Thief 1981 final scene how to#
He shadowed a lot of Chicago thieves to prepare for the role while learning how to use their tools and weapons. There’s an authenticity about him that’s rarely matched. The way he talks, moves, and thinks – Caan is Frank. Caan, who grew up in a shady side of the Bronx, embodies Frank in a flawlessly believable manner. He’s prettier than the both of them and can match acting pants any day. He’s sadly never gotten the high-profile hard-ass roles that De Niro and Pacino got, and I’ve never understood why. Not even the Tangerine Dream score can warm the blanket of coldness as Frank proudly tells the world to go to hell.Īnd Caan’s never been better. The final 20 minutes of the film seem shocking, but if you’ve been paying attention to Frank’s outlook, what else would you expect? This swan song is one of the most badass finales in film history.
Thief 1981 final scene full#
A simple man who’s full of advice and codes, Frank expects the world to be like he imagines and when it’s not, he burns the fucking thing to the ground.
You can read Thief as a character study of Frank, but he’s really not that complicated. As Frank tells Jessie, “This is my life.” It includes a blissful couple, babies, skulls, and Willie Nelson. Frank carries in his wallet a symbol of this goal: a collage of magazine photos he compiled in prison. Not “What does she look like” or “where does she work,” but “Ooh, okay then you’re going to marry her.” They believe that to fit in with society, you need a wife and kids. Instantly, Nelson asks “You’re going to marry her?” This is the worldview of someone who’s been locked up most of their lives. To further illustrate Frank’s mental state, when he visits his mentor/father-figure in prison, played by Willie Nelson, he tells him he started seeing a new girl. Because that’s what the happy people in “Better Homes & Gardens” do. He believes that when you like a girl, you marry her and have children – no matter what. See, Frank was raised by the state and spent the introductory years of his adult life behind bars, so the familial expectations of his life have been dictated by pictures he cut out of magazines. He spills his guts about basically everything – who he is, why he is, and what he wants. He doesn’t understand them.Īfter he cools off, they share an intimate scene at a diner. The sheep who go to their soul-sucking jobs everyday, who don’t wear flawless diamond rings and $150 slacks. Specifically, frustration at the real world – that place where the waitress comes from. You can tell he’s been dying to spout off about his expensive digs and criminal skills, but there’s also a lot of frustration in his voice. She initially doesn’t know about Frank’s profession and when he reveals himself, it’s a humorous, sorta dark, moment of pure release. Aside from planning the heist, Frank is nurturing a romance with his gal Jessie (Weld), an infertile waitress who’s scarred from a previous relationship with a drug dealer. The tempting gig is organized by Leo (Prosky), a paunchy local crime boss who will promise his employees the world if it’ll make them deliver. People are going to act and talk in manners you may not understand, but keep up and you’ll be rewarded with a truly unique cinematic experience.įrank’s obese diamond fence runs into some trouble and when he comes to collect, he gets roped into an industrial heist that could set him on easy street for life. What it says is that for the next 120 minutes, you are in the hands of professionals. It’s a fascinating sequence that swiftly seeps the audience into the underworld of the film. Thief begins with dialogue-less heist sequence in which Frank and his partner Barry (Belushi) are drilling through a safe to snatch the diamonds inside. If that’s a tough pill to swallow, then you’ve probably never seen the film. Sure, Heat is an amazing film, but Thief is an undisputed masterpiece. He may as well have hung up his spurs after Thief. Little did he know his first was going to be his best. After years of directing commercials in England, Chicago-born Michael Mann took on his feature film debut with Thief, which he wrote and directed. When Chicago organized crime boss Leo (Prosky) convinces Frank to work for him, he’s got to sacrifice it all to get out with his life. He lost a lot of time in jail and he doesn’t plan on going back anytime soon. The Premise: Career criminal Frank (Caan) lives by a strict code. Loosely based on “The Home Invaders” by Frank Hohimer. The Principles: Written and directed by Michael Mann, starring James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Robert Prosky, James Belushi, and Willie Nelson.