Genre:
Crime drama
Distributor:
Arrow
Rating:18
Director:
Michael Mann
Cast:
James Caan, Robert Prosky, Tuesday Weld
Buy: Blu-ray - Thief (1981)
Michael Mann is a director I have a love/hate problem with. Sometimes he makes solid crime thrillers like Heat and Manhunter, and the occasional interesting dramas like The Insider. However, he also made one of the worst cinematic experiences of my life - the Miami Vice film. Also, Public Enemies aesthetic choice in using digital instead of film ruined it for me. He did however made one and out masterpieces, including his debut feature film Thief starring James Caan.
Thief is an existential heist film that is a kind of gap between the downer films of the 70s, and the more slick neon films of the 1980s (it came out in 1981). James Caan plays the experienced jewel thief Frank and at the beginning, takes down a massive diamond score. The problem however, is that the potential jewel buyer is thrown out of a window, dies, and his murderers take his money. Frank meets the people responsible and after some negotiation he agrees to do one job for the Godfather-type character of the operation, Leo (Robert Prosky). Frank is also desperate to leave a life of crime and loneliness to settle down with Jessie (Tuesday Weld) but as usual with these types of films, nothing is that simple.
James Caan has never been this good since, and Caan himself has cited the film as one of his very favourites in the interview included on the blu-ray. He perfectly captures the loneliness of the character, and also the undaunted nihilism Frank contains. Caan also has true cinematic chemistry with Tuesday Weld, but when he has to sacrifice himself for his new family’s safety he goes full on nihilist anti-hero. It also includes some strong supporting roles from James Belushi as his partner in crime, and Willie Nelson as his father like figure.
Michael Mann’s style is fully formed with this film. He used real thieves as technical advisors on the film and it shows, as there is a meticulous eye for detail. The photography by Donald E. Thorin is the most impressive of any of Mann’s work, it’s use of neons, short tracking shots, and light and shadow gives it a heightened reality that is reminiscent of later films like Drive. However, this also may be down to the restoration that has had some serious colour correction work done. I sometimes struggle with the acclaim for Mann as some master of mise-en-scène, but in this case I'm a believer. It also features a pulsating synthesizer score by Tangerine Dream and besides the earlier Sorcerer, never has their music suited a film so well.
Arrow Video may have done the impossible and actually outdone Criterion’s earlier release. It includes a fantastic newly filmed interview with James Caan. It also includes a vintage French documentary on James Caan, filmed around the release of Thief, and a massively impressive hour long examination of Thief by critic F.X Feeney. The Directors episode on Michael Mann is also included; I personally find this series not very insightful on a director’s work, but we can expect more of them as they will be included on some of Arrow’s upcoming releases. It also includes the theatrical cut where the colour scheme of the film is vastly different, and the old laserdisc commentary with Michael Mann and James Caan.
In closing, Arrow has compiled a fantastic package for Michael Mann’s finest film, some may like Heat more but Thief is the darker, less glossy, and more pessimistic film, and is definitely better for it. The comparisons of Arrow to the American label The Criterion Collection are justified with releases like this.
★★★★★
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