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The Natural (1984)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 3/12, 3/25

Natural
3/12: I read The Natural by Bernard Malamud and saw the film, and I must say the latter is better and more satisfying.

Robert Redford will always be Roy Hobbs. He's just perfect. His story is almost what if Mickey Mantle never existed, hence "my life didn't turn out the way I expected." The Natural is a sports mythology film by creating a legend out of Roy Hobbs.

All in all, The Natural is a one-of-a-kind baseball movie.

3/25: "There goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was."

Robert Redford is big on mythology, and The Natural is the best example when it comes to making a sporting legend. Of course, every line uttered by the characters is superficial and never big on explanations. Instead, it's about the look, hence the Best Cinematography Oscar nomination for Caleb Deschanel, and the feel that shouldn't be read too deeply.

There are many great moments such as the shooting at the hotel that ended Roy Hobbs' promise, the ball that's knocked out of its cover, and the game-winning hit for the pennant title. Speaking of the first one, I suppose the message of The Natural is "women are the root of all evil." One tried to kill Roy Hobbs, and the other poisoned him. Imagine how much further he would've gone by avoiding them in general or sticking with his childhood love.

There's a serious mistake, and it's when Robert Redford, aged 47 at the time, played a younger version of Roy Hobbs. That's a bad idea. Just let somebody else, who happens to be a look-alike, do that for him. This way, Max Mercy (Robert Duvall) will have a very hard time remembering the bet with the Whammer. On the other hand, some have said the film was too long, but I think the running length is fine. It's all about the editing to tell an absorbing story.

All in all, when you think of sports film masterpieces, The Natural should be in the forefront.