Redford and Streisand: The Shifting Star Persona in 1970s Hollywood

This paper takes Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford as case studies of audience taste and cultural climate of 1970s Hollywood, focusing on the construction of the star in the film's narrative and mise-en-scene. In keeping with other work on the period, this paper will continue a line of enquiry that considers to what extent star construction conforms to conventional notions of Hollywood stardom or is affected by formal and cultural currents of the period. What emerges is a shifting star persona based on the tension between traditional good looks and performative charisma and a more culturally informed individualism characterised by Redford's intelligence and Streisand's self-deprecating mocking humour.