Physical Specimens: New 4K Reviews, Including Thief and Cruising
This week in Physical Specimens, our biweekly round-up of new physical media and 4K reviews, we assess new 4K UHD releases of Michael Mann’s first movie, one of the most controversial movies of the ’80s, and a dreamlike cult film about teen runaways from an idiosyncratic French director.
Thief
A steely, no-bullshit James Caan stars in Michael Mann’s first movie as a high-end Chicago jewel thief and ex-con named Frank who works exclusively for himself, with a clear-cut retirement plan of a wife, a home, and kids. Frank’s screwed out of $185K when his fence is murdered, and while trying to get it back he crosses paths with mob high-up Leo (Robert Prosky), who wants Frank to work for him. The initially reluctant Frank agrees to a couple of quick jobs for Leo when he realizes it’ll speed up his retirement schedule, letting him settle down with potential wife Jessie (Tuesday Weld) as quickly as possible. Leo even helps the two get a house and a kid. Almost immediately, though, things go south. Frank flew under everybody’s radar when he was unaffiliated, but as soon as he hooks up with Leo cops are spying on him and shaking him down for a cut. And then Frank’s new partners start to renege on their end of the deal…
Thief is an adult thriller that doesn’t pander to the audience like most crime or action movies made since the mid ‘80s. Mann’s own Miami Vice played a part in the flash-over-substance, MTVified dumbing down of movies like this, and although the director’s distinctive visual style is all over Thief, this is still a smart, talky film as interested in its characters’ thoughts and beliefs as in its shoot-outs and suspenseful set-pieces.
Caan is perfectly cast as the resolute tough guy realizing he’s no longer in complete control of his life, and Prosky is memorably threatening as an avuncular, soft-spoken menace who approaches violence with business-like calm. Jim Belushi is fine in his movie debut as Frank’s partner, Willie Nelson makes an impression in his one scene as Frank’s ailing mentor in the joint, and Chicago legend Dennis Farina shows up in a bit part as a low-level thug. And Tuesday Weld is just as crucial as Caan, in a kind of role that’s typically thankless and underwritten in movies like this. Not here, though; Jessie has agency, is about as tough as Frank, and is pivotal to the story without being reduced to just the love interest or a victim. She’s on equal footing with Frank—two adults who have lived through some things still hoping for the textbook American Dream, and getting close enough to taste it before it all blows up.
And because this is Michael Mann, it all looks amazing—especially in 4K. Frank’s jobs, always at night, are a contrast between the black and blue of the Chicago skyline at night and the hard, soulless grey of the vaults and offices he’s breaking into. The iconic neon sign of the Green Mill bar has never looked lusher or more inviting than in Thief, and a brief excursion to California is a sun-kissed rejoinder to cold, hard Chicago. And Tangerine Dream’s absorbing, synth-driven score give this classic noir-ish tale an edge that somehow still feels modern more than 40 years later.
The new 4K edition uses the same restoration that was the basis for Criterion’s 2014 Blu-ray. If you’ve ever wondered what a UHD disc offers that a Blu-ray can’t, compare these two. The difference in clarity and the depth and richness of the color is immediately clear, and the UHD version has a more filmic texture than the older disc. Despite being an obvious improvement, I don’t know if it’s enough of an upgrade to buy the new one if you already own the old; if you buying Thief for the first time, though, and have a 4K TV and player, there’s only one conceivable choice here—especially since the new release has the exact same supplementary material as the 2014 set.
Thief was Mann’s first movie, and maybe still the best of a long, storied career. If you haven’t seen it, fix that with Criterion’s new 4K release.
Thief
Original Release: 1981
Director: Michael Mann
Format: 4K UHD + Blu-ray
Label: Criterion
Release Date: March 11, 2025
