‘He’s Our Fault’
The legendary actor-activist isn’t going to spend time over analyzing the president. He’d rather America look in the mirror.
I am not usually impressed or swayed in my own opinions by famous entertainers of any stripe. When one of them takes up a cause, it is hard for me to separate their concern over a political or moral issue from the comfortable surroundings that millions of dollars glosses them with. Perhaps they feel that it is expected for them to use their notoriety to shed light on one of the day’s issues. I’ll make an exception here.
Yes I have enjoyed most of Mr. Redford’s filmography through the years, and he is a Utah homeboy after all. That said, my high praise for his candid 2017 interview published in Esquire Magazine is not that thoughtless or shallow. True, I am not a subscriber. I ran across the article recently and could not help thinking how, in the last two years, it rings true louder than ever. Many of you may be inclined to give no weight to the political stances of a movie mogul the likes of Robert Redford. He’s had everything handed to him, right? Not so fast!
It’s tempting to see Robert Redford as the golden boy. The guy who never had to sweat for it. The guy who got what he got because it was handed to him, because of his looks. The guy who, as the writer James Salter said of Redford at age forty, after he had carved out his extraordinary success, had the aura of a charmed life: “As if glancing at a menu, he was able to choose his life.”
Michael Hainey, Esquire Magazine
That generalized feeling about star power does not apply to Robert Redford, however. I have renewed respect for the man and the Hollywood persona after reading this very informative interview. I have not always agreed with Mr. Redford’s views on Utah’s growth and government. I seldom even notice most celebrity opinion. After reading this interview, I can give much weight to his thoughts and opinions on both our history and current events. When Esquire asked Redford what he would most like to say to Trump if ever in a one on one setting with him, the response was:
“Quit. For our benefit.” Politics right now is in a very dark place, and I think the only place for me is to do what I do—make films, create art, watch it as it evolves. Right now it’s like Humpty Dumpty sitting on a wall, and a great fall is happening. The behavior seems to be really dumb.
Robert Redford
So rather than re post the interview, I direct readers to the entire Esquire Magazine interview with Robert Redford. I found it very enlightening as well as alarming!
Rusty Bent Nail 