The Hot Rock

The Hot Rock is a very funny and addictive 1972 caper film, featuring George Segal and Robert Redford in the prime of their careers. Ron Leibman and Paul Sand round out the four thieves who are hired by an African Dr. Amusa (Moses Gunn) to steal the Sahara Stone -- a large diamond -- from a museum in New York. Along the way, they lose the stone and have to keep re-stealing it, but each subsequent time it eludes their grasp.This film is near and dear to my heart, and I've seen it many times, because it hits my funny bone in exactly the right spot. Redford and Segal play off each other SO well, and Ron Liebman is cast as a real nutcase, as usual. What a team!The film opens with John Dortmunder (Redford) being released from state prison -- to a tongue-in-chic Quincy Jones score -- ready to plunge back into a life of crime. Outside of the prison walls, he is picked up by automobile by a close relative.I must point out this is sort-of-exactly the same opening (and closing) as the 1972 film, The Getaway, directed by Sam Peckinpah, which incidentally is NOT a comedy...but DOES have a score by Quincy Jones. In The Getaway, interestingly, there is NO open title music, and the release from prison is a far grimmer matter.It's easy enough to understand why the REAL Robert Redford would not approve of The Hot Rock, since Redford is, as we all know by now, a person of strong ethical and moral character and probably has a tendency to gastritis, too; although Dortmunder certainly believes in honor among thieves, as does the Sundance Kid, in his way.But The Hot Rock was made at a time of moral inversion in film, when it was possible for the first time to sympathize with the bad guys -- indeed, for the bad guys to get away with it -- which was, if nothing else, a refreshing change from the decades of movie-code-enforced ethical conduct, and redemption had to be part of the story package. Perhaps it all started with 1967's Bonnie and Clyde...but they were shot! These clowns aren't so lucky.One has to put it all in context. In America at the time, the lines between right and wrong became quite ambiguous, and the United States was in moral turmoil, mostly because of the War and the draft. On many fronts, citizens were questioning authority as they never had before.The Watergate hearings which soon followed, also brought a cascade of shocking new revelations about the loose moral character of the men in the White House. You couldn't exactly say that the Hot Rock was not reflecting the times in which it was released.Anyway, despite their meticulous preparations, nothing seems to go right for these bumbling burglars, which also sounds vaguely familiar. The Hot Rock was sharply scripted by William Goldman and the director is Bullitt's expatriate Brit, Peter Yates.The plump and avuncular Zero Mostel becomes the fly in the ointment as the conniving attorney Abe Greenberg, and Dr. Amusa eventually becomes disillusioned with his hires, which leads to yet more hilarity.Again, Redford, Segal, Liebman, and Sand are terrific together. At the time, this was a rather genre-shattering mixture of action and goofiness, but a great deal of fun, always.

"The Hot Rock" is a comical movie based upon one of the funniest novels I have ever read. This tale is not only a humor filled and entertaining rollick, it is an excellent mystery story.The story begins with John Dortmunder being released from prison. This is quickly followed by an encounter with John's friend Kelp, who decides to surprise Dortmunder and meet him upon his release. As John reaches the public sidewalk, Kelp loses control of the car. As Kelp attempts to regain control, he accidently startles Dortmunder and almost runs him over with the car. These auspicious circumstances are just the first in a long series of Dortmunder plans going awry."The Hot Rock" centers around a caper offered to Dortmunder and Kelp by the government of a small African country. The government wants a famous large diamond that is in the custody of another country. To avoid starting a war to retrieve the diamond, they decide to hire professional thieves to steal it.Dortmunder is famous for his ability to plan and organize criminal activities. He is a master planner who carefully analyzes the situation to learn all possible barriers to the crime. John organizes the execution of a crime like clock work. John's plans function like military missions, always in exquisite detail, activities of his team synchronized to the second. He also tends to have bad luck. Somehow an intervening variable or some random unexpected action affects the outcome.Dortmunder and crew try numerous plans to capture the diamond each time being thwarted by a humorous interruption. Most of the enjoyment of the movie centers on the thieves ingenious attempts at the theft.Robert Redford is brilliantly cast as Dortmunder. Redford captures the essence of Dortmunder. George Segal is excellent in his portrayal of Kelp. The film is a careful rendition of the original novel that preserves and sometimes enhances the comedy.I highly recommend "The Hot Rock". This is an superior, well written story that is highly entertaining.

Top notch acting and script

In his long career, Robert Redford liked to try every type of script and here he is in a caper film. If you like the genre I don't think you'll be disappointed. Redford plays a criminal genius just out of prison. He's checked out of the big house and is picked up by his brother-in-law (George Segal) right at the gate--brother-in-law is a safe cracker who has obtained a chance to swipe a "hot rock" and wants Redford to plan the heist. Any doubts Redford's character had about making it on the outside are dispelled; he can go right back to doing what he's good at. He gladly gets down to business. The gem is a priceless national treasure from an African country and it's a diplomat who's engaged their professional services. Redford and Segal gather their gang of specialists and Redford creates a brilliant plan. Something goes wrong. Plan is revised, something goes wrong again. Again plan is revised and another hitch develops. So goes the movie--plan, hitch, revise. All the plans are wildly brilliant and the glitches are marvelously strange. I don't want to give any examples because it's the oddball plan-destroying circumstances that grab the viewer, and create some delightful frustration--even Redford's character gets an ulcer. I'm a Redford fan and have seen the film before, but my husband wasn't interested in watching it. It still got his attention enough to ask, "Do they EVER get the diamond?" A funny, intriguing film that also features Ron Liebman and comic genius Zero Mostel.

If there was a hope that Redford and Segul would have the same chemoistry as Redford and Newman it just was not there.The film seems a bit unsure if it is a supposed to be a light hearted heist movie or a straight crime thriller and I was a bit dissapointed at the end result as I am a fan of both stars.

Robert Redford and George Segal were Brilliant as The Diamond thief's trying to get a hold of a Precious Diamond and with Comical Consequences this is a Great Movie.

Afghanistan Bananastan! I searched for this for years, having seen part of it on TV and always remembered the "Afghanistan Bananastan" bit.Top quality film, with a great plot and everyone acts well. So much better than some modern US productions.

enjoyable movie&good service

Always been a Robert Redford fan.He always comes up with a class film to enjoy.This quirky crime comedy always makes me chuckle thanks to the cast and brilliant script.