4. "The Sting" (1973)

"Luther said I could learn some things from you. I already know how to drink."

(Robert Redford as Johnny Hooker)

"The Sting" is perhaps the most well-known caper film of all time. It's two notable points are 1) the immense popularity of Scott Joplin's piano rag "The Entertainer" that accompanied the film and 2) the old-fashioned title cards dividing the film into distinct sections. It stars Robert Redford and Paul Newman as con men attempting to con a mob boss in 1930s Joliet, Illinois. The term "the sting" refers to the point in a con when the con man has finished the "play" and the mark is about to lose his money, though now it is mostly used in the context of law enforcement sting operations. The film won 7 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Music, and Best Writing. Julia Philips was the first female producer to win the Best Picture category. "The Sting" also wins an American Cinema Editors Award, a David di Donatello Award (Italy), a Directors Guild of America Award, an Golden Screen Award (Germany), a Kinema Junpo Award (Japan), a National Board of Review Award, a PGA Award, and a People's Choice Award. It was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2005.

The Plot: Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) is a small-time grifter who teams up with seasoned con artist, Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) to seek revenge on crime boss Doyle Lonnegan after Hooker's friend Luther is killed. They assemble a team of con men to come together for the ultimate con against Lonnegan. It's a story of double- and triple-crosses that is perhaps the father of all con films. It's a great film, but it's a classic - so be prepared for a slower pace and less action than more modern films.

The Criminal Justice System: The criminal justice system is only vaguely acknowledged in this film, with a crooked Joliet cop - Lt. Snyder - and an FBI agent - Agent Polk - filling the ranks of the stereotypical cop role: Dirty and corrupt. The film is predicated on the idea of "no honor amongst thieves," with con men trying to out-con and out-cheat each other for the big score.