One common problem with movies about criminals, thieves, and gangsters is that they end up glamorizing and glorifying the criminals. That’s not a problem with Michael Mann‘s movies. This week marked the 40th anniversary of Mann’s feature film debut, “Thief,” which seems as good a time as any to revisit this pulsating, neo-noir masterpiece.
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In “Thief,” James Caan plays a jewel thief trying to get out of the game. Of course, getting out proves more difficult than he imagined, as he finds himself entangled in the web of a Chicago mob boss who wants him for one last job. This film is like a Rosetta Stone of Michael Mann movies, featuring everything that would become a trope in his career, presented here as a bold announcement from a new filmmaker with a strong voice and a clear vision.
Like many Michael Mann movies, “Thief,” and its main character, are obsessed with professionalism. Even if it’s a job outside the law, it has to be done well, and anything less than that is seen as a disrespect. The many safe-cracking scenes in the movie are quiet and methodical. They are not quick, or glossy, or even easy. On the contrary, Mann acknowledges the skill involved, and asks the audience to admire and appreciate the craft, even if they know it’s wrong to do so.
As this video essay on “Thief” argues, the film is all about individualism and trying and failing to assimilate to established systems. Mann doesn’t glorify the thief’s lifestyle or career, but he does want to make us understand why he’d not only do it for so long, but thrive in it.
