THIEF OF HEARTS
US, 1984, 100 minutes, Colour.
Steven Bauer, Barbara Williams, John Getz, David Caruso, Christine Ebersole, George Wendt.
Directed by Douglas Day Stewart.
Thief of Hearts was written and directed by Douglas Day Stewart (author of The Blue Lagoon, An Officer and a Gentleman). Stewart has an eye for the lush contemporary American melodrama. This is a romantic oddball story - a portrait of a thief, his relationship with a married woman whose diary he steals and to whom he relates as the fantasy figure of her diary. The world is the world of soap opera - but with the lush style, the sexual frankness of the '80s and a seemingly amoral/moral point of view.
1. Adult entertainment? The blend of caper/sexcomedy romance - with serious undertones?
2. The affluent world of San Francisco? Restaurants, homes, the world of the designer? Affluence and glamour? The use of San Francisco locations? The soft and lush atmosphere, colour photography? The creation of an atmosphere of intimacy, sexuality?
3. The contemporary themes of relationships, roles of men and women, sexuality, fantasy/reality? Sex and violence? Betrayal?
4. The credibility of the plot - or something of a diary fantasy, dream? The demon diary lover genre?
5. Ray and Mickey, the anniversary outing, the robbery and their reaction? The quality of their marriage, strengths and weaknesses of their relationship? Ray and his work, writing children's books, not appreciating Mickey? Marty as a friend? Helping in the detection? The visit to the warehouse and the potential violence? Mickey as a talented woman, confiding her fantasies to her diaries, Michelle in her diaries? The effect of the diaries being stolen? The chance encounter with Scott? Fascination, undertaking his commission? The seduction? The use of the gun symbol for the relationship, sexuality, violence, fantasy? Scott fulfilling the details of her diary? Her tastes, the boat, the details of the affair? Mickey and the discovery of the truth - and her attitude towards reality compared with that of her diary? The robbery and Mickey shooting, the audience thinking that Scott was dead, her letting Scott go? The plausibility of the characters and their relationship on the level of reality, on the level of fantasy?
6. Scott and his background, robbery, his skill in burglary, his friendship with Buddy? His taste, taking the diaries, reading them and the effect, spying on Mickey, arranging to meet her, the commission, the meals, the sharing, the seduction, the guns, the nature of the affair, discovery of the truth, fighting Buddy, his final escape? The title of the film referring to him?
7. The contrast with Buddy as tough, working as a waiter, fawning on the rich, the plan, communications, success? His violent outbursts? Greed, drugs, the warehouse, the fight, his death?
8. The character sketch of Marty, his relationship with Ray, helping him in the detection?
9. Reality and fantasy, dreaming and waking fantasies? Soap opera themes stylishly done?
