Thief (1981)
Director: Michael Mann
Starring: James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Robert Prosky, Willie Nelson
Primary genre: Neo-noir
Secondary genre: Action
Third genre: Heist
Fourth genre: Thriller
Considered to be one of the most well known directional debuts in cinema history, “Thief” (based on “The Home Invaders” book by Frank Hohimer) introduced us to a new talent named Michael Mann. While it does not seek to reinvent the genre since it is primarily tied down by its source material, Mann’s “Thief” is a thoroughly enjoyable ride due to its clearly defined primary and secondary characters who make the one last job trope appealing.
James Caan excels in his role bringing tough Bronxian mannerims in his life of crime along with a sense of superb professionalism that rarely comes in this type of job creating an on-screen likeable and most importantly, relatable protagonist. Similarly to his work on “Heat” (1995), “Collateral” (2004) and “Miami Vice” (2006) and “Public Enemies“ (2009), Mann’s script is more interested in assembling flawed and realistic individuals rather than the clean and cut hero/villain archetypes which populated the majority of the 80s decade action/thriller flicks. Frank is as honest and generous as they come but he will not hesitate, not for a second to claim what is his obeying a fascinating conduct of ethics in similar fashion to what another famous Mann’s creation will follow 14 years later (Neil McCauley). As the audience we sense that something dodgy will happen but like Frank we are more keen to see him pull off an impossible heist first and sort out any potential complications later. Mann’s ability to draw parallels between ordinary audience members and his characters is something to be admired off with a few directors being blessed with this skill.
“I am the last guy in the world that you wanna fuck with.”
Exploring the lifestyle of individuals who dance a fine line between the law and a life behind prison bars, Mann invests wholeheartedly in Frank and his possie showing a Chicago that is bound by corruption both in its Mob and police environment. For him crooks and cops can be easily interchangeable, both reside under a particular set of moral code used to ultimately make a living one way or another; whether this is dishonest, the script allows the audience to make up their own mind critique free.
“Thief” can be seen as a blueprint for greater things to come, in particular Mann’s crime epic “Heat”; splendid and atmospheric nighttime shots (courtesy of Donald E. Thorin e.g., “Tango and Cash“ (1989)), ultra-realistic heist scenes with a meticulous amount of detail, laconic dialogues, architectural emphasis, symmetric shots, a non-traditional score by Tangerine Dream whose sound design engulfs the story at every turn and sharp performances. Robert Prosky as a Chicago Outfit boss is a delight (his monologue is a standout) while an unrecognizably young James Belushi and Dennis Farina as Frank’s loyal partner-in-crime and a Mob enforcer respectively do register in the cinephiles’ memory even though their screentime is limited.
Avoiding the cliches of bombastic (and overwhelming) action, those who lean towards shoot first and ask questions later flicks might be disappoint with “Thief” and its poetic approach to a resolution. “Thief” is a small and contained story with a narrow scope shot during a time when Hollywood would assist directors to present a thrilling tale of neo-noirism through their own unique voice. Considering how modern debuts work right now in any mainstream genre, crumbling under the weight of an army of computer technicians, over-saturated cinematography and cheap cinematic language being more corpo-sanctioned products than actual stories, a retrospective look at Mann’s first film shapes nicely its re-evaluation.
Fascinating Hollywood debut
+Hypnotizing nighttime cinematography
+Cast
+Precise direction
+Emphasis in realism
+Appealing characters
-Tangerine Dream’s score too lucid for this genre