Thief - The First Heist

The first few minutes of Michael Mann's debut THIEF.
Out now on Criterion: www.criterion.c...

[@nectarinedreams7208]

RIP James Caan. The BBC failed to mention this film in an article they just posted listing ten of his memorable roles. It's a shame because this is very arguably his best work.

[@Retro-Future-Land]

It's too hardcore for the pussycat idiots in the BBC. Did they mention Way of the Gun? I doubt that would be mentioned either even though he's a great act in it.

[@GeorgeEugeneBarrett]

I think it’s his best too. I’ve been recommending it to folks.

[@AndyKing1963]

Caan said it was his favourite performance

[@Retro-Future-Land]

@@AndyKing1963 Wow!

[@ratso69ful81]

Agreed! Best main character in his career, he did a decent job in Rollerball too.

[@burritogamer3984]

this film is mesmerizing, there's something about the practicality of the heists and seeing the step by step buildup to that payoff, combined with tangerine dream's soaring synths that makes it so satisfying. reminds me a lot of what the safdie brothers are doing with their films in depicting a professional world tinged with crime and corruption (like uncut gems)

[@eatkunt2743]

This film could made now and it would look as modern as it was back then.

[@bobbyleglocks1992]

@@eatkunt2743 this film could be made today. With some changes in technology and other things, like the both of them throwing the clothes they touched. Dna analysis wasn't around in 81. But, I agree this film still works today. But keep the score!

[@JarrodButali]

​@@bobbyleglocks1992They dont do Dna over larceny

[@SM-po9wf]

The score is incredible

[@Bryan8329]

That descending shot (beginning at 1:01) is nothing less than extraordinary.

[@nelsonx5326]

That was cool.

[@nectarinedreams7208]

Pre-Blade Runner, too. Amazing stuff from Mann's first theatrical release.

[@ShaKimono]

Absolutely moving just exquisite

[@hospice8896]

Like a graphic novel or anime. Extraordinary is the word

[@b.pradhana_ol660]

Extraordinary is an understatement. I was "blindsided" by it's beauty...

[@idj20]

I still have the Tangerine Dream Thief soundtrack on Vinyl LP. It was given to me as a Christmas present by my parents in 1981, I was 14 then and now have over 120 albums by them in my collection today.

[@amiryasser3101]

Extraordinary number of collection sir 👍👍

[@noelwilson5960]

moments of poetry within this are cinematic landmarks. this and manhunter are real craftsmanship. Been a big fan of Michael Mann since both films inspired me in the 80's.

[@seanmetro3496]

Michael The Mann's masterpieces

[@derekschoenike5685]

I like the way he just tosses the stuff away that he's not interested in. He knows what he wants, and sticks to that. Pro.

[@richspinaci8293]

Never take the jewelry that is mounted in settings. They can be traced. Go with the raw diamonds, and that is where the money is, and untraceable

[@theattitude]

If there's a better movie director than Michael Mann I'd like to know who that would be.

[@antonioHR23]

@@theattitude bold statement

[@jayslomine4280]

@@antonioHR23 he’s 1000 percent right

[@luisvaldes1568]

Just like in Heat, the armored truck heist. Take what you where paid to take.

[@lazyeyesurprise]

The opening sequence of this film is unforgettable how it conveys the mood and tension utilizing a combination of camera work, location and music.

[@christophergrewe5596]

RIP James Cann!!! Your best film

[@PlaylistGeneral]

The best part of this sequence is how it shows you every important part of the process, and also gives you the gist of how the safe is being broken into. I fucking LOVE the shot at 4:30 because it immediately puts you in the mind of James Caan's character, because you understand every step of the safebreaking and feel like a thief yourself for a minute. It's incredible because it's so involving.

[@gloverelaxis]

Yeah that shot is really amazing

[@trevorsanders5303]

As soon as you see “music by tangerine dream” you know it’s going to be a good film.

[@nectarinedreams7208]

Except Mann's next film... lol. Still a good OST though. But yeah, I get chills when that credit comes up, and this opening track is incredible.

[@TheDRODOR]

​@@nectarinedreams7208nah, manhunter is great

[@JSavo_]

Some movies you see and you think oh this is Tarantino, this is Scorsese. If you watch this, there is not a single doubt that this is a Michael Mann film. Thief, Manhunter, Heat, Collateral, Public Enemies, Miami Vice (show and movie). Mann makes a great argument as the King of Crime Cinema.

[@kino-apparatproductions9661]

Pure Class and a real signature from Michael Mann and his team - giving respect to a viewer with extraordinary attention to detail and respecting your own trade and ambition. Real lesson how to introduce your idea to a viewer or shall I rather say instant follower.

[@mickytargett4467]

Summer 2024 and I stumbled upon this clip - thanks for posting. One of the all time great films featuring one of the all time great actors.

[@jackryan9183]

Jerry Bruckheimer & Criterion. Two names I never thought would ever appear together.

[@Madbandit77]

Two other films he produced, "The Rock" and "Armageddon" have been given the Criterion Collection treatment.

[@sebastianfitzptraick7395]

This is what cinema is all about, Michael Mann is a genius.

[@Triviata84]

Watched this film for the first time yesterday. It's a good film and I really like the atmosphere created by the Tangerine Dream soundtrack. Mann only improved in the time between making Thief and Heat - the style he showed here in 1981, he perfected in 1995.

[@coreyagraph]

THE best opening scene/musical score

[@DSM1G90]

R.I.P Edgar Froese - Your music will be missed !

[@NormAppleton]

Saw Edgar and Chris Franke back in 1985. It was amazing. They did four encores.

[@careycarson7629]

The shot at 7:01 is a beautiful composition. The traffic lights being reflected off the car and the rain-soaked pavement. It's the cherry on top.

[@JeffTheDudeAbides]

Just got it in the mail today which was the last I purchased for the Criterion sale at Barnes and Noble.

[@lumberg48108]

Mann was such a visionary as a director. This film basically set the tone for the stylazation of the 1980s. It would have looked so different in 1971 but even now it holds up so well.

[@MrHereWeGoYo]

My favorite part of the film to be honest. A perfect combination of mood, music and visuals. The shot as they slowly pan down into the alley is awesome.

[@pavelmichalek7302]

I wish Criterion released Heat (1995), also Michael Mann movie.

[@bored1ca]

That's up to Warner Bros. unfortunately.

[@Madbandit77]

@@bored1ca I heard Fox, through some reason, has the video rights.

[@bored1ca]

@@Madbandit77 I just checked Wikipedia and this was what I read: "A Director's Definitive Edition Blu-Ray was released on May 9, 2017 by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, who acquired the distribution rights to the film through their part-ownership of Regency back in 2015. Sourced from a 4K remaster of the film supervised by Mann, the two disc set contains all the extras from the 2009 Blu-ray, along with two filmmakers panels from 2015 and 2016, one of which was moderated by Christopher Nolan"

[@thebasedgodmax1163]

there’s already a 4K blu ray, theres no need

[@trevorrapp7227]

Never heard of it

[@kamuelalee]

The greatest heist movie of the last 50 years...and awesome soundtrack too!

[@jmaietta]

RIP James Caan.

[@davidmedeiros2856]

Greatest movie intro to one of the best movies ever! Thanks for posting!

[@OctoberTFB]

The nighttime scenes are quite spectacular.

[@MrLinoventura]

So long....James Caan !....tu aurais mérité un Oscar pour ce film !

[@albatroce2324]

It’s one of those movies that hap you until the very last moment. Masterpiece.

[@brb-blitz4592]

My favorite shot is at 4:32, It just looks so cool

[@flippert0]

Can it be that Heat and Collateral are mere stylistic extensions of Mann's first masterpiece?

[@shutit1521]

I've always considered Thief to be a prequel to Heat

[@genuinebrendan]

i think there’s evolutions of thief, collateral is a digital evolution

[@sk-er8lb]

For me thief is a superior and more personal movie than heat, less stars on the casting, but James Caan just did a honest, realistic and touching flawless performance, also it was the first Mann movie, so it was him but exacerbated in it, the most touching gangster movie for me.

[@TheSebastian5978]

This is one of the best unknown movies ever. Definitely in the top 10 greatest imo.

[@team56th]

To think that Tangerine Dream's score for Thief was nominated for Golden Raspberry... Pfft. Not even funny. Mann's career may have had better films, but as for the soundtrack, this is as good as a film score can get.

[@ThomasAbts]

The music foreshadows the musical style of Jan Hammer used later in Mann's Miami Vice and also shares some similarities to Vangelis' Bladerunner sound one year later. So this might have been somehow just too far ahead of its time, while people were used to their funky 70s movie soundtracks.

[@jermyhopkisn9654]

that is RIDICULOUS

[@tys17]

I mean the only better movie is possibly Heat. This is up there with that, better is some ways imo.

[@AndyKing1963]

@@ThomasAbts TD were going to do Miami Vice

[@drep-hr8er]

German electronic group Tangerine Dream was light years ahead of it's time, when usual soundtrack in the 80's was bluesy pub rock.

[@Lepotadneva]

Happy Birthday Mr. James Caan, born March 26, 1940, and Happy Birthday Thief - the movie, born on March 27, 1981 !

[@Bryan8329]

2:05 "Got 'em" Pure Chicago.

[@doylesinclair4499]

When he was in Leo's house getting paid, Leo shorts him and Frank says 'I want all MY money' - Leo says, 'Jesus, why don't you join a labor union?' and Frank says 'I'm WEARING it!' (meaning: he's armed). . . now THAT was a classic fucking line! You knew he meant business when he said that.

[@Retro-Future-Land]

I thought that line meant he was wearing his risk each time he took on a job, as opposed to having the backup of a union organization?

[@GuerreroUrbano100]

@@Retro-Future-Land Yeah, this is the correct answer. In the commentary as the scene is playing, Mann talks about how Marx's labor theory of Capital was the inspiration for that line and the dialogue of that scene.

[@gloverelaxis]

lmao that is a great line

[@k.delpino1124]

actor James Caan and filmmaker Michael Mann. The only film they ever made together. For crime dramas from the 1980s, you can't miss this one. #40yearsago💎🎞

[@mwells219]

Nolan's batman movies are a love letter to Michael Mann.

[@TheDragonSmasher]

I'll send you a love letter!

[@cathan75]

That's an interesting comparison

[@squirtreynoldscinema]

Very visible when you compare Miami Vice to Nolan films. Those cuts are straight Mann.

[@brookeraeker945]

Nolan leaves little love notes everywhere in those movies. One that stood out big time was the bank scene in The Dark Knight. Look who played the mob banker and then think about who played Van Zant in Heat…

[@NickMichalak]

You've made my day! I thought my birthday weekend had ended, and then, I learn of this release tonight! You can't imagine how ecstatic I was to hear that Thief FINALLY got the prestige it deserves by way of the Criterion Collection. Once I have this in my hands, I am doing a glorious review of the film and disc release. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS!

[@peterschoen7409]

Opening scenes impressive and so is the soundtrack

[@PlymouthVT]

Got the DVD later on but wish I had seen this in the movies. Fantastic movie Mike Mann's best.

[@PeaceMakerSAAEX]

Great scene, great music. RIP James Caan.

[@DieHard1990]

Miami Vice vibes, MANN knows how to score a scene.

[@jeverettrulz]

you can see some many modern directors influenced by Mann and his films; the most notable in my opinion being Nicholas Winding Refn. Drive seems almost like a salute and love letter to this film.

[@jeshkam]

Exactly. Even the opening credits resemble those from "Thief".

[@jeverettrulz]

@@jeshkam even the whole opening sequence with very little dialog. So many stylistic similarities, as if the both take place in the same "cinematic universe". I may be biased though, both of them make my all time top five.

[@jeshkam]

@@jeverettrulz They're both superb movies. I'm kind of surprised Roger Ebert gave "Thief" just 3 1/2 out of 4 stars, it deserves the top score. It's a masterpiece as far as I'm concerned.

[@janetcraft]

Best movie I've seen in years. I saw it in theaters when it first came out and being a Tangerine Dream fan - I just HAD to see it :)! After watching the movie - the next day, I went out and bought the LP soundtrack.

[@samiam7342]

old movies look better in HD than new movies................you know why........the movies were exponentially better in every way possible!

[@Sphinx7410]

Great flick and fabulous soundtrack by Tangerine Dream

[@sanctuaryism]

its amazing really... The Era of no CCTV just about. plenty of criminals doing whatever they wanted all over the world really. police and thugs. this movie is a time capsule in more ways than one.

[@Retro-Future-Land]

There was CCTV but generally only in high-end government facilities and grainy AF.

[@hugh-johnfleming289]

Such an elegant piece of work ...

[@cathan75]

Mann's greatest movie.

[@geraldhickox1056]

I liked this movie when it first came out and will always like it --everyone one in the movie is worth watching

[@tylertilwick6852]

You can definitely tell GTA V took a lot of inspiration from this film and Michael Mann’s other film Heat (1995)

[@ricoimf777]

And tangerine Dream made the soundtrack for both :)

[@g.sergiusfidenas6650]

He had a great crew, couple of troopers those two.

[@LukeDodge916]

Criterion, please please give me more Michael Mann films!!

[@patclements7195]

Love the Cadillac. Great start to great movie. Then the soundtrack takes over.

[@NormAppleton]

I saw this when it came out. Tangerine Dream fan too. Brilliant movie

[@robbywood440]

RIP, James! 🖤

[@ghostofpambo6266]

One of the best films, ever.

[@r4h4al]

Yeah, so underrated.

[@johnmparoutakis2132]

RIP James🙏

[@drep-hr8er]

Interesting that they consulted genuine ex bank robbers for making break in scenes. That's why Caan seems to know what he is doing.

[@squirtreynoldscinema]

He might not be 100% sure of the mechanisms or techniques behind it, but he actually broke into that safe by himself after getting instructed. Those little locks after he breaks open the vault door was improvised, because he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, and it turned out that it was exactly what he was supposed to do.

[@MA-wq2ih]

@@squirtreynoldscinema He said Mann and the crew cheered when he did that, and he felt like he'd just graduated from Harvard. After the film was released, Caan's sister called him to open up a floor safe in a house she had just bought...and he did!

[@markblue5375]

Incredible movie !

[@ReR7474]

In the GTA soundtrack there’s a theme similar to this one.

[@nectarinedreams7208]

Both by T Dream

[@AlonsoRules]

Raiders of the Lost Ark and Thief both from 1981, both with pretty good first scenes.

[@ppckPinnpack]

"My Money in 24 hrs or you will wear your ass for a hat" Timeless!!

[@edm5378]

Why does this feel like it influenced lots of French action movies later on:D

[@r4h4al]

It feels like it because it did.

[@danimojoe8563]

I kept waiting for decker appear as the camera panned down the street

[@Tfga-sf3hd]

German electronic music group Tangerine Dream really made half of this movie.

[@nectarinedreams7208]

I wouldn't say half. This entire film is drenched in Michael Mann, which is remarkable for his first feature film. Tangerine Dream are awesome, though.

[@AndyKing1963]

and Craig Safan for his cover of Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb

[@09nob]

You can't watch it anywhere in the uk at the moment.

[@Meehowski]

Epic......

[@johnsirilan4079]

The music sounds much like the ones on gta v?

[@team56th]

Edgar Froese reused a lot of the assets from this film's soundtrack in GTA5 one. The baseline of the track named Diamond Diary - the very background music of this clip - is frequently recurred with slight changes in heist scenes of GTA5.

[@xlz24]

Awe-inspiring

[@hood4101]

Imagine if they released a 4:3 more space top to bottom version like the vhs for nostalgia but with higher hd quality!

[@travisfriedland9346]

I hope someone can help me how did the cops get on to Frank in the first place hope someone can help thank you

[@jermyhopkisn9654]

I've only seen it once, but I'd imagine it was through his involvement with Leo, who is aware of the cops following him and pays them off.

[@ViperKeeper2070]

The cops observed the meet between frank and Leo plus frank found a bug planted by the cops on his car

[@toddparker5561]

They just dont make em like they used to

[@LibertyAndUnion]

I can't believe the entire scene with the safe was improvised by Caan. They literally handed him the drill, and said "here you go" while filming... 😐😐😐

[@MA-wq2ih]

And they didn't tell him about the internal doors, with the lock that he bashed in...he improvised that on the spot with the camera rolling.

[@januszszawlowski4331]

Świetny film i kapitalna muzyka.

[@SolidMikeP]

This movie is great, but the whole love interest is such a weird part of the movie. From when they first meet, to the absolutely crazy first date where he pretty much drags her into his car, then having the BOSS get them a baby, and after all that he tells her to get the hell away from him, gives her money, and goes to kill all the people who wronged him.

[@r4h4al]

I would have like more build-up before he asks her out.

[@andrewmccall837]

I’d like to see a 4K transfer

[@DaSkonk]

You and me both, 💯!

[@bionicnimrod]

hmm. what’s gonna be next in CSOM?

[@reddeadfan-jz7sx]

cities& hiests?!

[@bozooe]

coming back to this after watching the bear. fucking epic use of this song.

[@Robsay01]

Go to the map room bar nearby and do some drinking after a job like that.

[@johncox2912]

Damn fine movie.

[@patclements7195]

Jim Belushi was great also

[@pavma7]

Somehow the color grading here looks way different

[@r4h4al]

It looks greatly improved.

[@badder27com]

Tangerine 😁

[@johanalaerts7439]

the best musik van tangerine dream on thief and schimanski tatort ) german alaerts johan -belguim

[@Michael-v3z1s]

Don't care about murder care about the money.

[@bobbybright9334]

Heat on KZbin

[@dravokk]

People who where sent from CSOM

[@juan355]

The Bear 🐻

[@Michael-v3z1s]

And it's insured

[@carcosssa]

this shit is fire

[@gpghot]

Blue palette, The Smurfs?

[@glaekenFP]

jUST OrDEred!

[@iwonderwhatidoanymoreonyou4063]

Who’s here because of the Roblox Clear Skies Over Milwaukee Discord announcement?

[@prasish]

me

[@chalermchailapprasop2679]

Me

[@realbytezo]

me

[@wieldimusprime7929]

Same.

[@reddeadfan-jz7sx]

yeah

[@carter1499]

wonder how this has anything to do with csom

[@reddeadfan-jz7sx]

maybe adding a hiest or a city

[@sammousa5132]

Ddd

[@chrisfinnegan8370]

Dogfood with vitamins 🐶 ,

[@vicentepaulogutierrez7826]

I'd buy this... i'd buy a lot of your movies... IF THEY HAD SPANISH SUBS!!

[@markwinfrey4503]

A Michael Mann masterpiece.... Tangerine Dream for the soundtrack.. genius...too bad you can't buy it on here, probably because of some woke bullsh*t..