The role that pushed Robert Redford to the limit: “What kind of crazy fucking movie is this?”
There really isn’t much to say about Robert Redford that hasn’t already been said. The American actor is one of the finest screen talents ever, having fronted some truly massive projects in his time. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting are both pillars of the New Hollywood movement, and his work as a director on such projects as Ordinary People and Quiz Show is just as impressive.
On top of all that, he also helped set up the Sundance Film Festival, one of the most prestigious events in the indie cinematic calendar.
More so, one of the most notable things about Redford is his longevity. He made his acting debut in 1958, but was still a major presence well into the 2010s. Marvel fans will know him as Alexander Pierce, the crooked Shield leader and main antagonist of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He starred in David Lowery’s 2018 biopic The Old Man & The Gun and, as recently as 2023, he made a voice cameo in the satirical TV show White House Plumbers.
Not all of his late-career appearances have been cushy voice roles, however. In 2013, Redford (who was in his late 70s at the time) starred in the JC Chandor survival drama All is Lost. He played an unnamed man who, following a collision with a sea tanker, is lost at sea in a rapidly deteriorating boat. The veteran is the only character in the entire movie, which contains just 51 words of spoken English dialogue.
If you think this sounds like an utterly mad thing to do, then you’d be absolutely right. Take it from Redford himself, who didn’t hold back, telling Vulture about the very worst part of making the picture. “The stress came from being wet so much!” he explained. “There’s one point where I’m in a hammock, and I’m reading a book, and the water is sloshing, and I said to J C, ‘What kind of crazy fucking movie is this?’”
Filming on open water is a thankless and often dangerous task, just ask Steven Spielberg. So, Chandor and the rest of the crew decided to shoot as few scenes on location as possible. The majority of filming took place in the water tank at Baja Studios, Mexico, who specialise in water scenes, having been built for the production of James Cameron’s Titanic, and has played host to crews from Tomorrow Never Dies, Fear the Walking Dead, and Master and Commander: Far Side of the World.
It wasn’t an easy gig, but all that effort paid off. All is Lost received rave reviews upon its release, with many critics labelling it one of the movies of the year. For his herculean efforts, Redford was nominated for a Golden Globe. He did develop a pretty severe ear infection during shooting, but which actor doesn’t love suffering for their art?
Redford had taken on challenging projects prior to All is Lost, but nothing on this sort of scale. To make your most intense film so late in your career is a testament to the determination and stamina displayed by the Hollywood legend, even if he would have preferred to be curled up at home with a nice mug of hot soup.
