FSM # 16: Good heist movies & scores?
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It’s been a while since I saw PELHAM, so I can’t remember the plot details
Ah, okay, that might be! Been a while for me, too…
That’s the thing with genres, a movie can belong fully or partly to one or more genres. Sometimes one genre is more pronounced than the other, sometimes a movie is easily both. Alien is a science-fiction film, noted in any major work about science-fiction films, yet obviously it’s also a horror film. It’s not “50/50”, it’s both a full science-fiction movie and a horror movie.
A movie can also contain elements of a genre without fully belonging to it.
Personally, I don’t see Heat or The Wild Bunch as primarily heist movies, it’s more that they do have some elements of a heist, but their main focus is clearly otherwise. But of course, one could say they contain enough “heist” elements to include them in the list of heist movies if one is so inclined. I think they are both excellent movies, so I’d have included them if I would consider the genre “heist” pronounced enough in them.As far as The Taking of Pelham 123 is concerned, I don’t see this particularly as a heist movie either. It’s not so much about the planning and execution of the heist — it’s not as if the hijackers have a spectacularly clever “heist” plan, they are basically just ruthless — as it is about the confrontation between the police and the hijackers. Basically, the “heist” is they kidnap a subway, demand money, otherwise they will shoot a hostage every hour. Execution in this film means literally executing people, it’s not so much about the planning and execution of the heist. That doesn’t readily come to my mind as the prime elements of a “heist” movie. Good movie nevertheless. 🙂
Yes, I probably misremembered regarding PELHAM (and I’m too lazy to double-check). Was probably all about the hijack.
Genres are tricky, for sure, and most are a combination of several. ARMY OF THIEVES, for example, which is part zombie apocalypse, part heist movie. But I think it suffices if the heist element is front and center, as a driving narrative catalyst.
In that respect, another recommendation is DRIVE, with a great score by Cliff Martinez (and some neat needle drops as well, like “Tick of the Clock”).
For sure. I haven’t seen ARMY OF THIEVES (yet), but like ALIEN, a movie can of course have elements of or even fully belong to more than one genre.
BREAKHEART PASS is another genre mix, it’s both a Western and an Agatha Christie type mystery movie.I really like the song Flood by Jars Of Clay on the original HARD RAIN album.
Yes, it’s OK to like a song that’s included on a score album. We’re tolerant here. 😉
It’s sometimes a bit difficult to separate between heists and films about robbers. For example, I was about to recommend Craig Armstrong’s PLUNKETT & MACLEANE, until I realized it was a film about two highwaymen more than about one (or a couple of) heists, in particular.
So moving on, Eric Serra’s SUBWAY (1985) could possibly qualify – great, dynamic synth score.
I’m surprised none of my fellow Norwegians have mentioned Bent Fabricius Bjerre’s scores for the OLSENBANDEN (THE OLSEN GANG) movies, which are iconic in Denmark and Norway. Sweden have their own too, called JÖNSSONLIGAEN. Every single film in the series is about a heist (or two). Bjerre’s music is all over the place. Lots of hot jazz/dixieland, but also various exotic flavours. Plantsounds released a 3CD set with some of this music a couple of years ago.
The OLSENBANDEN (THE OLSEN GANG) movies are know over here as well and I am sure I saw them in childhood. But neither the films nor the scores didn’t make any lasting impression for me…
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