Robert Redford: More Than a Face (2.)

Continued from part one

After the triumph of Ordinary People, Robert Redford seemed untouchable: As an actor and director, he had won Hollywood’s crown jewels, but the price was isolation. “I was always the outsider,” he once said in a later interview. The man from Utah, who turned Sundance into a haven of creativity, longed for stories beyond the mainstream.

In the early 1980s, Redford deepened his commitment to independent film: His resort in Provo Canyon became the Sundance Institute, a laboratory for independent filmmakers. “The industry was controlled by the mainstream… I saw other stories that had no chance,” he explained in 2018. The labs invited talents like Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh, far from commercial pressures. In 1985, this led to the Sundance Film Festival in Park City—a milestone that revolutionized indie cinema.

Redford decided to return to his roots as an actor after all: In The Natural (1984), he portrayed the mythical Roy Hobbs, a film with four Oscar nominations. His true test, however, was waiting in Africa.

“***Out of Africa*” – The Savanna Calls**

In 1985, Sydney Pollack directed Out of Africa, the adaptation of Karen Blixen’s memoir of the same name from 1937. Redford, a friend of Pollack’s since 1960, took on the role of big-game hunter Denys Finch Hatton—the lover of the Danish Baroness Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep). The film, produced by Universal and Mirage Enterprises, was shot largely in Kenya near the Ngong Hills, outdoors, underscored by John Barry’s unforgettable music and David Watkin’s breathtaking cinematography.

Did he suspect that this role—far from Westerns—would underscore his legacy as a bridge-builder between old and new?

The production was an adventure: Logistical challenges ranging from the terrain, monsoons, and the vastness of the savanna shaped the filming. Redford, who had no prior experience with airplanes, learned to fly—essential for Finch Hatton’s flight scenes. “It was like diving into another world,” he recalled. Pollack, who had previously directed The Way We Were (1973) with Redford, insisted on authenticity: Redford shaved off the beard he usually wore and adopted a British accent to match the real Finch Hatton. Streep, as Karen Blixen, managed the farm alone while her husband Bror (Klaus Maria Brandauer) hunted; her encounter with Denys began with a lion rescue and evolved into a passionate yet free love—marked by safaris, compass gifts, and the loss of friends like Berkeley (Michael Kitchen) to malaria.

Redford’s portrayal was nuanced: Finch Hatton as a charismatic free spirit who valued freedom over commitment, mirroring Redford’s own personality. “Denys was a man of horizons,” Pollack said about the role. The film received eleven Oscar nominations and won seven: Best Picture, Best Director (Pollack), Best Cinematography, Art Direction, Music, Sound, and Adapted Screenplay (Kurt Luedtke). Streep was nominated for Best Actress, and Redford received a BAFTA nomination. Out of Africa grossed over $350 million and solidified Redford’s status as a global star. Did he suspect that this role—far from Westerns—would underscore his legacy as a bridge-builder between old and new?

Redford’s vision created a space for diversity, including indigenous voices.

Sundance and the Lonely Summit

After Out of Africa, Redford shifted his focus to directing: The Milagro Beanfield War (1988) addressed environmental protection in New Mexico, A River Runs Through It (1992) was about fly-fishing in Montana. Quiz Show (1994), which tackled a 1950s TV scandal, earned four Oscar nominations, including for Best Director. As an actor, he remained selective: In Indecent Proposal (1993), he shone as a billionaire; in The Horse Whisperer (1998), which he also directed, he once again proved his skill in a literary adaptation.

Meanwhile, Sundance flourished: The festival showcased debuts like Blood Simple (1985) by the Coen Brothers and sex, lies, and videotape (1989) by Soderbergh. Redford’s vision—“Art and nature improve the world”—created a space for diversity, including indigenous voices.

Legacy

In the 2000s, Redford gradually withdrew from acting and directing: In Spy Game (2001), he appeared alongside Brad Pitt; in the US-German production The Clearing (2003), he co-starred with Helen Mirren. In All Is Lost (2013), he played a sailor on the ocean—a silent masterpiece. Later, he immortalized himself as Alexander Pierce in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) toward the end of his career in the Marvel Universe.

In 2018, he announced his retirement: “I’ve been doing it since I was 21,” he stated. His last film: The Old Man & the Gun (2018).

Robert Redford died on September 16, 2025, at the age of 89 in his resort in Utah. He left behind two daughters, seven grandchildren, and a legacy that extends beyond films: Sundance changed cinema by giving space to stories that otherwise would never have found resonance. “What could be worse than playing a star?” he once asked—but Redford never just played the role he was contractually obligated to. He was the guardian of the wilderness, on screen and in Utah.