Rediscovering "Thief"
In 1981, well before making another critically acclaimed film featuring thieves, Michael Mann created Thief, starring James Caan. The film’s cinematography, storyline, location selection, and soundtrack from Tangerine Dream set the tone for many action dramas that followed in the 1980s, including the series Miami Vice.
Like Heat would do 14 years later by capturing the frenetic lives of thieves and the police who stalk them in Los Angeles, Thief challenges you to think more deeply about who sits on each side of the law and why. Whether in Chicago, Los Angeles, or Miami, Michael Mann has a gift for portraying a visually compelling underworld balanced by tragedy and shocking violence.
If you have seen the film Thief, let the link above and the film’s unique soundtrack take you back through the life of Frank, a talented jewel thief who emerges after serving twelve years in prison for stealing forty dollars, with a vision for how life will be. Frank's new life includes lifelong loyalty to mentors, the passionate love of a good woman, and a desire to live everyday life to its fullest.
These are admirable aspirations, but the ways Frank attains his goals lead to an undertone of impending consequences that is ever-present throughout the film. Tangerine Dream’s soundtrack perfectly reinforces this throughout the film, accenting action sequences and seamlessly threading the drama together.
The film's authenticity partly comes through because Mann cast some of the best safe crackers for roles in the film. James Caan was trained to break into safes before filming started so he would be familiar with the tools and methods used.
The detailed acting of the masterful cast adds deep credibility to Mann’s storytelling style, often said to involve the art of capturing truthfulness on film due to the preparedness he requires of his cast members.
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