Arts & Entertainment
BAMcinématek Presents: Thief
Part of the BAMcinématek series Tangerine Dreams
Sun, Jun 3, 2012 at 2, 6:50pm
Directed by Michael Mann
With James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Willie Nelson, James Belushi
(1981) 122min, 35mm
One of the great masterpieces of the 80s, Thief stars Caan as a tightly wound, ultra-professional master criminal whose world starts to unravel when he makes an emotional connection with another human being (a radiant Weld). Tangerine Dream’s icy, metallic soundscape captures the essence of a profoundly emptied-out protagonist. Somewhat obsessed with Tangerine Dream, Michael Mann instructed composer Jan Hammer to imitate the group’s sound for his TV series Miami Vice. Involving the band in the very early stages of production for Thief, Mann built the mood of his debut feature film around the music.