Thief (1981)

Directed by

Michael Mann

Genre

film noir, heist film, crime film, neo-noir

Country

United States

Runtime

2h 02m

Rated

R

Rating

7.2 of 10 from 858 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A professional safecracker tries to leave his criminal life behind to start a family. But his underworld connections pull him back into one last job that threatens everything he has built.

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What happens

Thief (also screened as Violent Streets) is a 1981 American neo-noir crime film written and directed by Michael Mann in his feature film debut. It stars James Caan as a professional safecracker trying to escape his life of crime, and Tuesday Weld as his wife. The supporting cast includes Jim Belushi, Robert Prosky, Dennis Farina, and Willie Nelson. The screenplay is inspired by the 1975 memoir The Home Invaders: Confessions of a Cat Burglar, by former cat burglar Frank Hohimer. The original musical score was composed and performed by Tangerine Dream. Produced independently by Jerry Bruckheimer and James Caan's brother Ronnie, Thief was screened at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. It was released in the United States by United Artists on March 27, 1981, to widespread critical acclaim. Thief earned $11.5 million at the box office, on a $5.5 million budget. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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