1981’s Thief tells the story of Frank (James Caan).

Frank is a professional diamond thief, one of the best in the business.  He’s so cool that he even has his own Tangerine Dream soundtrack.  After doing a stint in prison, Frank lives his life very carefully and with discipline.  He’s determined not to return to prison.  His mentor (played by Willie Nelson) is still behind bars and will probably die there.  In fact, Frank has even found himself thinking about abandoning his criminal lifestyle.  He’s got two front businesses, both of which are doing well.  (Frank’s used car lot looks like some sort of alien world.)  He’s fallen in love with a cashier named Jessie (Tuesday Weld) and it’s starting to seem like now would be a good time to settle down and become a family man.  The only problem is that Frank is working for Leo (Robert Prosky) and Leo has absolutely no intention of allowing Frank to walk away.  As Leo puts it, Frank belongs to him.  That’s not a smart thing to say to someone like Frank.

Frank’s an interesting character.  He’s the film’s hero, not because he’s a good guy but because he’s a smidgen better than most of the other bad guys.  He’s a professional, one who goes out of his way avoid unnecessary complications.  When we see him on the job, it’s impossible not to admire just how good he is at stealing stuff.  When he uses a blowtorch to break into a store or a safe, the screen is full of sparks and, for a few minutes, Frank looks like some sort of cosmic super hero brought to life.  We admire Frank but we discover early on that he’s willing to get violent.  He’s willing to pull a gun and threaten his way out of a situation.  Frank is loyal.  He visits his mentor in prison.  He takes care of his partner-in-crime, Barry (Jim Belushi, making his film debut).  He truly loves Jessie.  But, at heart, he’s a criminal who doesn’t hesitate to pull the trigger when he has to.  The question the film asks is whether one can just go straight, after years of breaking the law and living in the shadows.  Can Frank abandon the lifestyle, even for love?  Or is he destined to always be a thief?

Thief was Michael Mann’s feature film debut.  (The Jericho Mile was Mann’s directorial debut but it was made for television.)  Thief is full of the usual Mann themes and also Mann’s signature style, showing that Mann knew exactly what type of films he wanted to make from the start of his career.  The nights are full of shadows.  The days are deceptively calm.  The neon of Frank’s car lot glows like another dimension.  The final bloody shoot out takes place at night, in the type of suburban neighborhood in which most people would probably love to live.  And holding the film together is James Caan, giving a coolly centered performance as a man who has learned to hold back his emotions and who won’t be controlled by anyone.  Halfway through the film, Caan delivers a seven-minute monologue about life in prison and it’s an amazing moment, one in which Caan shows just how good of an actor he truly was.  Thief is an effective and stylish neo-noir, one that sticks with you as the end credits roll.