RETRO REVIEW - 'Thief' (1981)

"Thief" is the feature film directorial debut of Michael Mann.

It is an extremely rare thing for a feature-film director to come out of the gate almost fully formed. However, with 1981’s “Thief”, director Michael Mann did just that as you can instantly recognize that this is a film from the director of later film classics such as “Manhunter” and “Heat”. The unique score (this one by Tangerine Dream), the stunning and gritty cinematography (shot by Donald Thorin), and recognizable scenes where we learn more about our anti-hero protagonist are all there for audiences to devour.

The movie opens with Frank (James Caan), an expert thief, in the middle of a job. While we see in great detail how he is breaking into a vault, we also meet Frank’s getaway driver who is monitoring police frequencies and his partner Barry (James Belushi) who has the alarm system. Soon, he has found the diamonds that he is looking for and they all get away without a trace.

The next day, though, they learn that the guy who is supposed to move the merchandise has been killed. The men with the person behind the killing, Leo (Robert Prosky), accidentally took the money due to Frank and his associates. Soon, Leo returns the money but it also comes with a proposition for Frank to do two or three jobs for him.

Frank usually wants to work alone, but the money may give him the life he wants, particularly with his love interest Jessie (Tuesday Weld) and old mentor and father figure Okla (Willie Nelson). That means that the movie quickly turns into a “one last job” film that is expertly told by Mann. There are many details about the upcoming heist that are interesting, but we soon find that we’re more focused on Frank and his story.

Tuesday Weld and James Caan during the famous diner scene in 1981's "Thief".

This is epitomized in the now famous diner scene between Frank and Jessie where we learn where Frank comes from and why he lives the life of a thief. We also learn who Jessie is and why she would ever want to be with a thief. The scene could also be viewed as a prototype for the even more famous diner scene between Al Pacino and Robert De Niro in “Heat” several years later.

The scene in “Heat” works due to the expert dialogue by Mann and the powerhouse performances by Pacino and De Niro. The same can be said here about Caan and Weld. They easily make you believe in these characters and it is also refreshing to see that this would not be a story where Frank kept what he does from Jessie. While Caan gives one of his best performances in this scene, Weld should also not be ignored as she has the more challenging role of convincing us that Jessie would want to be with a guy like Frank.

Of course, the movie centers around Caan’s character and this movie is a true highlight of why Caan was such an appealing leading man. Yes, Caan can easily play the tough-as-nails aspect of the character, but what lies beneath the tough exterior that Caan easily taps into is Frank’s vulnerability. Frank is someone who simply wants to escape his life and feels like he is behind due to his previous stint in prison that took over a decade of his life away from him.

Due to Caan’s performance, you want Frank to succeed and get the life that has always been denied to him. Unfortunately, he has to contend with Prosky’s Leo and Prosky delivers a sly yet very vile crime lord. Prosky is good at sucking Frank and the audience into his web at first with a sort of fatherly charm, but there is always a sinister touch lying just below the surface.

Leo is the opposite of Frank’s father figure and mentor, Okla, played to surprising effect by legendary singer Willie Nelson. We only get to see Okla for a couple of scenes and Nelson is so good that you wish there was more with the character. Nelson may not have been a professional actor, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell if this is the only thing that you have ever seen him in.

The only real criticism that I can bring up here is not even my own criticism. The ending has been noted for its ambiguity and its seemingly anticlimactic conclusion. However, I’ll go ahead and say that, in my opinion, it’s really the only ending that I think makes the film work. By the time credits roll, the movie sticks with you and you might have a lot of thoughts, but one thought that I think you’ll have is that you have just seen one of the best thrillers ever made.