Robert Redford’s five favourite movies of all time
Boasting an acting career spanning nearly six decades and a directorial venture covering about half that time, Robert Redford is one of the most eminent figures in the American film industry. While most people are familiar with his acting career, Redford’s contributions to producing and directing are equally noteworthy. Notably, he received his sole Academy Award, not for acting but for directing Ordinary People in 1980.
During the peak of his acting career, Redford starred in some of the greatest movies of the era. For example, the brilliant Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the story of a dynamic duo leading a band of outlaws who find themselves on the run after a bank heist goes awry. Determined to outsmart the law, they embark on a journey to Bolivia in a bid to escape justice.
Redford was also superb in the political crime mystery thriller All The President’s Men, performing alongside Dustin Hoffman as a pair of journalists whose research unravels the dangerous layers of the controversial Watergate scandal, ultimately leading to President Richard Nixon’s resignation from office.
In a similar vein, Redford excelled in the American crime caper The Sting, the tale of Johnny Hooker, a con artist whose accomplice falls victim to the henchmen of the ruthless crime boss Doyle Lonnegan. Seeking revenge, Hooker enlists the help of Henry Gondorff, a fellow conman eluding the pursuit of the FBI. The film went on to win the Academy Award for ‘Best Picture’ and cemented Redford’s place as one of the finest actors of the ’70s.
Considering Redford’s five favourite movies of all time, some interesting choices stand out. Making the cut is the Italian master Federico Fellini’s 1963 avant-garde surrealist comedy-drama masterpiece, 8½. Another inclusion is John Huston’s western masterpiece, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
Robert Redford’s five favourite movies:
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (John Huston, 1948)
In The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, a timeless adventure unfolds as two rugged wanderers, Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) and Curtin (Tim Holt), join forces with a seasoned prospector, Howard (Walter Huston), in Mexico. Together, they embark on a journey into the Sierra Madre mountains in search of gold. While they unearth treasure, they also encounter numerous challenges—from merciless bandits hiding in the perilous Mexican wilderness to their own internal insecurities and greed.
Directed by John Huston, who crafted classics like Chinatown, The Maltese Falcon, Moby Dick, The African Queen, and Misfits, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre is a searing adventure epic. Interestingly, the film greatly influenced Paul Thomas Anderson while making the oil prospecting masterpiece There Will Be Blood.
Sunset Boulevard (Billy Wilder, 1950)
The iconic shot of the luckless screenwriter, Joe Gillis (William Holden), floating facedown in a Los Angeles swimming pool is etched in memory. Directed by Billy Wilder, Sunset Boulevard tells the story of a screenwriter entangled in a dangerous relationship with an ageing movie star determined to resurrect her waning career.
The film is regarded as a classic and one of Billy Wilder’s finest, featuring stunning photography with Holden and Gloria Swanson lingering in murky shadows inside a glamorous LA mansion. It became a brilliant satirical examination of the doomed pursuit of fame.
The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949)
Pulp writer Holly Martins journeys to the spooky and shattered post-war Vienna, where he becomes entangled in the investigation of the mysterious death of an old friend, black-market operator Harry Lime. What unfolds is a thrilling narrative of love, deceit, and homicide, encapsulating the essence of a classic crime noir drama.
Starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, and Orson Welles and beautifully crafted by director Carol Reed along with Anton Karas’s hypnotic score, The Third Man has gained a growing reputation over the years.
All About Eve (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1950)
Redford cites Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s witty Hollywood classic comedy thriller from 1950, All About Eve, as a personal favourite. A behind-the-scenes tale that centres on aspiring actor Eve Harrington, the film unfolds as she makes her way into the dressing room of Broadway superstar Margo Channing.
Recounting a sorrowful life story to Margo and her circle, Eve extends her support but reveals herself as a schemer exploiting Margo’s kindness to forge her own career in the spotlight. Filled with booze, parties, divas fighting off wrinkles and rivals, razor-sharp dialogue, and a cameo from Marilyn Monroe, the film is a funny and brilliant takedown of stardom with a brilliant, mysterious drama at its core. All About Eve was a huge success with critics at the time, taking home six Academy Awards, including ‘Best Screenplay’ and ‘Best Director’.
8½ (Federico Fellini, 1963)
Regarded as the greatest film ever made about filmmaking, Redford cites Federico Fellini’s 8½. Part dream, part flashback, the film is a circus-like celebration of the power of cinema. Charting the story of Guido Anselmi, played by Marcello Mastroianni, a director whose movie is falling apart along with his personal life.
The film features brilliant performances from Anouk Aimée, Sandra Milo, and Claudia Cardinale. Pioneering a stream-of-consciousness style, 8½ is Fellini’s most self-reflective work to date—a mesmerising and hypnotic ride that intertwines fantasy and reality to create a dreamlike journey into the filmmaker’s creative mind and personal life.
