Directors' Cup Film Introduction: Thief-1981, Michael Mann

As I am pressed for time and low on inspiration right now, I am going to post a smaller piece (more like a collection of thoughts) on Michael Mann’s Thief, and then leave the floor open for discussion.

1981’s Thief, starring James Caan, was Michael Mann’s first feature film, and bares many early forms of his signatures, to be matured in later films. This film is stridently youthful, and therefore slightly naive and idealistic, compared to the more mournful output later in his career.

The story follows a thief (Caan) who plans on leaving the business to start a family, but runs into trouble after allying himself with a larger crime syndicate. Already, two of Mann’s signatures are on display: a distrust of larger organizations, and an idealistic, individualistic hero, bent on doing things his way. One of the film’s greatest images is Caan’s cheesy collage of ideal home clippings, cut from magazines. This ideal of a better life, a life of peace and family, returns again and again throughout Mann’s work, and is expressed most clearly here, in the thief’s collection of photos.

Mann’s style here is both sensual and rigid, lacking the fluidity of his digital period. His compositions of Chicago’s cityscape give intimations of his later progressions, but ultimately represent a distinct period in his work. Mann employs a more formal style, favoring smooth takes, while occasionally lapsing into abstraction, as can be seen in the safe cracking scenes or the literally explosive ending.

Now, the ending I’d like to discuss, but I don’t want to spoil it. But, if it comes up, I will gladly give my views.

Sorry for the incomplete nature of this post.

Have at it!

Nice job of succinctly connecting this film with a couple of the patterns that emerge in Mann’s work as a whole, Jack.

I just love that shot with Robert Prosky’s disembodied head dominating the frame. I’ve always liked how Mann uses exterior light fixtures to put little abstract points of lights in the background of his shots:

At times it takes on almost the quality of an Oskar Fischinger animation.

Another directorial signature you get in this one—important human moments framed against the ocean:

Anyone have a grab of the beautiful opening shot where the camera starts high above the alley and pans down? Actually, I guess you’d need a gif to capture that, but it was a powerful start to the film. This is one of the Mann films I like best, not my absolute favorite, but I prefer it to some of his latter films that are more celebrated, in part because this one does still have something of a raw energy to it that isn’t as wholly contained as I feel it is in those later movies.

I don’t own the DVD or I would do it. That is a great shot. Anyone?

(this is actually the second shot, the first is of James Caan getting into Belushi’s car)

Thanks Kurt! When I rewatched this film recently that shot really caught my attention and drew me in to the film immediately. It’s hard to say why it feels so appropriate and powerful exactly, but the moment itself from high to low, and the image from bright white light and sky to the alley with its more indirect light and the small round glow of the traffic light suggests something of the movement of the film as well as setting the milieu Caan’s character operates in very effectively. I really thought this film was great when it first came out, but the memory of it had faded somewhat over the years as well as being influenced by the viewing of Mann’s later films which I had some mixed feelings on when I watched them.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen this one. I remember loving it way back when I first saw it, and then it lost a bit of its hold on me upon subsequent viewing. However, I always wanted to revisit this film sometime to see how and if it managed to grow with me. This gives me the perfect opportunity to do just this.

Thanks for the shot Kurt!

Matt, I do love that frame by the lake. Later, Caan and his family go to Los Angeles, and spend a little time by the Pacific as well. Large bodies of water return again and again throughout his work (most prominently in Miami Vice, his sort of “ocean film”).

And I too enjoy his use of abstracted lights. In his earlier films (and the TV Vice), they’re hazy discs, while later they transform into smears. It’s interesting to me how his filmmaking moved from static focus to something based more off of movement.

I’ve always loved the shots of the climactic safe cracking in L.A., where Mann gets absorbed by the sparks and smoke. This tendency only became intensified as his career progressed.

Vote Thief!

Just looking back over the frames posted here and was stuck by the visual rhyme:

One piece of stunt casting: some of the criminals were made up of former cops (like Dennis Farina) and the cops were played by former criminals. I don’t know what Jim Belushi would count as, but I guess his career would indicate crook, as he seems to have made a shady deal somewhere to have that kind of success.