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Thief (1981)

movie club

Directed by:

Michael Mann

Synopsis:

Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score.

View on Letterboxd

Notes

  • Sooooooo much style, especially for a directorial debut. Michael Mann is a god damn legend
  • The opening scene with the rain and the synth music gave me HEAVY Blade Runner vibes
  • The diner scene with Frank and Jessie was top tier
  • Sgt. Urizzi was pretty annoying
  • This really felt like Mann working out the kinks before he made Heat in ’95. Both films have such similar themes and tone
  • Every outfit Frank wore was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen?!?!?!
  • Wish we got to see more of the metal worker guy?
  • The monologue Leo gave was dark as shit… so sick
  • The slow pistol reload at the end is one of the coolest shots of all time
  • I wish Frank got to have a conversation with Leo before he killed him at the end. Like the dinner scene at the end of Sicario

Fun Facts

  • Green Mill! Emily and I have been! It is a SICK Jazz bar in Chicago a little north of Wrigleyville - rumor has it that Al Capone’s headquarters was there and there are tunnels under the club that they used to smuggle stuff to other areas of the city
  • Mann says he thought of Frank’s character as being “stuck in a maze” and he thought of “nighttime” as a ceiling of the maze
    • the way he tried to convey that was by keeping the camera angle/perspective low to the ground and never showing the tops of buildings
    • he also used the reflections of lights on Frank’s car, the pavement, etc
  • The vault door and burn rod at the end were completely real

Roles James Caan Turned Down

  • Popeye Doyle // The French Connection (played by Gene Hackman)
  • R.P. McMurphy // One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (played by Jack Nicholson)
  • Han Solo
  • Captain Willard // Apocalypse Now (played by Martin Sheen)

Participants

  • Reilly
  • Carson
  • Ben
  • Austin
  • Jonas
  • Jack

Ratings

April ‘23 Film

Delicatessen

Host: Jack

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