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At the time the iconic western film hit theaters, the top cast listing included Newman, Ross, and Redford. Today, the lineup has shifted—currently it reads Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross. Redford, the Sundance Kid, stands as among the most sought-after rising stars after McQueen and Hoffman. But, despite his success, he couldn’t really care less.

Redford’s Stance on Hollywood

“I am not,” he emphasizes, “tied to the industry. Think of that guy who drifts through William Saroyan’s that celebrated story, saying, ‘Everything’s unstable—all down the line’? That’s, that echoes my sentiment regarding the film industry. It’s impossible to manage an art form as if it’s commerce these days, but studios keep attempting exactly that. Movies in their eyes are just like consumer products. The approach sickens me.”

The Struggle with Downhill Racer

Admittedly, actors often claim similar things in Hollywood. But Redford, speaking softly, and honestly doesn’t seem to know about his own appeal, comes across as sincere. A key factor due to he invested years working on his skiing project and found that taking on studios was an even harder job than filming itself.

His project, still unreleased in the UK, in spite of the fact early screenings occurred well before Christmas, is out in America and has received reviews implying that it is far beyond a simple sports film. “Truth be told,” he explains, “it explores competition and competitors. That’s why I aimed to release it here in Britain as Brits aren’t avid skiers. There is more chance of it surviving here as a portrayal of human nature rather than a certain kind of sport.”

“Producers aimed to release it where skiing reigns, showing it to all the experts. However… my project where an American competitor getting a gold medal in downhill racing. Isn’t that thrill them? Wow, if only I stay away. I’d be torn to pieces.”

Poetry and Danger

“Why choose this sport? Because it seems to me an ideal mix of grace and risk, the perfect vehicle through which to show what sport sometimes does to men. One must be a kind of kamikaze pilot to do it at all. After experiencing it, it changes you forever.”

“Imagine aging skiers hanging about around the boys doing it now. They are pathetic. They’re always moving. Their hands move restlessly the whole time. They’re worn out. Athletics is brutal, for pros and amateurs alike. It might train you for useless skills, shattering you entirely.”

Redford’s Athletic Past

He speaks from experience, in his youth an excellent dual-sport standout, potentially famous on the court also. “Goodness, I really hated to lose,” he admits, “finally I reached a point continuing was impossible, win or lose. I’d often observe at my opponent and wonder—well, his attire is messy. His footwear will chafe his skin by the end of the set, but he’s oblivious on the match he doesn’t notice. Next, I’d spot a person in the crowd, and think: ‘What is he pondering at this moment? Am I really acting out his dreams?, living his aspiration? Then the game was gone!’”

Artistic Ambitions

His other love, perhaps secretly his main one, is painting. He traveled through European cities for more than a year back then, interacting with artists, students and intellectuals, pseudo and otherwise. He became broke in Florence, who introduced him who arranged an exhibition of his work which paid for his return trip. When he got back, his urge to move resurfaced. He turned to acting, starting in theater, later TV, culminating in cinema.

Inside Daisy Clover, another hit, Polonski’s Tell Them Willie Boy is Here, the western, and Downhill Racer were released rapidly. Next is a motorcycle film, centered on bike racing co-starring Pollard. Subsequently, perhaps a film about modern rodeo. Sport looks like following him indefinitely.

And what about painting? A pause follows. “So,” he confesses, “I haven’t done it in years. That’s why I’d like to take a rest from filming and resume. Is it possible to restart? I doubt it. It demands seriousness, is it?. It requires your entire focus. That said, being here in London impressed me regarding art. I’m eager to create.”

“Notice the illumination across the city. Incredibly beautiful. Each dawn since arriving I rise at dawn strolling amazed. It’s unlike anything such light. I’ll be back again soon. Perhaps when Downhill Racer finally opens—assuming it does.”

Respect for a Colleague

“If only I were as shrewd a cookie like Newman. He would have ensured that such a movie received proper treatment like this. What about Rachel, Rachel?? “Absolutely. Even he can’t constantly defy the establishment.”