Flashback to the 70s

"The Sting" is one of those classic examples of 70s cinema that has influenced countless films since its release but still holds my opinion that they just don't make 'em like this anymore. After a successful pairing on "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" under director George Roy Hill, Robert Redford and Paul Newman traded in their pistols for a bit of 'con'fidence in "The Sting," going to show they were one of the best pairing a film could ask for. \nIn 1930s-era Chicago, Johnny Hooker (Redford) is working small con games with his partner Luther (Robertearl Jones) until they choose to put the sting on the wrong man. After the cops rough up Hooker, they murder Luther, and Hooker needs a new partner -- the kind willing to help him avenge Luther's death. Enter Henry Gondorff (Newman) who used to play the "big cons" but now spends his days at the bottom of a gin bottle until Hooker wakes him up with a plan. The skinny? Put together another big con, the biggest one could ever pull, in an attempt to take down Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw), the mobster responsible for this whole mess.\nHaven't seen "The Sting?" Then you're missing out on one of the best American films ever made. Redford and Newman have such a unique chemistry that it is baffling they only made two films together. They play off of each other to perfection, like two old friends who share inside jokes and reminisce about the past. And while we watch them do all this, there is this feeling that they kindly let us in on it all. \nWhile the performances stand on their own as does the yarn the film spins, "The Sting" has another wonderful element -- the music. The Scott Joplin piano rags fall into place in every scene without a hitch, adding amusement and flavor where needed.\nGranted, the DVD was out-of-print for some time, Universal's Legacy Series gives "The Sting" a new home. The 2-disc set, housed in flashy keep-case, isn't very heavy on the extras, but the supplements are still worthwhile. Besides the theatrical trailer and production notes, the big score comes on "The Art of The Sting," a three-part documentary. "A Perfect Script" talks about everything leading up to making the film and praise from cast/crew about David S. Ward's penmanship. "Making a Masterpiece" details the filming process while "The Legacy" is a final reflection on not only the film, but also Hill's directing passion as remembered by Newman, Redford and the gang. \nSo now that "The Sting" is back on shelves to buy, it deserves a place on your DVD shelf. No questions about it, just pick up a copy and witness not only two actors and a director in their prime, but Hollywood in its prime as well.