The Thomas Crown Affair

(1968)

Directed by

Norman Jewison

Review by Todd Plucknett

Norman Jewison’s The Thomas Crown Affair is a highly original and completely exciting caper film. It is perfectly cast and gorgeously photographed. It is one of the best films of 1968, and one of the many underrated gems of Jewison’s outstanding career.

Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen) is a young and rich bank executive who masterminds a flawless bank robbery. He anonymously hired five men to rob the bank and drop the money off in a cemetery trash can, where Crown would retrieve it. He stored the cash in a secure bank following the pickup. Desperate to find the robbers, Vicky Anderson (Oscar-winner Faye Dunaway), an insurance investigator, is hired to the case. She dives completely into the case. She came across Crown, and she considered him a suspect. She started a personal relationship with him in an attempt to find the truth about the heist. They begin having an affair, which only makes Vicky’s job even harder. She is obligated to take him down, but she has grown to care about him enough that she does not know what to do. Crown cares about Vicky as well, and he wants to run away with her. The conclusion that ensues is a fabulous and unforgettable one.

McQueen turns in a very good and slick performance as the title character. His completely exudes self-confidence in a James Bond type of way. Dunaway is fantastic as Vicky. She has had so many incredible performances in her career, and while this one does not quite rank with her finest in films such as Bonnie and Clyde and Network, it is still a very note-worthy one. The way the two actors work off each other is fascinating. Both of the leads know that Crown stole the money, but she has not been able to prove it. You do not know too much about Crown. He never gives anything away, which only adds to the amount of intrigue that Vicky feels toward him and the audience feels toward their relationship. The relationship will undoubtedly remind some of Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney in 1998’s Out of Sight. There is one iconic scene in particular (since spoofed in Austin Powers) where the two play the most erotic game of chess ever filmed. They are silently flirting with one another, with the scene being hypnotically shot by Jewison. There are several moments like that where you just feel as if you are watching something truly special on screen.

The film is technically stunning. The cinematography and scenery are gorgeous. The score and Oscar-winning song “The Windmills of Your Mind” completely suit the mood of the film. It is edited in a way that not one moment seems unnecessary, and the film is the perfect length. The split-screen portions of the film add another element of interest, and it only increases how mesmerizing the film is. The film stands as a great piece of cinema that takes the audience back to that time period. This was ahead of its time, though. A lot of the photography and visuals seem as if they could have been done ten years later. Sure it probably lost some of its spunk over time, but it has not lost any of its appeal.

The Thomas Crown Affair is possibly sexiest caper film in film history. Films of this genre seldom get better than this. The conclusion to this film is original and is something that will stick with you. This type of ending has been used several times since, but rarely is it as effective as it was here. There are very few flaws in this film, and it stands as a groundbreaking film for this genre. The 1999 remake of the film starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo, a respectable heist flick, is not nearly as good as this one. This version is a wonderful film that has and will continue to stand the test of time.

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