Thief (1981)

Michael Mann's debut features James Caan operating not as a romantic outlaw, but as an uncompromising master mechanic. Real ex-thieves served as technical consultants, and it shows in every frame. Caan meticulously calibrates thermal lances, drills magnetic vaults and tests carbide drill bits in a workshop. Tangerine Dream's pulsating synthesiser score complements the rhythmic precision of his cutting tools, elevating blue-collar technical rehearsal into pure cinema.