Robert Redford justifies the bizarre final role of an iconic career: “I wanted to experience that”
Robert Redford is heralded by many as one of the resounding champions of independent cinema, being a key figure within the new Hollywood movement and bringing the industry forward through the creation of the Sundance Film Festival. The festival is still crucial to this day in amplifying the voices of emerging filmmakers and showcasing avant-garde that defies the sometimes-rigid framework of commercial filmmaking, exploding the careers of directors like Darren Aronofsky, Jane Schoenbrun, Richard Linklater and Ava Duvernay.
However, while he is known for his status as an indie darling, the actor-turned-director surprised audiences with his final career move, something that went against his carefully forged reputation as a protector of this very genre.
Redford made his name starring in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (which famously influenced the name of his film festival), The Sting and The Way We Were, becoming synonymous with a pivotal movement in Hollywood in which directors were slowly given more creative control/freedom after the unprecedented success of daring projects like Jaws, The Exorcist and Chinatown, with studios wanting to capitalise on the creativity of these directors who were taking the medium to new heights.
While the actor reached stardom through his work in front of the camera, he later extended his talents to behind the camera, shown through the moral complexities and philosophical nature of Quiz Show and his unflinchingly honest exploration of grief in Ordinary People, which famously won the Academy Award for ‘Best Picture’ over Raging Bull, much to the shock of everyone in attendance who were expecting Scorsese’s formative masterpiece to scoop the prestigious award.
Despite being known for this specific era of filmmaking and his fierce protection of the independent movement, towards the end of his career, Redford became fascinated by the new model of filmmaking that was beginning to sweep Hollywood. The Marvel universe has been criticised by many directors, expressing frustration at the way superhero pictures dominate the box office and making it harder for smaller films to compete in such a ludicrous market.
After witnessing the early beginnings of the rise in commercial filmmaking after the release of Star Wars in 1977, Redford was intrigued by the rapid growth (or decline) in the industry and wanted to experience this new order for himself, which is why he accepted an offer to star in Avengers: Endgame in 2019.
When discussing his decision to join the Marvel universe and for it to be his last hurrah in Hollywood, Redford said, “One of the reasons that I did it was I wanted to experience this new form of filmmaking that’s taken over where you have kind of cartoon characters brought to life through high technology,” Redford told EW. “The Avengers series is a product of high technology playing a major role in the new order of filmmaking so I wanted to experience that—I just wanted to know what that was like and I had that opportunity, so for me it was like stepping into new terrain just to experience what it was like.”
His participation in this film is rather symbolic, highlighting the future of Hollywood and the stark shift that has led us in a full circle back to the old order in which studios have all the power and independent filmmakers are scrambling at the bottom to pull together the funds to share the stories that matter most.
