A Reaction To Isolation: Michael Mann’s THIEF

A look at the protagonist of THIEF via his goal for a family and isolation from his criminal past.

Photo: Criterion Collection

One of the most visually dynamic debut features I’ve seen. The look of Thief is almost like a dream. The way it presents the environment with an ethereal look reminds me of another neo-noir from 1981, Brian De Palma’s Blow Out.