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- #THIEF 1981 CINEMATOGRAPHY HOW TO#
- #THIEF 1981 CINEMATOGRAPHY FULL#
- #THIEF 1981 CINEMATOGRAPHY PROFESSIONAL#
It is the abyssal nothing which helped Frank in prison but now tears him away from his family.Ĥ.
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The metallic synth contrasts the humanity Frank is struggling to acquire and acts as an oppressive force weighing down on the him. Their electronic blues-rock gives the film its distinct sonic flavoring, and the rest of the sound was mixed to match its key and pitch. Their work on Thief is matched only by their work on Willaim Friedkin's Sorcerer, and even then it's a close call to say which is better. He's an honorable gangster in a world of dishonorable businessmen.ģ. He is his own man, and he won't take anything from anyone but he's also not just a mindless thug. He never does anything lightly, because if it is not worth doing thoroughly then it is not worth doing at all. Everything he says is clear and distinct and enunciated because he does not want to waste time repeating himself. In order to fully embody the idea of a man out of time, he refrains as much as possible from using contractions. But then, of course, it would be missing one of its key ingredients: Caan's delivery. I could just as easily review this film simply by reprinting his portion of the script.
#THIEF 1981 CINEMATOGRAPHY FULL#
It's easy to forget how a good monologue can make a film, and Caan is absolutely full of them in Thief. They're the heart of the film because of how well Mann puts them together.Ģ. The heists are some of the best in all of cinema, and they're little more than carefully arranged montages because the images and actions speak for themselves. There are no "props" in Thief because all the tools used by Frank are actual tools used by real thieves (credited as "technical advisors").
#THIEF 1981 CINEMATOGRAPHY HOW TO#
But most of all he knows action, and he knows how to choreograph a scene without exposition and give it an incredible sense of immediacy and authenticity. Here he explores the nature of humanity and male identity through the neon-lit night life of Chicago. This is his first feature film, and young Mann was a director full of ideas and images. You're waiting for a bus that you hope never comes because you don't wanna get on it anyway because you don't wanna go anywhere."ġ. Viewers might also be put off by Frank’s nasty temper & casual racism and feel that he is undeserved of any potential happy ending (rightfully so in my opinion, which is partly why the film remains edgy today), but if you’re a fan of gritty crime movies that have brains & balls as well as slimeball protagonists, Thief is a flawed masterpiece that you should definitely check out."You're marking time is what you are. James Belushi as Barry, Frank’s longtime partner, and Tuesday Weld as Jessie, Frank’s lover, both give flat, but passable performances that are easily overshadowed by Caan’s crazed, manic Frank. The film is not without its misfires, mainly an underserved subplot involving Frank’s criminal father figure Olka (played by Willie Nelson) that doesn’t really go anywhere. Caan himself cites the diner scene as the all-time personal favorite of his career. Key scenes like a dazzling diamond heist and a shockingly candid diner conversation between Frank and a woman he barely knows are iconic. James Caan gives a scenery-chewing performance as the film’s titular thief, Frank.
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Heightening the neo noir style of Thief’s cinematography, the film’s screenplay is tense, gritty, and smart. Thief was Mann’s’ directorial debut, but it is shot with confidence & style that makes it feel like a precursor to his later films Heat, Manhunter, and Collateral. Mann knows how to make a damn good thriller and is helped tremendously by Thorin’s dark, brooding images. Heavy praise for this effect should go to both director Michael Mann and cinematographer Donald Thorin. With Scarface & Die Hard several years away, the film’s violence, antihero protagonist, highly stylized cinematography, and overall bleakness are pretty revolutionary for 1981. The film’s score isn’t the only thing that feels ahead of its time.
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While not fashionable at the time (the film was nominated for a Razzie for Worst Musical Score), the moody soundtrack has an 80’s John Carpenter/Goblin vibe that has thankfully become trendy again and utilized in recent films such as Drive and The Guest. Tangerine Dream’s score, with its layered soundscapes and pulsating synths is one of the first aspects of the film that jumps out at you.
#THIEF 1981 CINEMATOGRAPHY PROFESSIONAL#
Thief follows professional safecracker Frank as he agrees to do one last high-risk diamond heist for the Mafia. With the recent passing of Edgar Froese, founding member of influential German electronic band Tangerine Dream, it seemed appropriate to revisit one of the first films the band scored: the hardboiled crime thriller Thief. “I am the last guy in the world that you want to fuck with.”