thief

Michael Mann wasn’t the first or last director to be accused of delivering style over substance. But few filmmakers had the same sort of pop culture impact to throw back in the face of their critics. Of course, Miami Vice had the most widespread influence, but Mann was perfecting his craft with Thief three years earlier. Starring James Caan as an all-business-all-the-time professional safe cracker, this 1981 heist-drama was at the forefront of the new age of modern cops and robbers crime stories.

Like most of the director’s early ‘80s output, Thief is populated with characters we already know: criminal kingpins, hired guns, dirty cops and noble felons. But Mann’s cinematic innovation was using this familiarity to sidestep the usual tired screenwriting scenarios, freeing him up to focus on the mood of each scene rather than the motivation.

A product of the prison system, Frank (James Caan) is anxious to create a new life for himself using the skills he learned in prison from his safecracking mentor, Okla (Willie Nelson). But when his ambitions tie him up with a well-connected crime lord (Robert Prosky), Frank’s treasured independence is put to the test.

In essence, characters like Frank (James Caan) were born to the screen. As an audience, we accept his criminal skills badass status simply because the visual and musical cues tell us to. Thief isn’t quite the culmination of “MTV cops” that Miami Vice delivered, but it is plays on the same stage; one that is beautifully set by the pulsing keyboards and guitar score by Tangerine Dream.

So much of Thief bleeds into Mann’s TV work that it’s hard to separate the two. But James Caan is a real difference maker as Frank, bringing equal parts intimidation and compassion to the role. His tragically full-circle character arc is brilliantly played out in a 15-minute dialogue free finale. It’s Mann showcasing what he does best…and what the rest of the world would soon demand on a weekly basis.

Thief is presented on a blu-ray/DVD combo as part of the Criterion Collection and receives the just the sort of treatment you’d expect. The film’s photography practically glows in hi-def, working wonders with Mann’s rain-soaked, neon streets and back alleys, while the music score finally fills a room the way it should. Extras include a wonderful Mann – Caan commentary track, plus new interviews with both of aforementioned participants and Johannes Schmoelling of Tangerine Dream.