Thief

"Tonight, his take home pay is $410,000... tax free."

1981 2h 3m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 909

CrimeThrillerDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score.

“Tonight, his take home pay is $410,000... tax free.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

James Caan
Frank
Tuesday Weld
Jessie
Robert Prosky
Leo Alderman
Willie Nelson
David 'Okla' Bertinneau
Jim Belushi
Barry Stratagakis
Tom Signorelli
Vincent Attaglia
Dennis Farina
Carl
Nick Nickeas
Nick

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Michael Mann
Writers: Michael Mann, Michael Mann
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

45 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Michael Mann, shot by Donald E. Thorin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Edgar Froese. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dov Hoenig shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

James Caan and Tuesday Weld and Robert Prosky carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

MONEY

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Tonight, his take home pay is $410,000... tax free.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0083190 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Michael Mann directs. Donald E. Thorin behind the camera. Edgar Froese scores. Dov Hoenig cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

145 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Michael Mann, shot by Donald E. Thorin. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Edgar Froese. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Dov Hoenig shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5James Caan and Tuesday Weld and Robert Prosky carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Tonight, his take home pay is $410,000... tax free.".
7IMDB entry: tt0083190 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Classified under 28 themes, including "chicago, illinois", "based on novel or book", "shadowing", "loss of loved one".

The technical file

Cinematography: Donald E. Thorin
Original score: Edgar Froese
Editing: Dov Hoenig
Production design: Mel Bourne
Makeup / hair: Frank Griffin
Sound: Don MacDougall
Stunt coordinator: Walter Scott
Runtime: 123 min · 2h 3m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $5,500,000
Box office: $11,494,812
Return: 209% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Thief (1981)

Also by

Michael Mann

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2015-09-13
★ 9/10
You are making big profits from my work, my risk, my sweat. Thief is written and directed by Michael Mann, who adapts the screenplay form the novel "The Home Invaders" written by Frank Hohimer. It stars James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Robert Prosky, James Belushi and Willie Nelson. Music is by Tangerine Dream and cinematography by Donald Thorin. Frank (Caan) is a tough ex-con and expert jewel thief. He's working his way out to a normal life, but after being lured to a big job for the mob, he finds plans on both sides severely altered. For his first full length theatrical feature, Michael Mann announced himself to the film world with some distinction, and in the process showed everyone what style of film making makes him tick. Thief is a film of stylised grit, visually, thematically and narratively. Set and filmed in Chicago, Mann, aided by Thorin, shoots the story through pure neo-noir filters. At nighttime it is all a beautifully neon drenched haze, where the streets shimmer with dampness, a dampness brought about by the rain and god knows what else! By day there's a sweaty hue, a feeling that the heat is well and truly on, that even in daylight Frank isn't safe, his dreams may be a touch too far to reach. And no matter what the scene or scenario, Tangerine Dream are laying over the top a throbbing pulse beat, it's like The Warriors trying to get back to Coney Island, the music has a sense of dread about it, that danger is at every corner. This part of Chicago stinks, it's a vile and corrupt place. Dirty cops everywhere, underworld criminals ruling the roost - Hell! You can even buy a baby if you want one. Is it any wonder that Frank just wants to settle down with a wife and child, to walk barefooted in the sea, to have domesticity? But Frank, as smart, tough and savvy as he is, seems to thrive on the edge of things, with Mann giving him earthy and honest dialogue to engage us with, marking him out as an identifiable everyman protagonist who just happens to be an exceptional thief. Mann's attention to detail is on show straight away, none more so than with the two key safe cracking jobs that are undertaken. Using genuine jewel thieves as technical advisers on the film, these sequences ooze realism, from the tools used, the pre-planning and the execution of the takes, it smacks of reality and does justice to the genuine feel of the characterisations brought alive by the superb cast. And finally Mann delivers a finale of ambiguity, a noir shaded piece of abruptness, an ending that perfectly fits the whole production. 9/10
JPV8522022-06-20
★ 9/10
Seen this one before but decided to do another watch at random. Really great crime-thriller with James Caan perfect alongside Michael Mann's masterful direction and writing. Not quite to the level of something like Heat but probably just below. One of the best heist films ever of the ones I've seen. 4.5/5