The Sting | The Boneyard

The Sting

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This weekend I finally watch The Sting from beginning to end. Yeah, I know, I'm decades late. Great movie - loved the scene of Newman hustling the mob boss in the poker game on the train. I'll probably watch it again soon to see if there's anything I missed the first time around.
 
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one thing I didn't get, and figure it's artistic license to mislead the audience - in the movie, the FBI hauls in Robert Redford's character to force him give up details on where/when Henry Gondorf was going to swindle the mob boss. Considering how the movie ends with everyone in kahoots together, this was just a bit of script misdirection? Or did I miss something?
 

SubbaBub

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Redford wasn't in on the con with the FBI at first. Newman learned of the bunco tailing him and set it up. They used it to brush off bother the cop and the mark.

Oh, spoiler alert if there is such a thing for a 45 year old movie. One of my favorites though.

The girl at the diner and the con at the wire office were always the thinnest parts of the movie for me. Kid Twist didn't have enough game to be such a big deal operator.
 
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Redford wasn't in on the con with the FBI at first. Newman learned of the bunco tailing him and set it up. They used it to brush off bother the cop and the mark.

Oh, spoiler alert if there is such a thing for a 45 year old movie. One of my favorites though.

The girl at the diner and the con at the wire office were always the thinnest parts of the movie for me. Kid Twist didn't have enough game to be such a big deal operator.

ok, so the FBI using Redford's character to get info on Newman's was real at first, but then evolved into another facet of the overall con?

One other question (perhaps stupid): when Redford returned to his apartment after the train ride/card game con, two guys tried to shoot him, but he escaped on the street sweeper. Who were those two guys? (ie. who hired them?)
 

SubbaBub

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There was no FBI, they were plants by Newman to ditch Redfords detective.

Those were part of Lonergan's wider organization looking for him, but just like the dame, they didn't know he was the same guy working with Lonergan.

You remember the gang members bristling about some big hit man taking the contract of Redford? The dame was the big hitter.
 
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There was no FBI, they were plants by Newman to ditch Redfords detective.

Those were part of Lonergan's wider organization looking for him, but just like the dame, they didn't know he was the same guy working with Lonergan.

You remember the gang members bristling about some big hit man taking the contract of Redford? The dame was the big hitter.

ok, thanks, I'm seeing it better now. Very clever.
 
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There was no FBI, they were plants by Newman to ditch Redfords detective.

Those were part of Lonergan's wider organization looking for him, but just like the dame, they didn't know he was the same guy working with Lonergan.

You remember the gang members bristling about some big hit man taking the contract of Redford? The dame was the big hitter.
That dame big hitter is always the weak link for me, you're telling me Robert Redford has to seek romance with a down on her luck drifter waitress?! And she looks the Wicked Witch of the East! Not even if he was in rags.
 

Waquoit

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This weekend I finally watch The Sting from beginning to end.

Did you know the ending before you watched? I was fooled first time.

And Rockingham Park just closed for good last week. It was mentioned in the movie, I believe the winner was Wrecking Crew.
 
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Did you know the ending before you watched? I was fooled first time.

And Rockingham Park just closed for good last week. It was mentioned in the movie, I believe the winner was Wrecking Crew.
No, I went in cold turkey, had no clue. That's one thing about a movie being so out of date, no one talks about it in casual conversation anymore so there's no spoilers.
 

FfldCntyFan

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one thing I didn't get, and figure it's artistic license to mislead the audience - in the movie, the FBI hauls in Robert Redford's character to force him give up details on where/when Henry Gondorf was going to swindle the mob boss. Considering how the movie ends with everyone in kahoots together, this was just a bit of script misdirection? Or did I miss something?
That was to get Durning's character to back off Redford's character. One thing the movie loses with subsequent viewings is knowing that isn't the Feds.

Awesome movie. I watch it evey twelve to eighteen months just because.
 

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