Thieves Like Us

Thieves Like Us is a 1974 American drama film, offering a vivid depiction of love and suspense in a time of economic depression and desperation. Directed by the acclaimed Robert Altman and based on Edward Anderson's novel of the same name, the film stars Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall, and John Schuck. The movie is set against the historical backdrop of the 1930s era South and offers an intriguing mix of romance, adventure, social commentary, and criminal hardship.

The story unfolds with three disheartened, jailbreak criminals, Bowie (Keith Carradine), Chicamaw (John Schuck), and T-Dub (Bert Remsen), who decide to embark on a series of profitable yet perilous bank robberies through rural Mississippi. These men are not romanticized hoodlums, nor ruthless mobsters, but gritty, desperate men pushed to the fringes of society, surviving on the spoils of their illicit endeavours.

Keith Carradine gives a compelling performance as young Bowie, an escaped convict who, despite being involved in brutal criminal activities, finds himself drawn towards a sense of normalcy and the desire for a peaceful existence away from the lawless life he's led. His desire is amplified when he meets Keechie (Shelley Duvall), the innocent yet sharp-witted niece of one of his partners in crime, Chicamaw.

The love story between Bowie and Keechie is central to the narrative. Altman perfectly portrays their desire for a regular, non-criminal life, their naïve optimism creating a poignant irony considering their doomed reality. Shelley Duvall, in her breakout role as Keechie, offers a heartfelt, innocent performance that forms a contrasting backdrop to the criminal activities that surround her life.

Thieves Like Us skillfully marries together this personal romance with the wider, harsh realities of the public's fascination with crime during the 1930s. The radio, a constant presence throughout the film, broadcasts the stories of the gang, elevating them to celebrity status while simultaneously escalating the pressure from law enforcement. This serves to remind the audience of the relentless pursuit faced by our main characters and heightens the impending sense of doom.

Altman has a gift for capturing the dialect, the depth, the offbeat humor and the gut-wrenching sorrow of the Southern working classes of this era. The cast of Thieves Like Us, in particular Carradine and Duvall, brilliantly demonstrate an understanding of the societal constraints and the personal desperation that are central themes of the film. These are multidimensional characters; they are real, funny, heartbreaking, and as flawed as they come.

The cinematography in the film is effortlessly majestic, with natural lighting that invokes the simplicity and harshness of the depression era. The film is peppered with extended dialogue scenes, narrating the story in Altman’s signature style. The diegetic soundtrack consists entirely of period music from the 1930s, playing exclusively over radios. This provides an authentic and immersive portrayal of the time and place, never allowing the audience to forget the distinctive era in which the narrative is set.

Thieves Like Us is, at its core, a story of misfits dreaming of a better life, wrapped in the cruel circumstances that prevent them from achieving this. This, together with a poignant portrayal of a doomed love story and a subtle yet powerful critique of the romanticization of criminals, is what sets Thieves Like Us apart from other films of the genre.

In summary, Thieves Like Us can be seen as an exemplary piece of 70s cinema, taking a raw and unfiltered look at the American depression era's despair and disillusionment. The film is rich with character development, intricate plot detailing and offers an uncompromising portrayal of life on the run. The beautifully captured performances of Carradine and Duvall, set against the authentic, historic Southern backdrop, make this film a must-watch for anyone interested in quintessential American cinema.