One of the things that keeps bringing people back to The Sting more than forty years after its release is the way it showcases the sense of community that exists between conmen. This community is bound together by a common language and a common understanding of the different tricks that are used by various con artists.
We get to see conmen getting together to talk about all the most up-to-date forms of cons…almost as if they travel around to grifter conferences making sure they're at the cutting edge of their profession.
Questions about Community
- What are some of the specific things in this movie that help give us a sense of the grifter community?
- Why is honesty between conmen such an important thing, considering that they spend most of their time lying to people?
- Can you give us some examples of the special lingo that grifters use in this movie? How do these special terms help show the community that exists between them?
Chew on This
In The Sting, we realize that criminal communities can often be tighter than non-criminal ones.
The Sting shows us that community doesn't count for much among criminals because no matter how charming they might be, they're all just looking out for themselves.