(Credit: Alamy)
Robert Redford is one of the most iconic figures within the New Hollywood movement, with leading roles in influential classics such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting and All The Presidents Men. In addition to this, he forged a strong career behind the camera and became a fierce advocate of independent cinema, starting the Sundance Film Festival in 1978. Because of this, Redford has always been a strong voice in the industry, pushing for the creation of new stories and elevating the voices of emerging filmmakers, using his power to lift up the medium that he most cares about. However, there was one film he worked on in 2005 that was not given a fair shot, with Redford discussing the downfalls of the industry and the projects that do not see the light of day.
Despite rising to fame for his all-American look and charming screen presence, starring in unsuspecting hit films like The Way We Were, Three Days of Condor and Out of Africa, the actor had a love for film that extended beyond one role, becoming involved in later projects as a producer and director. While this is not an uncommon trajectory now, with the likes of Margot Robbie demonstrating her passion for the medium by founding a production company and extending her powers to the world of pre-production, Redford was part of a new wave in Hollywood in which this was a rare career move.
While this can be undeniably rewarding, with his 1980 film Ordinary People winning an Oscar for “Best Picture”, it can also be very challenging and disheartening when the film doesn’t do well, which was the case for An Unfinished Life, which in the eyes of Redford, remains unfinished.
The film follows a man called Einar who lives on a ranch with his friend Mitch, struggling to deal with the death of his son until the woman he blames for his death turns up at his door. However, the film was seen by very few people due to the mishandling of the distribution and marketing, with the Weinstein brothers shelving the film for two years after disagreements with their co-distributor.
When discussing the unfair treatment of the film, Redford said, “I can’t do a thing about it, but I tell you it does not feel good. It’s really not about winning any awards for me, anyway, although I wouldn’t mind seeing Morgan get some more recognition. Besides being a fine human being, he’s one of the best actors there ever was, not because he can play God, but because he can play anything from the devil to God convincingly”.
As well as being frustrated at people not seeing or appreciating the performances from his co-stars, Redford also voiced his sadness at working hard on something that goes unnoticed, saying, “I just want people to know the film is out there. It’s awful to spend a lot of time doing something you know is worthwhile, and then see it sit around in limbo for a couple of years, and then sort of just get tossed out there in a marketplace where if you don’t get a lot of attention the first weekend, it just disappears into the ether”.
Perhaps the film will be able to find a new audience now, and despite the poor-handling of the film distribution, maybe it will find a new life through streaming platforms and modern distributors.
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