Whilst not quite as perfect as the video presentation, the audio is not far off, and certainly still very impressive. With this in mind, it’s hard not to regard this transfer as technically flawless a perfect representation of the material on offer.
Any complaints? Sure, for such an impressive frame-by-frame restoration job, it’s strange to find that a couple of scenes have shots which look softer than you might expect however, a closer look and you realise that this was more likely part of Mann’s style – character’s ever-so-slightly out of focus before they shift position and come into focus (for example the scene where Frank talks about wanting to adopt a child through unorthodox channels).
#THIEF 1981 REVIEW SKIN#
Thankfully the colour tweaking doesn’t affect the healthy skin tones, nor the more vivid sparks and flames the neon lights bringing vibrant life to the night, and black levels remaining rich and deep and strong throughout, with absolutely no loss of shadow detail. Of course the new director’s cut boasts Mann’s newly-favoured teal hue a bluish tone that dominates the feature and will make anybody familiar with the original theatrical cut wonder whether this is a bit of a French Connection scenario. Plenty of subsequent films – not least Mann’s own Heat – have been informed by the shots adopted here, and they stand out as truly amazing on this presentation. Of course, Mann, even here with his debut, has an exceptional eye for visual majesty, and the film boasts some truly spectacular shots, right from the opening panning down the alleyway in the rain, through to the neon lights splayed across Frank’s car-park or the various shots of lights reflected on car bonnets.
Detail is staggering, with some shots boasting the kind of precision that would make you question whether it really has been the best part of 35 years since the film was shot. The film has simply never looked this good. It’s a superior effort, as you would only expect from Criterion, and sits well amidst Arrow’s classic collection, which similarly maintains the highest standards in terms of presentation. Arrow brings Thief to Blu-ray with permission to use Criterion’s stunning, newly restored HD Master, a superb new transfer created in 4K resolution from the original 35mm camera negative, all supervised and approved by director Michael Mann.