Heist film

The heist film or caper film is a subgenre of crime films and the caper story, focused on the planning, execution, and aftermath of a significant robbery.

For films named Heist, see Heist (disambiguation) § Film.

One of the early defining heist films was The Asphalt Jungle (1950), which Film Genre 2000 wrote "almost single-handedly popularized the genre for mainstream cinema". It featured robbers whose personal failings ultimately led to the failure of their robbery. Similar films using this formula were Armored Car Robbery (1950), The Killing (1956), and The Getaway (1972). By the 1990s, heist films began to "experiment and play with these conventions," incorporating elements such as comedy into their stories.

Characteristics of the genre

While there is no unanimous agreement on what constitutes a heist film, there are some common characteristics that most films in the genre share.

The most basic is that films in the genre tend to follow the planning, execution and aftermath of one large robbery.[1] While there can be smaller crimes leading up to the major crime, this major crime is the centerpiece of the film and is the event which informs much of the film's plot.[1] As a result of this, heist films tend to focus on the process of the crime, often planned in great detail. Followed by extended exposition of the heist itself.

The genre is also distinct for almost exclusively following those committing the crime rather than whoever is trying to stop them.[2] This often leads to the viewer building some form of sympathy or respect for the criminals.[2] Another common characteristic is the assembling of a team to complete the heist, [2] with each member contributing a unique skill or trait needed to complete the job.[2]

Over time filmmakers have taken these characteristics and changed them to create interesting plays on the genre. For example, Reservoir Dogs (1992) skips the planning and execution of the heist, choosing instead to focus exclusively on the aftermath. Another example of this is The Italian Job (1969), which shows the planning and execution of the heist but doesn't fully show the aftermath.

Other tropes of the genre include the failure of the heist due to some trait or fate of the criminals involved. Among them is one of the participants getting injured during the heist, or betraying the others during or after it.[3] This trend started as a result of the initial films in the genre being made in Hollywood during the Motion Picture Production Code,[4] which prohibited criminals from getting away with their crime. While this has changed since the disappearance of the code,[4] the trope of failed heists still remains. One of the most dynamic examples is Reservoir Dogs, which focuses solely on trying to figure out which of their group members betrayed them after a failed heist. Another popular trope is "one last job", whereby a criminal looking to quit the life enlists the team to do one last heist so they will have money for the rest of their days. This can be seen in early films such as The Asphalt Jungle (1950) as well as more recent like Heat (1995).

History

While elements of the heist film can be seen in movies as early as The Great Train Robbery (1903), the genre didn't become fully fledged until the late 1940s and the early 1950s.[5] The film widely agreed upon as the first to do so is John Huston's 1950 The Asphalt Jungle, starring Sterling Hayden and Sam Jaffee (with Marilyn Monroe in a supporting role).[1] It contains many of the heist hallmarks, focusing from the criminal's perspective on the elaborate planning, flawed execution, and calamitous aftermath of a single heist.[2] It also devotes a large amount of time to the recruiting of variously skilled criminals to form a team.

Two earlier films that some consider prior examples of the genre, and others just key to its development,[1] are Criss Cross (1949) and The Killers (1946). While these do follow the planning, execution, and aftermath of a single heist from the criminals' perspective, some critics argue that they devote too much time to the planning and aftermath of the crime and too little to the actual job.[1] All of these films are also notable for having elements which are indebted to film noir, including their moody, expressionistic black and white cinematography and dark fatalistic tone. As a result, scholars such as Daryl Lee refer to such examples as “noir heists”.[5] Anne Billson of the BBC cites Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) as an influence on the "assembling the team" trope that later became a common characteristic of heist films.[6]

The period between 1955 - 1975 is considered by scholars to be the most productive for the heist genre. It began with American filmmakers continuing the noir heist trend in films like 5 Against the House (1955) and The Killing (1956). The ‘50s also saw the release of the first international heist films. Notably, a handful made in France were influenced by and responding to the American style. Two notable examples are Rififi (1955), which is known for its detailed 30 minute heist sequence, and Bob Le Flambeur (1956), known for an ending which plays with the conventions of the genre.[5] The 1950s also marked the beginning of British heist film, including The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) and The Lady Killers (1955), pictures which introduced comedy to the genre.[5] A notable Italian heist film from this period is Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958), a parody of the genre.[5]

In the 1960s heist stories became more mainstream, with glossier and higher-budget heist films which moved away from the fatalism and darkness present in the earlier noir heists.[5] Two examples of this from the early 1960s are the British film The League of Gentlemen (1960) and the American film Seven Thieves (1960). Despite having conventional heist plots about gathering together a group to commit a heist, both films balance comedy and drama, unlike the darkness of the earlier noir heist films.[5] The mainstream shift as well as a growing cultural interest in travel led to a wave of glossy heist films involving exotic international locals, such as Topkapi (1964) and How to Steal a Million (1966). In France Rififi spawned a number of lower-budget crime films which often used Rififi as part of their title. These include films such as Rififi in Tokyo (1963) and Du rififi à Paname (1966). As the decade continued, the French also began to produce more glossy heist films which served as star vehicles for big names of the time, such as Any Number Can Win (1963) starring Alain Delon and Greed in the Sun (1964) starring Jean-Paul Belmondo.[5] The most celebrated French heist films of this time where directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, whose heist film Le Cercle Rouge (1970) is often regarded as one of the greatest heist movies of all time.[5] This expansion of the genre in the 1960s also led to remakes of older heist movies, with an early example being Cairo (1963), which is a remake of The Asphalt Jungle.[1] In 1968, the motion picture production code was abolished, paving the way for a number of heist films that didn't shy away from portraying graphic violence. This included films like Charley Varrick (1973) and The Getaway (1972).

The period between 1975 and the early 1990s is considered a low point for productivity in the heist genre.[5] While some were made, such as Thief (1981) and a remake of Big Deal on Madonna Street called Crackers (1984), some critics do not consider them as meaningful developments of the genre.[5] The 1990s would see the return of the heist film, with a number creating new interest. While picures like John Woo's Once a Thief (1991) and Steven Soderbergh's Out of Sight (1998) would bring some attention to the genre, the three returned the genre to prominence were Reservoir Dogs (1992), Heat (1995) and The Usual Suspects (1995).

This led to a large output of heist films throughout the 2000s. These range from British efforts like Snatch (2000) and Sexy Beast (2000) to kids' films like Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) to popular Hollywood films like Inside Man (2006) and remakes of heist classics like The Italian Job (2003).[5] Some of the most popular heist films of this era are the remake of Ocean's 11 (2001) and its sequels Oceans 12 (2004) and Oceans 13 (2007), which remain so today.

List of heist films
Film Year Ref.
11 Harrowhouse1974[7]
80 Million2011[8]
Armored Car Robbery1950[9]
Army of the Dead2021[10]
Army of Thieves2021
Dog Day Afternoon1975
The Asphalt Jungle1950[11]
Baby Driver2017[12]
The Bad Guys 2022 [13]
Bande à part1964[11]
The Bank Job2008[12]
Big Deal on Madonna Street1958[14]
Blue Collar1978[15]
Bob le flambeur1956[15]
Bottle Rocket1996[12]
Le Cercle Rouge1970[11]
Dead Presidents1995[16]
Den of Thieves2018[17]
Le deuxième souffle1966[15]
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves 2023
Entrapment1999[18]
Fast Five2011[12]
A Fish Called Wanda1988[12]
Flawless2007[7]
The Getaway1972[15]
Going in Style1979
Going in Style2017[19]
Gone in 60 Seconds2000
Grand Slam1967[15]
The Hatton Garden Job2017[12]
Heat1995[12]
Heist 2001 [20]
Hell or High Water2016[21]
Hell's Angels '691969[22]
The Hot Rock1972[7]
House of Games1987
How to Steal a Million1966[15]
Hudson Hawk1991[23]
Kshana Kshanam1991[24]
Inception2010[11]
Inside Man2006[12]
The Italian Job1969[12]
The Italian Job2003[12]
Jackie Brown1997[25]
The Killing1956[12]
King of Thieves2018[26]
The Lavender Hill Mob1951[15]
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels1998[12]
Logan Lucky2017[12]
Mankatha2011[27][28]
The Misfits2021[29]
Museum 2018
Now You See Me2013[19]
Now You See Me 22016
Ocean's 82018[15]
Ocean's 111960[14]
Ocean's Eleven2001[11]
Ocean's Twelve2004[15]
Ocean's Thirteen2007[30]
Out of Sight1998[25]
Point Break1991
Quick Change1990[25]
Reservoir Dogs1992[11]
Rififi1955[11]
Ronin1998[25]
The Score2001[31]
Set It Off1996[12]
Sexy Beast2000[11]
Snatch2000[12]
Sneakers1992[32]
The Split1968[33]
The Sting1973[12]
Thief1981[11]
The Thomas Crown Affair1968[12]
The Thomas Crown Affair1999[12]
Three Kings1999[25]
Topkapi1964[14]
The Town2010[12]
Thunivu2023
Tower Heist2011
Triple Frontier 2019
The Usual Suspects1995[12]
Vinci2004[8]
Widows2018[11]
Wrath of Man2021[34]

References
  1. "One last big job: How heist movies tell their stories". Observations on film art. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  2. Kaminsky, Stuart (1974). American film genres: approaches to a critical theory of popular film. Dayton Ohio: Pflaum Pub. pp. 74–97. ISBN 0827802781.
  3. Perno, G. S. (August 9, 2015). "10 Ways That Heists in Movies Usually Go Wrong". Cinelinx | Movies. Games. Geek Culture. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  4. Hardy, Phil (1997). he BFI Companion to Crime. A & C Black. pp. 70–71. ISBN 9780304332151.
  5. Lee, Daryl (December 31, 2014). The Heist Film. doi:10.7312/lee-16969. ISBN 9780231169691.
  6. Billson, Anne (October 30, 2018). "Why is Seven Samurai so good?". BBC Culture. BBC. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  7. Hunter, Rob (September 6, 2018). "The Best Diamond Heist Movies You've Never Seen". /Film. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  8. Haltof, Marek (2015). Historical Dictionary of Polish Cinema. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 127, 148, 253. ISBN 978-1-4422-4472-6.
  9. Wilson, Ron (2000). "The Left-Handed Form of Human Endeavour". In Dixon, Wheeler W. (ed.). Film Genre 2000: New Critical Essays. SUNY Press. pp. 154–155. ISBN 978-0-7914-4513-6.
  10. Truitt, Brian (May 20, 2021). "'Like Braveheart but flipped': Zack Snyder evolves zombies in a big way for 'Army of the Dead'". USA Today. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  11. Morris, Brogan (September 14, 2018). "10 great heist films". bfi.org.uk. British Film Institute. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  12. Dockterman, Eliana (August 18, 2017). "The 25 Best Heist Movies". Time. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  13. Moore, Roger (April 23, 2022). "Movie Review: An "Ocean's" caper for kiddies — "The Bad Guys"". Movie Nation. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  14. Axmaker, Sean (April 9, 2020). "Art of the steal: Here are some great heist/caper films to stream". Seattle Times. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  15. Staff, Playlist (September 10, 2010). "25 All-Time Favorite Heist Movies". IndieWire. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  16. Burlingame, Russ (July 17, 2015). "Ant-Man's Most Overlooked Cameo: Ant-Man Himself". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2015. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  17. Gleiberman, Owen (January 18, 2018). "Film Review: 'Den of Thieves'". Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  18. Maslin, Janet (April 30, 1999). "Film Review; They're a Devilish Match, But Who's Conning Whom?". The New York Times. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  19. Robey, Tim (March 23, 2017). "The timeless appeal of the heist movie". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  20. "Here's one we saw earlier". the Guardian. November 25, 2001. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  21. Klimek, Chris (August 11, 2016). "'Hell Or High Water' Is A Smart, Substantive Heist Film". npr.org. NPR. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  22. "Hell's Angels '69 (1969) - Lee Madden | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie".
  23. Attenborough, Richard (1997). "The Caper Film". The BFI Companion to Crime. University of California Press. p. 71. ISBN 978-0-520-21538-2.
  24. Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1998) [1994]. Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema (PDF). British Film Institute and Oxford University Press. p. 503. ISBN 0-19-563579-5. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  25. Leitch, Will; Gierson, Tim (June 7, 2018). "The 25 Best Heist Movies of All Time". Vulture. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  26. Tobias, Scott (January 24, 2019). "'King Of Thieves': Bank Heist Film Deposits A Great Cast But Withdraws The Style". npr.org. NPR. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  27. "Mankatha – Strictly No Rules". BBFC. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  28. "Ajith & Venkat Prabhu joins for Mangatha!". Sify. 2010. Archived from the original on July 19, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  29. Tallerico, Brian. "The Misfits movie review & film summary (2021) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  30. Travers, Peter (June 8, 2007). "Ocean's Thirteen". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  31. Ebert, Roger (July 13, 2001). "The Score movie review & film summary". Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  32. Kehr, Dave (September 9, 1992). "SLEEK 'SNEAKERS' FITS HEIST GENRE LIKE AN OLD SHOE". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  33. Ebert, Roger (October 17, 1968). "The Split, Roger Ebert review". rogerebert.com. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  34. Patten, Dominic (October 25, 2019). "'Mindhunter's Holt McCallany Riding Shotgun With Jason Statham In Guy Ritchie's New Heist Movie". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 18, 2021.

Further reading
  • Lee, Daryl (2014). The Heist Film: Stealing with Style. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-85058-2.
  • Sloniowski, Jeannette; Leach, Jim, eds. (2017). The Best Laid Plans: Interrogating the Heist Film. Contemporary Approaches to Film and Media Series. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8143-4224-4.
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