Thieves Like Us
dir. Robert Altman · 1974
Life is a series of choices that often lead to unexpected connections and consequences.
"Thieves Like Us" is a poignant exploration of love and moral ambiguity, wrapped in the cloak of a crime drama. Robert Altman's masterful direction immerses viewers in a world where fleeting moments of intimacy clash with the harsh realities of a life on the run, creating a tapestry of emotional complexity that resonates long after the credits roll.
Three criminals escape from prison and embark on a robbery spree across USA. Along the way, one of them falls in love while they plan a final heist before going their separate ways.
Full synopsisspoilers
Two convicts break out of Mississippi State Penitentiary in 1936 to join a third on a long spree of bank robbing, their special talent and claim to fame. The youngest of the three falls in love along the way with a girl met at their hideout, the older man is a happy professional criminal with a romance of his own, the third is a fast lover and hard drinker fond of his work. The young lovers begin to move out of the sphere in which they have met, a last robbery in Yazoo City goes badly and puts paid to the gang once and for all as a profitable venture, but isn't the end of the story quite yet, as all three are wanted and notorious men with altogether different points of view on the situation they are faced with.
Talking points
- the complexity of crime and morality
- the nature of love in dire circumstances
- the influence of the 1970s on American film
- character development through adversity
