Remembering James Caan in ‘Thief’

James Caan always brought the juice. From quarterbacking for Michigan State University in the 1960s to dropping devastating Twitter clap backs in the 2020s, he was never less than immense. Caan’s participation in Michael Mann’s 1981 film “Thief” marks one of the most perfect matches of director to star in the history of the art (it’s very hard to imagine such a pairing appearing in mainstream cineplexes in 2022). In addition to the leading role, Mann makes the film sizzle with his innate sense of composition, lighting, and sound (largely provided by a writhing Tangerine Dream synth soundtrack).

Caan, at his broad-shouldered, rooster-strutting best, plays Frank, a used car lot owner by day, safe cracker by night, and 24/7 livewire. When he cocks his head and right eyebrow, you know you’re about to get messed up—he’s got the scars to prove his tough guy aspect. Caan’s work in “The Godfather,” “The Gambler” and this film are unbeatable portrayals of American masculinity.

This is Mann’s directorial debut and somehow leaps straight into his indelible style. “Thief” offers a viscerally real Chicago, from the accents to the faces to the scents. Just get a load of the mug on Frank’s fence “Joe Gags” and the rogue’s gallery of plug ugly cops with half eaten hot dogs on the dashboards of their cruisers. While seeking a bribe from Frank, one officer insists, “Dere’s ways a doin’ tings,” and you feel the copper’s hot onion breath on your neck. Among his many gifts, no one has ever found better locations than Mann—from the Katz & Jammer Club to the Green Mile Bar, the spaces Frank inhabits are grimly indelible. Not to mention Mann captures the most gorgeous possible shots of a used car lot.

Frank charms restaurant hostess Jessie (Tuesday Weld) and takes her on a date at a diner above the expressway. The ensuing scene, which Caan called the favorite of his career, is nearly 10 minutes long of riveting, unusual dialogue. “You gotta forget time,” he explains, delving into Mann’s central preoccupation. Having spent over a decade in prison, he explains, “I can’t work fast enough to catch up,” a very resonant American truth.

Frank learned these lessons from his pal, Okla (Willie Nelson) a father figure behind bars. The intimacy of Caan and Nelson’s visiting room closeups exceeds the emotional impact of most films depicting lovers. Nowadays, Frank takes down safes with his buddy Barry (Jim Belushi!) but seeks bigger gigs “to get out”—always a doomed sentiment—and falls in with a major player, Leo (Robert Prosky). He’s a remarkably scary character given that he dresses like a Florida snowbird and never touches anything stronger than Coca-Cola. Watch out for a teetotaling bankroller, even when he offers Frank big money (and even a baby boy when the adoption agency rejects him).

In the end, Leo and Frank engage in a classic standoff of capital vs. labor. Leo sneers, “Where’s the gratitude?’ and Frank hisses, “Where’s my end?” He seeks the full and fair yield of his toil and learns, like we all do, that it is not forthcoming. The climactic burglary involves sticking a very hot stick into a very thick vault. Given we’re in Mann territory, the scene is accurate from an emotional as well as a metallurgical perspective. It stands with the best of the heist genre, along with “Rififi.” When the job is done, Caan sits down for a well-deserved smoke and the expression on his face—full of wonder, relief, fatigue, pride—is perfection, one to hold onto when we remember this actor.

Find “Thief” today. Buy the Blu-ray, stream it, or steal it (like Frank would). Time is luck, and the good old days may not return.