Robert Redford has died

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

  • Iconic Films and Performances Remembered

    • Commenters list a long run of favorites: Sneakers, Three Days of the Condor, All the President’s Men, The Sting, Jeremiah Johnson, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Natural, Out of Africa, The Way We Were, The Last Castle, Spy Game, All Is Lost, Ordinary People, A River Runs Through It, Lions for Lambs, The Old Man and the Gun.
    • Specific scenes are repeatedly cited: the endings of Condor and Sneakers, the bridge/trunk sound-analysis scene in Sneakers, survival sequences in All Is Lost, and key moments from Butch Cassidy and The Natural.

  • “Sneakers” and Tech / Hacker Culture

    • Many call Sneakers one of the most realistic and respectful “hacker movies,” emphasizing social engineering, physical security, and plausible tech (often head‑canon’d as involving a quantum decryption chip).
    • Its accurate Bay Area geography and bridge details are praised.
    • Several say the film helped push them into computing, cryptography, or penetration testing; one designed a “Secrets are Power” T‑shirt as a tribute.
    • People share links to related trivia, the cryptography consultant, and a terminal effect project inspired by the movie.

  • Other Thematic Favorites

    • All Is Lost is highlighted as a near-wordless, intimate survival film that inspired interest in offshore sailing and is described by some as essential viewing for sailors.
    • Spy Game and Three Days of the Condor are praised as standout espionage films with unusually grounded depictions of recruiting and handling assets. Some also recommend other ’70s “paranoid thrillers” in the same vein.

  • Legacy Beyond Acting

    • Multiple comments emphasize his role in founding Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival, crediting him with transforming independent cinema and launching many notable filmmakers and films.
    • Others highlight his long-standing focus on democracy, government/corporate corruption, and environmentalism, both in his causes and film choices.

  • Critiques and Skepticism

    • A minority voice portrays him as a powerful Hollywood insider with a vindictive partisan streak (e.g., alleged blackballing of James Woods, which another commenter questions and for which no evidence is provided in-thread).
    • Some criticize his environmentalism as the “wealthy landowner” variety and see films like Truth as politically flattering or one‑sided.

  • Cultural Presence

    • Several note that his mere presence in a film felt reassuring and that he remained strikingly charismatic into old age.
    • The Watchmen TV depiction of him as a long‑term liberal president, including “Redfordations,” is seen as a fitting alt‑history extension of his real‑world image.