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The Italian Job is directed by Peter Collinson. The
film stars Michael Caine, Noel Coward, Benny Hill, John
Le Mesurier, Irene Handl, Raf Valone, Rossano Brazzi, and
Renato Romano. ***
Before moving on with the review, a few notes about
the release. First and foremost, this is an IMPORT release
and is not available in American stores. Secondly, it is
a REGION FREE release. In other words, it will work just
fine in your American Blu-Ray player. ***
Charlie Croaker, a young thief, has just been released
from prison and discovers that one of his old collaborators
on earlier heists has been killed when planning a new job
has gone awry. His widow shares plans her late husband had
made for the aforementioned job with Croaker – who then
recruits the best team of criminals he can to complete it,
financing the operation with funds from a rich acquaintance
who has been incarcerated. This new plan involves stealing
gold bullion from a vehicle traveling through the streets
of Italy by causing a traffic jam – and getting away with
the gold as quickly as possible. With his team, Croaker
heads to Italy – but local mobsters are well aware of their
plans, and want the gold for themselves. ***
In the years following the release of The Italian Job,
it became a classic in England, and is now revered as something
as an institution over there. Revisiting the film 40 years
later, how does it hold up? ***
The Italian Job is a ton of fun because of its off-beat
character ensemble and excellent, fast-paced, action-packed
second half. This isn’t a really “deep” movie, but it isn’t
trying to be. The characters are entertaining, as well as
the now-iconic heist that makes up the second half of the
film. Yes, it dated in places, but it’s still a great view,
and certainly superior to the 2003 remake (although the
remake isn’t a bad film by any means.) ***
The cast and crew are half of what makes The Italian
Job unforgettable. Michael Caine, easily one of the greatest
actors who has ever lived, gives one of the performances
of his career here as Charlie Croaker. Caine brings this
guy to life as no one else could have. He’s one of the most
diverse actors out there (and even remains such to this
day), and was perfect for this role. The large cast also
includes Noel Coward as the incarcerated millionaire funding
the operation, and Benny Hill in a small but memorable role
doing the perverted antics he does best. ***
The great heist that makes up the latter half of the
movie is the other thing that makes it an excellent movie.
In a period long before CGI, everything had to be shot for
real, on location. The end result is a believable final
getaway that has stood the test of time as one of the finest
“car chases” in cinematic history. This is one of those
things that has to be witnessed to be appreciated – all
the more reason the movie should be seen. ***
I’m not going to defend the movie like it’s holy – there
are quite a few issues looking back at the movie. First
and foremost, the look and sound of the film are horribly
dated. From its opening frames to the (literal) cliffhanger
ending, the whole thing reeks of 60s excess – the hairstyles,
the music, the atmosphere… you get the idea. And while no
one will argue with the excellence of the heist and getaway
scenes, I won’t deny that the build-up (which is pretty
much the first hour of the film) does drag a bit at times.
I wouldn’t call these scenes “boring” like some people do,
but they do tend to bog down the movie at times. Although
the movie only runs about 100 minutes in length, a good
10-20 minutes probably could have been stripped out of the
final product. ***
But the good outweighs the bad by far. When it first
came out 40 years ago, The Italian Job was a ton of fun.
It’s just as fun now, even of it shows its age. And what
better time to rediscover it, now that it has been released
in 1080p? ---
Image and Sound:
This is one of those titles Paramount went to great
lengths to do a proper restoration of, and the results show
in nearly every frame. Throughout the film the image is
clean and free of any major dirt or damage. It’s a very
clear picture and the colors are bright and vibrant. Detail
is fairly strong but better than many other releases of
films from this era on Blu-Ray. If I have one minor complaint,
it’s that some minor noise reduction was used on the transfer.
While it was applied liberally (unlike some film companies
that just drown their movies in it), there are a few scenes
where distance shots are blurred as a result. The new lossless
audio track sounds superb and really gives the speakers
a workout in scenes that call for it – namely the movie’s
explosions and car scenes. And purists need fear not – the
original Mono track has been restored and included as well.
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