THIEVES LIKE US

US, 1973, 123 minutes, Colour.
Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall, John Schuck, Bert Remsen, Louise Fletcher.
Directed by Robert Altman.

Thieves Like Us is a striking film. Director Robert Altman is not too worried about making allowances for his audiences. Which means that his films are not great box-office. He is more interested in immersing his audience in a particular world, which he re-creates with great detail without continually drawing attention to it. Glimpses of situations, snatches of conversation are integral to the mood of the film. The world of this film is that of Bonnie and Clyde, the mid-west Depression robbers, "thieves like us". Given Altman's skill in style, and developing characters within his world, this film seems one of his best, with excellent performances by Keith Carradine and Shelley Duvall, supported by, amongst others, Louise Fletcher.

1. The significance of the title and the juxtaposition of "thieves" and "us"? The significance of "like"? The title as used during the film? The evocation of robberies, and audience appeal in robberies?

2. The importance of cinema technique in the film? The initial shot, editing, close-ups? The importance of the prologue and the several minutes of the one take? The angles at which robberies were filmed? The attention to sounds and background?

3. The importance of colour, the locations of the '30s, the detailed attention to sets, the milieu of 1937? The especial importance of sounds: the radio, the serials and their music themes, songs, Romeo and Juliet, Roosevelt's speeches, the speech of Father Coghlan and his voice during the final shot of people in slow motion going up the stairs?

4. The background of the Depression and its effect on people? The Depression as a theme of the film? Making people thieves and prisoners, keeping them thieves? The type of cavalier thieves during the Depression? Robberies as a kind of game.

5. The presentation of prisons, the theme of imprisonment? The initial picturing of the prison escape the guards? The later presentation of prison, especially with Chicamaw and his escape? The portrayal of the guard at home with his wife, eating his dinner? His execution of Chicamaw?

6. The themes of escape and freedom? The initial escape and the consequences, the final escape and the consequences? The similarities and contrasts? The various types of imprisonment and lack of freedom during the film?

7. The themes of individual and group defiance, themes of right and wrong, regrets, pride? what were the standards and values of the principal characters? In the society in which they lived? Their code of honour amongst themselves?

8. The themes of crime and selfishness? Cavalier attitude towards crime? Pride in crime? Selfishness and brutality?

9. The world of the minor characters as supporting the main characters, for example, Jazzbo, Dee Mowbley, the guards at the prison, the guard and his wife at their meal etc.?

10. The three thieves as a group? Their belief in themselves and their functioning as a group? Their harmony and their gelling together? The reason for the bonds, the reasons for tension between them? The way that they executed their crimes? The irony of the ease with which they committed their crimes? The contrast to the speed and violence?

11. The film's focus on Bowie? Audience sympathy for the young man, the sympathetic character? The explanation of his past and his killing a man? The fact that he was a country boy, with baseball ambitions? A sympathetic young man with a dog etc.? His involvement in crime and his pride? The growth of his relationship with Keechie? His courtesy towards Matty and his wiping up etc.? His involvement in the accident and being taken on by Chicamaw? His growing in love with Keechie and their equivalent marriage? A presentation of choices to him and his choices? The motivation for Chicamaw's escape? His respecting him? The pathos of his death and his body being carried out? How much insight into this character?

12. The film's presentation of Keechie as a character? As first seen with Dee Mowbley, her working, in the shop, her personality and lack of personality, her style, smoking and talking, drinking Coca Cola? Her gradual falling in love, tending for Bowie, moving with him, the significance of the baby? Her illness? Her revulsion at his death? The irony of her being at the station and talking about Bowie. his death seen as a betrayal? The film ending with her walking up the stairs?

13. T-dub and his style? His ambitions to be a criminal? His genial personality, his help of Bowie? His leg? His attitude towards people's presentation of him, the papers? His love for Lula? His help of Matty? The irony of his death? What kind of thief was he like? His own initiatives a victim of the time?

14. The film's portrayal of Chicamaw? His aggression, his skill in the robberies. the humorous and ironic aspects of his character. his drinking? His violence and shooting the police after the accident? His being imprisoned. rescued by Bowie. the outburst about his pride? His shooting the guardsman and his being left on the road by Bowie? How sympathetic and unsympathetic? Why was he a thief?

15. The importance of Matty in the film? The sequences of the family and their style of life? The humour of Matty's authority in the house, cleanliness etc.? Her attitude towards the children? Towards Lula? Her role at the end in comforting Keechie, in informing about Bowie? The ordinary citizen? The contrast with Lula? Her skill at hairdressing, tending T- but actually marrying him?

16. How fatalistic was the ending? How pessimistic? Is death the inevitable fate for 'thieves like us'?

17. How particularly American was the film, its plot and its treatment, its themes? How does it reflect the atmosphere of the '30s? The '60s and '70s in their looking back at the world of the gangsters? Trying to understand the past and its significance?