麻豆影院

After spending a lifetime in film as an actor, director and producer, Robert Redford braved the sea and starred as the sole character in the film听All Is Lost.

鈥淚鈥檓 sorry. I tried,鈥� reads a note written by听Robert Redford鈥檚 (A&S ex鈥�58, HonDocHum鈥�87) character in the 2013 film听All Is Lost听after he spends eight days struggling for survival in the Indian Ocean.

The nameless character 鈥� credited only as 鈥淥ur Man鈥� 鈥� faces defeat after his boat鈥檚 hull is destroyed in a collision with a stray shipping container, disabling all communication. Amid the hole in his 39-foot yacht Redford鈥檚 character battles the relentless elements of the sea, including a gigantic storm and curious sharks as his supplies dwindle, his water becomes contaminated and exhaustion takes over.

Redford, 77, plays the sole character in the film, released last fall, and speaks a mere handful of words. Yet he fully embodies the role and gave his all in the harrowing man-versus-nature portrayal.

鈥淭he entire movie is about a guy realizing that the more trouble he gets into and the later you are in life, the quicker things come at you,鈥� the film鈥檚 writer and director J.C. Chandor told the听Los Angeles Times. 鈥淭he overarching idea is that this is a guy who, as he goes on, even with less and less, is fighting harder and harder for more time on the planet.鈥�

I think he really enjoyed, after all those years of trying to wear all those different hats, just absolutely closing off and becoming a pure actor again.

Redford鈥檚 performance is the culmination of a lifetime in film, starting in the early 1960s and including three Academy Award acting nominations and an honorary Oscar.

Since his first film credit in the 1962 movie听War Hunt, Redford has acted in 37 films and will appear in听Captain America: The Winter Soldier听this year. He is best known for leading roles in听Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,听All the President鈥檚 Men听补苍诲听The Sting. He has directed nine films, including听A River Runs Through It听补苍诲听Quiz Show. He won an Academy Award for best director in 1981 for his film听Ordinary People.

With myriad diverse acting roles to his name, the immense challenge that came with starring in听All Is Lost听was not a deterrent to Redford. The 31-page script was presented to him by writer and director J.C. Chandor after the 2011 Sundance Film Festival featured the movie he directed,听Margin Call. The yearly festival is run by Redford鈥檚 nonprofit Sundance Institute, which has helped discover and grow independent artists worldwide since 1981. Chandor became the first artist supported by Redford to ask him to be a part of his next film.

鈥淚t was a chance to go back to my roots in a very pure way because I felt what [Chandor] constructed was pure cinema,鈥� Redford told听The New York Times. 鈥淸The film] has no special effects or voiceover or anything that gets in between the audience and what they鈥檙e experiencing.鈥�

For听All Is Lost, Redford chose to perform most of his own stunts. An endless stream of wave and wind machines hit him during the two months of shooting in the same water tanks used for the film听Titanic. A crew member sprayed streams of water at his head with a powerful hose. Drenched and beaten by heavy walls of water he fully became the character, the nameless man.

鈥淚 think he really enjoyed, after all those years of trying to wear all those different hats, just absolutely closing off and becoming a pure actor again,鈥� Chandor told听The Washington Post.

Years before becoming a household name, the Los Angeles-raised Redford attended CU-麻豆影院 for one year. During this time he worked as a janitor at The Sink on University Hill in 1955. Following his footsteps decades later, two of his children,听David 鈥淛amie鈥� Redford听(Engl鈥�85) and听Shauna Redford Schlosser听(Art鈥�85), also attended CU-麻豆影院.

In the movie听All Is Lost, Redford did most of his own stunts and spoke only a handful of words.

After leaving CU-麻豆影院, Redford traveled to Europe to paint and study art in Paris and Florence before settling in New York City to act at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. His unwavering dedication to the film industry laid the foundation for what seems certain to become one of his most memorable performances 鈥� the role of Our Man, which has drawn accolades, including a Golden Globe nomination for best actor. It was his first Golden Globe nomination since his 1999 best director nomination for听The Horse Whisperer.

With more than 50 years of Hollywood behind him, Redford has proven he is far from lost.

鈥淵ou just continue,鈥� Redford told the听Times. 鈥淏ecause that鈥檚 all there is to do.

Photography by Jonas Fredwall Karlsson/Trunk Archive (Redford in director's chair); Mark Hom (portrait, Redford drinking); Coloradan yearbook 1955 (Kappa Sigma group); Daniel Daza, courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment (on the set of All Is Lost);听J. Martin Natvig (graduation photo)听鈥�