Robert Redford is one of our most treasured actors, and while we often focus on some of his bigger moments, his lesser known films can give us a glimpse into the evolution of a great actor.
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Recently, I took a look at the Robert Redford film, “All is Lost.” I guess this caught me in a Redford mood and I followed up with screenings of two older Redford films. They aren’t necessarily blockbusters, but I think they both deserve some attention from contemporary audiences: “Jeremiah Johnson,” and the bizarre first feature with Redford, “War Hunt.”
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“Jeremiah Johnson” is a film that would never be made today. The film is a “back to nature” character study that most people my age would feel is a more violent “Grizzly Adams.” Redford plays the title character, a Mexican War vet who has seen all he needs of society and heads to the untamed mountains of the Northwest US. Along the way, he has to learn to survive, comes to thrive in his environment, and finally becomes a legend in his own time, particularly to the Native Americans who become his enemy.
The film is intercut with several musical montages that can feel more than a bit “cheesy” to modern-day audiences, but the film never devolves into a camp piece. Redford and director Sydney Pollack, make a stellar character study and seem to give us the full evolution of the character from lost soul in need of solace, to hardened mountain man. The movie can feel a bit slow at times, but that is because they are taking their time in developing a character with a story, not a story with a one-dimensional cornball mess. This film is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon and has a lot to say about our appreciation for humanity, the world we will live in, and share with others.
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“War Hunt” was Redford’s second silver screen appearance and his first major role. The film is a Korean War B-movie that is better remembered for who was in it and the connections they made. Redford met longtime collaborator Sydney Pollack (director of “Jerimiah Johnson” and several other better known films); Pollack is a costar in the film and he would leave acting behind for several years after this. Renowned director Francis Ford Coppola is simply a member of the crew.
While all of this is interesting two things are lost: the film’s star, John Saxon, gives a career defining performance, and the film is actually pretty decent. Saxon is one of those actors who is best remembered for his appearance in low caliber films and to many as simply the Dad in “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” He is truly twisted as a man who is defined by the violence of war and has taken a young Korean boy under his tutelage, much to the chagrin of those around him. Redford has a supporting role here, but you see sparks of what is to come from the actor. The film was made on the cheap and looks that way, especially the night scenes that are at times so dark due to filtering that it is virtually impossible to see what is happening. “War Hunt” is not a great film, but is overflowing with potential from the actors who are in it.
Robert Redford is one of our most treasured actors, and while we often focus on some of his bigger moments: “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “All The President’s Men,” “The Way We Were,”…et al, his lesser known films can give us a glimpse into the evolution of a great actor.
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Honorable Mentions: “Nothing in the Dark” is one of the best episodes of the “Twilight Zone” and has a pretty solid twist. Redford is beyond a charmer as a cop with a secret.
“Sneakers”: Robert Redford, Dan Aykroyd, Ben Kingsley, River Phoenix and Sidney Poitier. The cast alone should hook you in. Make no bones about it; “Sneakers” is cool.
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Photo: AP/File