Robert Redford, the iconic star who has died at 89, will be remembered for many things, but one of his most powerful on-screen themes was the portrayal of the untamable heart. His most famous romantic heroes were men who embodied a spirit of freedom, making them both irresistible and ultimately unattainable.
This theme was central to his role as Denys Finch Hatton in the epic Out of Africa. Opposite Meryl Streep, he played a dashing adventurer who lived by his own rules, a man who loved deeply but could not be possessed. Redford’s performance perfectly captured this spirit of romantic freedom, creating a character whose allure was inextricably linked to his independence.
A different kind of untamable spirit was present in his portrayal of Hubbell Gardiner in The Way We Were. While not an adventurer, Hubbell was a man committed to his own path of least resistance, unable or unwilling to fully embrace the passionate, political world of his great love, Katie (Barbra Streisand). His heart was free in a way that ultimately made their union impossible.
Redford himself possessed an independent streak, consistently pushing against the confines of his own stardom. He founded the Sundance Institute to champion artistic freedom and often chose roles that defied Hollywood conventions. He was an artist who valued his autonomy, a quality that he channeled into his most memorable characters.
With his passing, we celebrate an actor who captured the essence of the free spirit. Robert Redford’s heroes were men with untamable hearts, and through them, he told timeless stories about the beautiful, tragic tension between love and freedom.