and Depicting a Nation's Complicated Heartbeat Through His Performances
Robert Redford, the iconic actor and filmmaker, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 89. Known for his understated acting style and commitment to causes like the environment, LBGTQ, and Native American rights, Redford left an indelible mark on Hollywood.
Redford's brilliance as an actor was evident in his ability to convey complex information and process it on screen, making small actions amplified by the camera. His performance in Alan J. Pakula's 1976 Watergate classic, "All the President's Men," is a testament to this. A crucial scene in the film features Redford's character, Bob Woodward, following the money on a phone call, shot in a single five-minute take using a split-diopter lens.
"All the President's Men" was a project that Redford nurtured from the start, acquiring the rights to the book and overseeing much of its development. In the film, Redford's character lands the big lead that will crack the Watergate investigation.
Redford's political convictions were also reflected in his roles. In Sydney Pollack's masterly 1975 thriller, "Three Days of the Condor," Redford plays a CIA analyst on the run after his entire New York office is gunned down by a hit squad. In the film, Redford's character projects confusion and a lack of control, conveying complex ideas with a single word.
In "The Candidate," Redford's character, Bill McKay, gradually loses his grip on the campaign and his deep-seated political beliefs. The film features a scene where Robert Redford's character loses control during a TV spot, symbolizing the absurdity of politics in America.
Robert Redford's beauty concealed a complexity that spoke to the turbulent times in which he rose to stardom, from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s. He preferred to work with familiar directors like Sydney Pollack and young auteurs who broke through by showing their films at Sundance, which he founded in 1981 on land he bought with his proceeds from "Butch Cassidy" and the ski flick "Downhill Racer."
In his later films as a director, such as "The Milagro Beanfield War," "Quiz Show," and "Lions for Lambs," Redford's work was marked by pessimism. However, in J.C. Chandor's "All is Lost" from 2013, Redford delivers a nearly mute performance as a sailor cast adrift, building emotions out of looks and gestures.
Redford's acting style was often described as "less is more." He never had a motto, but this phrase would have been a good one to describe his approach to acting. His ability to convey complex ideas with subtlety and nuance will be missed in the world of cinema.
Rest in peace, Robert Redford. Your legacy will live on.
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