Admirers and colleagues of Robert Redford are grieving after the Academy Award-winning filmmaker’s passing.
The Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid legend, who co-founded the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, dominated as the premier male performer throughout the late 1960s and 1970s.
Whilst celebrated for major productions including Barefoot in the Park, Jeremiah Johnson and The Candidate, he also appeared in a more obscure picture.
The 1984 production is currently streaming on Netflix and draws from Bernard Malamud’s 1952 novel bearing the identical title.
The motion picture in question, The Natural, represents a sporting drama chronicling the journey of Roy Hobbs, a gifted baseball athlete.
Redford took on the central character in the production, which earned four Oscar nominations.
During 1983, the recently established Tri-Star Pictures secured the adaptation rights, representing Redford’s return to acting after a three-year hiatus.
Variety called it an “impeccably made … fable about success and failure in America.”
Renowned cinema critic Roger Ebert characterised it as “idolatry on behalf of Robert Redford”, highlighting the performer’s exceptional abilities.
Supporters have flocked to Google Reviews to express their opinions, with Josh Belzman commenting: “It’s probably my favorite movie of all time. I associate it with childhood, my departed parents and the game I loved as a kid. It’s funny to read such harsh reviews from the time.
“I wonder if the years have softened their cold hearts. The Natural stuck with me from the start, as it did so many others.”
Susan Sayles added: “This is my favorite film for so many reasons. I watched it first in college as part of a class on film interpretation and instantly fell in love.
“I’m a sports fan, but really not a baseball lover. It didn’t matter. The film is about integrity and has a romanticism of nostalgia that resonates with me.”
Wayne Lewin revealed: “One of my favourite films of all time together with Butch Cassidy and Jeremiah Johnston also Redford films.”
The Natural is airing on Netflix