Director: Robert Altman
Screenplay: Joan Tewkesbury, Robert Altman, Calder Willingham
Based on a Novel by: Edward Anderson
Starring: Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall, John Schuck, Bert Remsen, Louise Fletcher, Ann Latham, Tom Skerritt
Country: USA
Running Time: 123 min
Year: 1974
BBFC Certificate: 12
After working largely in television for a couple of decades and making a smattering of films that made little impact, Robert Altman finally found critical and commercial success with M*A*S*H in 1970. Rather than coasting along after that though, he used his newfound fame as leverage to get a number of bold and often unusual projects off the ground. Thus began an incredible run of films, including the revisionist western McCabe & Mrs. Miller, the neo-noir The Long Goodbye and the undefinable masterpiece Nashville.
Among these classics sits Thieves Like Us, which saw Altman put his own spin on the period gangster movie. It was fairly well received by critics on release, though, like much of Altman’s post-M*A*S*H work, it did poorly at the box office and, over time, it’s become a little lost among the director’s more popular films.
Hoping to remind audiences what a good film it is, Radiance are releasing Thieves Like Us on Blu-ray in the UK. I’m a fan of what I’ve seen of Altman’s films but still have a number to see, including this one before now, so I requested a copy to review and my thoughts follow.
The film is set in Mississippi in 1936 and opens with Bowie (Keith Carradine), a young man convicted of murder when a teenager, escaping from prison with Chicamaw (John Schuck), an older jailbird. They join up with another career criminal, T-Dub (Bert Remsen), and set about robbing banks across the South.
While in hiding between heists, Bowie meets a young woman named Keechie (Shelley Duvall), and the two fall in love.
Keechie is aware of Bowie’s problems with the law and tries to steer him away from a life of crime, as they start a new life of their own together. However, Bowie can’t help himself and knows no other way, so keeps being drawn back to Chicamaw and T-Dub, even after the former’s alcoholism causes his crimes to become more serious.
It’s a familiar and relatively simple story that comes from the novel of the same name by Edward Anderson. The book had already been successfully adapted to the screen by Nicholas Ray in They Live by Night but, in Altman’s hands, despite sticking closely to the source material, it becomes something quite different.
The story unfolds slowly, spending a lot of time with the characters in their ‘downtime’ between heists. However, you’re kept engaged through a wonderful cast of Altman regulars that are a pleasure to watch. The leisurely pace won’t be for everyone but, personally, I enjoyed simply living in this beautifully realised time and place.
As well as keeping performances natural by allowing improvisation during rehearsals, the production design looks very authentic. Each location set is filled with wonderful little details that may not always be noticed but add to the rich atmosphere. Quirky little moments in the film aid this too, such as the mischievous activities of one character’s son and the tap dance practice of his younger sister.
Though, on paper, Thieves Like Us could be classed as a genre movie, Altman once again avoids being burdened by standard tropes. Most notably, the heists are shot with great simplicity or often barely shown at all. There are no flashy, exciting set pieces. Instead, the bank robberies are either off-camera or are shown in a very matter-of-fact fashion with minimal cuts. This gives them a sense of naturalism, as well as de-glamorising the heists, in fitting with the overall style of the film.
Thieves Like Us looks good though, despite this stripped-back approach. It’s got a naturally lit, textured, lived-in aesthetic but retains a level of beauty, courtesy of Jean Boffety’s cinematography, and aided by the use of locations and a preference for wider shots and longer takes, rather than basic intercutting close-ups.
The radio broadcasts, which are a substitute for any form of score, add a nice layer of period atmosphere too and are often used as ironic counterpoints to the action on screen. Altman, in his commentary, wonders whether they’re used a little too often and I might be inclined to agree, but I did enjoy them. They also serve to comment on the superficiality of the media and how detached it was from the reality of those difficult times.
Indeed, Thieves Like Us is a film about the Depression as much as anything else. People were desperate back then and resorted to whatever they could do to survive. This is shown through an inherent hopelessness in the characters. Bowie, in particular, doesn’t seem like a born criminal. He’s innocent at heart but doesn’t know any better and has no other prospects. His companions are already completely stuck in that life and have lost any other hopes and dreams, other than a childish desire to be famous for their crimes. As the film goes on, Chicamaw grows less childish though, turning to alcoholism and murder, either out of desperation or simply having had enough of the world.
Whilst this gives the film a deeply melancholic tone, there is humour within it, in the banter between characters. This keeps the film from getting maudlin. Carradine and Duvall give the film a lot of heart too. They’re perfectly paired, capturing a naive innocence and sweetness that sells their on-screen romance and makes it all the more heartbreaking knowing that it can’t end well.
On a tangential note, before I tie things up, I thought all the Coca-Cola logos and bottles on screen were a little distracting, feeling like the producers had a great product placement deal. Altman claims the locations were loaded with logos and empty bottles and that this was accurate to the period too, as the company were pioneering the field of advertising at the time, getting sponsorship deals for everything. They can also be seen as symbolism for the future creeping in at the end of the Depression. However, it did get a bit much as the film went on.
Overall, I felt Thieves Like Us was prime Altman though. Like all his best work, it creates a wonderfully tangible world that you’re allowed to soak in, leaning into character and atmosphere over narrative. It’s a sad, occasionally sweet, little gem.
Film:
Thieves Like Us is out on 17th July on region B Blu-Ray, released by Radiance Films. The transfer has a lovely, detailed but naturally grainy look, with pleasingly earthy colours. I noticed one shot with a small patch of digital noise in a brighter area of the screen but this only showed up through my projector and you’re talking about a brief moment in a tiny portion of the screen. Otherwise, this looks perfect. I’ve used screengrabs throughout this review to give you an idea of how it looks, though these have been compressed and it looks better in motion.
I had no issues with the audio.
BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES
– High-Definition digital transfer
– Original uncompressed mono PCM audio
– Audio commentary by director Robert Altman
– Brand new interview with co-screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury who discusses the film and her working relationship with Altman (2023)
– Brand new interview with star Keith Carradine (2023)
– Geoff Andrew on Thieves Like Us – the critic discusses the film and its place within Altman’s work
– Two classic radio plays featured in the film – The Shadow written by and starring Orson Welles and Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police starring Ed Gardner
– Trailer
– Promotional image gallery
– English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
– Reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters
– Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by critic Pamela Hutchinson; archival writing by Robert Altman; and a piece looking at the script development from the novel by professor Alan Schroeder
– Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
Robert Altman’s commentary is a little patchy, with the director sitting back and watching the film quite regularly. However, when he does speak, he has some interesting stories to tell about how the film was made, as well as explaining some of his intentions behind certain scenes and techniques. The periods of inactivity meant I found it hard to stay fully engaged though, to be honest.
Joan Tewkesbury’s interview is excellent. She’s clear and honest in describing her writing process and how she started working with Altman. She’s entertaining, charming and intelligent.
Keith Carradine provides a 34-minute interview that’s also a pleasure to listen to. He describes how he got into acting before discussing his work with Altman. He has plenty of amusing anecdotes to tell, so it’s a fun piece.
Geoff Andrew provides a 25-minute analysis of the film. It’s vital viewing, giving some background as to how it fits among the rest of Altman’s work, as well as how it compares to Ray’s version of the book.
Including the two period radio plays is a wonderful touch. The episode of ‘The Shadow’, written by and starring Orson Welles, is enjoyable, though some racism in the play shows its age. ‘Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police’ isn’t quite as effective but it still has a certain nostalgic charm.
The booklet is brilliantly compiled too. Pamela Hutchinson provides a thoughtful analysis of the film. The interview with Altman repeats some of what he says in his commentary but it provides his clear thoughts and feelings of the production in a form that’s easier to digest than the lengthy commentary. In his essay in the booklet, Alan Schroeder discusses the film’s script and how it compares to the source novel. It acts as a short masterclass in adapting for the screen, so aspiring writers will gain a lot from it.
Overall, Radiance have, once again, put together an excellent package for a film that deserves more attention. Strongly recommended.
Disc/package:
Leave a Reply