Theheist film orcaper film is asubgenre ofcrime films and thecaper story, focused on the planning, execution, and aftermath of a significantrobbery.
One of the early defining heist films wasThe Asphalt Jungle (1950), whichFilm 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 wereArmored Car Robbery (1950),The Killing (1956), andThe Getaway (1972). By the 1990s, heist films began to "experiment and play with these conventions," incorporating elements such as comedy into their stories.
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 execution of the heist and most of its planning, choosing instead to focus almost exclusively on the aftermath. Another example of this isThe Italian Job (1969), which shows the planning and execution of the heist but doesn't fully show the aftermath. The teen comedyThe Perfect Score (2004) concerns high-school students attempting to steal the answers to theSAT tests rather than valuables.
Other tropes of the genre include the failure of the heist due to fate, or the traits of the criminals involved. Among them is one of the participants getting injured during the heist, or betraying the others during or after.[3] This trend started as a result of the initial films in the genre being made in Hollywood during theMotion 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 isReservoir 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 commit one last heist so they will have money for the rest of their days. This can be seen in early films such asThe Asphalt Jungle (1950) as well as more recent likeHeat (1995).
While elements of the heist film can be seen in movies as early asThe 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 1950The Asphalt Jungle, starringSterling Hayden andSam Jaffee (withMarilyn 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] areCriss Cross (1949) andThe 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 tofilm 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 theBBC citesAkira Kurosawa'sSeven 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 and 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 like5 Against the House (1955) andThe 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 areRififi (1955), which is known for its detailed 30 minute heist sequence, andBob 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, includingThe Lavender Hill Mob (1951) andThe Lady Killers (1955), pictures which introduced comedy to the genre.[5] A notable Italian heist film from this period isBig 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 filmThe League of Gentlemen (1960) and the American filmSeven 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 asTopkapi (1964) andHow to Steal a Million (1966). In FranceRififi spawned a number of lower-budget crime films which often usedRififi as part of their title. These include films such asRififi in Tokyo (1963) andDu 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 asAny Number Can Win (1963) starringAlain Delon andGreed in the Sun (1964) starringJean-Paul Belmondo.[5] The most celebrated French heist films of this time were directed byJean-Pierre Melville, whose heist filmLe 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 beingCairo (1963), which is a remake ofThe 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 likeCharley Varrick (1973) andThe 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 asThief (1981) and a remake ofBig Deal on Madonna Street calledCrackers (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 pictures likeJohn Woo'sOnce a Thief (1991) andSteven Soderbergh'sOut of Sight (1998) would bring some attention to the genre, the three that returned the genre to prominence wereReservoir Dogs (1992),Heat (1995) andThe Usual Suspects (1995).
This led to a large output of heist films throughout the 2000s. These range from British efforts likeSnatch (2000) andSexy Beast (2000) to animated films likeFantastic Mr. Fox (2009) to popular Hollywood films likeInside Man (2006) and remakes of heist classics likeThe Italian Job (2003).[5] Some of the most popular heist films of this era are the remake ofOcean's 11 (2001) and its sequelsOcean's 12 (2004) andOcean's 13 (2007), which remain so today.[citation needed]
