Period Films: The Sting

I'm rather fond of period films.  I am particular about which ones I truly like.  What most impresses me are the ones where attention to details for authenticity is obvious.

The Sting is a fairly good example.  Albeit, Robert Redford's hair style was a bit modern, but not to the point of distraction.

We were not overwhelmed by the details that were used to indicate signs of the time.  No need for a narrator to explain to the audience, because audience members were either older folks that remember, or young people that heard about the booze prohibition era, the resulting black market that thrived, despite the hardships of that Great Depression era. And the growth and empowerment of gangs, gang turf wars, bank robberies, and scam artist heists in response and in defiance of the hardships caused by the gloomy economic times and booze prohibition.  The Sting was an educational work of fiction, but not preachy.

The Sting is not only one of my favorite period films, it is also one of my all - time favorite grifter/heist movies.  It is a work of art as a story, a screenplay, and a major motion picture.  It had fascinating props and interesting sets and costumes. Scot Joplin's rag time tunes were perfect for this movie.  The storybook and page-turning wipes that were used to introduce each chapter/scene paid homage to similar techniques used in films back then.

Various influences compelled my desire to learn more about the 20's and 30's, starting with American life back then.  The Sting is one of them.  This movie helped me to better appreciate the flashbacks and explanations my elders shared with me, or just in my presence. It further encouraged my appreciation for history, while introducing me to rag time jazz.

(This post was intended for the Art As Cinema group, but I hope, it is interesting, or inspiring for anybody that might read it.)