{"id":475663,"date":"2022-07-19T16:00:23","date_gmt":"2022-07-19T13:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/breaking-down-how-thief-contains-james-caans-best-work\/"},"modified":"2022-07-19T16:00:23","modified_gmt":"2022-07-19T13:00:23","slug":"breaking-down-how-thief-contains-james-caans-best-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/breaking-down-how-thief-contains-james-caans-best-work\/","title":{"rendered":"#Breaking Down How Thief Contains James Caan&#8217;s Best Work"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2e6eff2bc60\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2e6eff2bc60\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/breaking-down-how-thief-contains-james-caans-best-work\/#%E2%80%9CBreaking_Down_How_Thief_Contains_James_Caans_Best_Work%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Breaking Down How Thief Contains James Caan&#8217;s Best Work&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CBreaking_Down_How_Thief_Contains_James_Caans_Best_Work%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Breaking Down How Thief Contains James Caan&#8217;s Best Work&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<pre><code>     &lt;span class=\"mx-1\"&gt;Michael Mann\u2019s debut feature film contains arguably the ten best minutes late actor James Caan ever put to celluloid.&lt;\/span&gt;\n&lt;\/p&gt;&lt;div id=\"\"&gt;\n\n\n\n                &lt;figure class=\"sf-entry-featured-<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a> \"&gt;\n            &lt;img width=\"800\" height=\"428\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/thief-james-caan-diner.jpeg\" class=\"articlethumb wp-post-image\" alt=\"Thief James Caan Diner\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/thief-james-caan-diner.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/thief-james-caan-diner-768x411.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\"\/&gt;                                    &lt;p&gt;\n                    &lt;span class=\"sf-entry-flag sf-entry-flag-creditline\"&gt;United Artists&lt;\/span&gt;\n\n                        &lt;\/figure&gt;\n\n    &lt;!-- START BYLINE --&gt;\n    &lt;div class=\"row align-items-center justify-content-center my-4 text-center medium dark-gray\"&gt;\n        By\u00a0Jacob Trussell\u00a0\u00b7 Published on July 19th, 2022 \n        &lt;\/div&gt;\n    &lt;!-- END BYLINE --&gt;\n\n    &amp;#13;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<p><em>Acting is an art form, and behind every iconic character is an artist expressing themselves. Welcome to\u00a0The Great Performances, a recurring column exploring the art behind some of cinema\u2019s best roles. In this entry, we examine James Caan\u2019s performance in Michael Mann\u2019s Thief.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>If you read any interview with <strong>James Caan<\/strong>, you\u2019ll come away with one clear picture. The dude was an old-school man\u2019s man, cut from the same cloth as John Wayne and his cowboy-era swagger. But this is also what I find interesting about Caan. The outwardly masculine persona he embodied can <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ear incongruous with the sensibilities required of an actor.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Traditional masculine stereotypes of the mid-20th century, like those shared by the aforementioned Wayne, undervalued men directly showing emotions. But that\u2019s not something you can really do as an emotive actor. You must engage deeply with a spectrum of emotions to create a believable representation of someone you are not\u2013even though you\u2019re always cognizant you\u2019re just playing professional make-believe.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>The old-world machismo of Caan would seem to be at odds with the idea of a grown man in a costume telling a made-up story. But despite his rough-around-the-edges exterior, Caan absolutely <em>was<\/em> an artist with his acting performances. He could let go of his own ego and surrender to an imagined world of given circumstances with brilliant specificity. His performance in <strong>Michael Mann\u2019<\/strong>s <em><strong>Thief<\/strong><\/em> is the perfect showcase of his work.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p><em>Thief<\/em> follows the story of Frank, an ex-con who\u2019s been out of prison for four years. In his time on the outside, he\u2019s become the owner of a used car lot and a dive bar \u2013 all of which are supported by his career stealing diamonds and cash as an expert safecracker. After his go-between man is murdered by the associates of a mob boss, Leo (Robert Prosky), he\u2019s coerced into an offer he can\u2019t refuse. One score so big he can finally retire and start the family he\u2019s been dreaming about ever since his incarceration.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Michael Mann\u2019s films, from <em>Heat<\/em> to <em>Collateral<\/em>, often focus on the emotional underpinnings of classical forms of masculinity. If <em>Heat<\/em> centers on the interpersonal relationship between ethical men on opposite sides of the law, and <em>Collateral<\/em> focuses on the friction between two representations of modern virility, <em>Thief<\/em>\u2019s focus is more subtle. Mann\u2019s commentary on the psychological toll prison inflicts on men is evident in the story. But it\u2019s Caan\u2019s Frank who articulates this theme with simplicity in a moving monologue delivered to his love interest, Jessie (Tuesday Weld.)<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>As the two sit in a late-night diner, Caan gives us an accurate picture of who Frank really is that informs how the audience empathizes with his character throughout the rest of the film. Frank\u2019s monologue tells his story of being in prison for eleven years, specifically in the mental fortitude he needed to survive that traumatic ordeal. He was first sentenced to two years in prison for petty theft of $7. Later, after protecting himself on the inside, he lands a manslaughter charge and nine more years on his sentence.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>As Frank tells his tale, Caan gives the language zero sentimentality. Rather than playing into the trauma the audience can sense is at the heart of his story, Caan\u2019s Frank is simply relaying facts. Part of that simplicity comes from the way Caan delivers his lines; as<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/tv-movies\/tv-movie-features\/lost-james-caan-interview-thief-sonny-godfather-1379823\/\">\u00a0he told Rolling Stone<\/a>,<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>&#13;<br \/>\n\u201cFrank is a pe\u00adculiar character. He has a passion about not being owned. I chose this way of speaking, very, very slowly\u2026When you are in a hurry, you don\u2019t want to have to repeat yourself. You want to make sure you are understood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#13;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>That sense of urgency is apparent in Caan\u2019s performance as Frank attempts to explain who he is to Jessie. He has this burning desire to make up for the time he lost in prison that drives him to take the job with the mob. But as his story turns to how he overcame a moment of victimization by a group of guards and convicts, we see all of Frank\u2019s emotions Caan has suppressed suddenly emerge.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyway, the word comes down that l am next. And l do not know what l am supposed to do. I am scared,\u201d he says as his eyes dart from Jessie to the window, to the ceiling, struggling to put into words what happened. \u201cEleven-thirty, twelve, the lights come on. I got this pipe from plumbing, and l whacked the first guard in the shins. I go through a convict and another convict and\u2026Anyway, l get to Morphis, and l whack him across the head twice. Boom. And then they jump all over me, do a bunch of things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Frank doesn\u2019t elaborate on what the crew did to him exactly, but we can sense just how deeply the trauma runs in the complex pain that suddenly reverberates through Caan\u2019s physicality. Frank may be voicing one emotion, but Caan is concealing another that gives his character three dimensions. In contrast to the methodical tone and pace of his line delivery, Caan is showing us in this scene the tiny cracks in Frank\u2019s facade that give his character added complexity.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>As he concludes his monologue, Frank tells Jessie he was able to survive because he stopped meaning anything to himself, \u201cI don\u2019t care about me. I don\u2019t care about\u2026 nothin\u2019. You know? Then l know from that day that l survive because I achieved that mental attitude.\u201d Caan wraps this declaration from Frank in a cloak of pride that thinly masks the hurt Caan has sowed into his character\u2019s past. He may be speaking pridefully, but there is a troubled unrest behind his eyes that is both soulful and heartbreaking.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t the only moment in <em>Thief<\/em> where Caan allows us to see Frank\u2019s true pain. Later in the film, as Frank and Jessie are denied the chance to adopt a child, Frank erupts. Not just at being denied the opportunity to be a parent. But because he\u2019s reliving a moment of childhood trauma. \u201cI got some ABC-type information for you, lady. I was state raised, and this is a dead place,\u201d he screams at the agency worker with incredulous, apoplectic rage. \u201cA child in 8\u00d74 green walls. After a while, you tell the walls, \u2018My life is yours.\u201d Between the gruff outbursts, a scared expression flashes across Caan\u2019s face. A look we can only imagine comes from Frank\u2019s childhood trapped behind those four green walls.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>While Frank says he doesn\u2019t feel anything, the genius of Caan\u2019s performance is that he really does. Even if his character won\u2019t admit it. Frank talks about how his steely exterior allowed him to survive trauma. But Caan lets us still see \u2013 and most importantly <em>feel <\/em>\u2013 his pain in the brief moments in-between. Those hesitations when Frank chooses his words more carefully so as not to let on that he actually feels everything <em>deeply<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>Frank\u2019s warring emotions are why <em>Thief<\/em> is an exceptional showcase of James Caan\u2019s brilliant approach to creating a character. The actor may have had a cowboyish reputation, but beneath that macho image was a true artist. Caan was in touch with his own emotional vulnerabilities to create vital connections between himself, his character, and his audience.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ll likely never see another actor quite like Caan again. But he leaves behind a legacy of bringing characters to life with flourishes of surprising artistry. As Michael Mann told Rolling Stone on the eve of <em>Thief<\/em>\u2019s release in 1981,\u00a0 \u201cJames Caan is an artist. I don\u2019t care about the image or whatever he puts out there \u2013 hanging out at Hefner\u2019s, the rodeo. This man, inside, is an artist, and he sees himself as an art\u00adist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s safe to say we do too.<\/p>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<pre><code>    &lt;p&gt;Related Topics: James Caan, Michael Mann, The Great Performances\n    &lt;!-- AUTHOR BOX --&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<div class=\"gray-bg p-4 border small mb-5\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center text-md-center\">\n<div class=\"col-md-2\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Jacob-Headshot-2022.png\" class=\"circle img-fluid\" width=\"100px\" height=\"100px\"\/>\n        <\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md\">\n            Jacob Trussell is a writer based in New York City. His editorial work has been featured on the BBC, NPR, Rue Morgue Magazine, Film School Rejects, and One Perfect Shot. He&#8217;s also the author of &#8216;The Binge Watcher&#8217;s Guide to The Twilight Zone&#8217; (Riverdale Avenue Books). Available to host your next spooky public access show. Find him on Twitter here: <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JE_TRUSSELL\">@JE_TRUSSELL<\/a> (He\/Him)        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<pre><code>    &lt;!-- START RECOMMENDED READING 1 --&gt;\n                                &lt;section class=\"recommended py-5\"&gt;\n            &lt;h3&gt;Recommended Reading&lt;\/h3&gt;\n\n\n        &lt;\/section&gt;\n            &lt;!-- END RECOMMENDED READING --&gt;\n\n\n\n\n&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"&gt;&lt;\/script&gt;\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/james-caan-best-performance-thief\/#utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=james-caan-best-performance-thief\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Breaking Down How Thief Contains James Caan&#8217;s Best Work&#8221; &lt;span class=&#8221;mx-1&#8243;&gt;Michael Mann\u2019s debut feature film contains arguably the ten best minutes late actor James Caan ever put to celluloid.&lt;\/span&gt; &lt;\/p&gt;&lt;div id=&#8221;&#8221;&gt; &lt;figure class=&#8221;sf-entry-featured-media &#8220;&gt; &lt;img width=&#8221;800&#8243; height=&#8221;428&#8243; src=&#8221;https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/thief-james-caan-diner.jpeg&#8221; class=&#8221;articlethumb wp-post-image&#8221; alt=&#8221;Thief James Caan Diner&#8221; srcset=&#8221;https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/thief-james-caan-diner.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/thief-james-caan-diner-768&#215;411.jpeg 768w&#8221; sizes=&#8221;(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px&#8221;\/&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;span class=&#8221;sf-entry-flag&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":475664,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/thief-james-caan-diner.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-475663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=475663"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/475663\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/475664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=475663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=475663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=475663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}