The Art of the Heist

The Art of the Heist is a breath-taking program of more than 30 feature films exploring one of cinema’s most beloved crime subgenres – the heist – at the Australian Cinémathèque, Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) from 29 April to 26 June, 2022.

With a seductive mix of gangster cool and cerebral ingenuity, the program takes you on an exhilarating journey across diverse cinematic styles from caper, action and film noir to martial arts and comedy.

This program’s unmissable line-up opens with two genre touchstones: Jules Dassin’s twist-filled masterpiece Rififi 1955, about four criminals plotting one last job; and Stanley Kubrick’s 1956 noir classic The Killing, a suspenseful tale of a meticulously planned race-track robbery.

Cinema goers will be enthralled by the program which also includes such iconic films as The Asphalt Jungle 1950 directed by John Huston, Le Cercle Rouge (The Red Circle) 1970 by French director Jean-Pierre Melville, Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs 1992 and Steve McQueen’s women-led caper Widows 2018.

Rosie Hays, Associate Curator, Australian Cinémathèque, QAGOMA and curator of ‘The Art of the Heist’ said style played a leading role in heist films such as Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief 1955 starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant; William Wyler’s elegant How to Steal a Million 1966 featuring Audrey Hepburn; and French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard’s joyously thrilling gangster film Bande à part (Band of Outsiders) 1964, set in the streets of Paris.

Other essential entries in The Art of the Heist are the superbly funny British caper The Italian Job 1969 starring Michael Caine; The Thomas Crown Affair 1968, a dazzling game of cat-and-mouse intrigue with Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway; and Joseph Shaw's electrifying New York subway stick-up The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 1974.

Unexpected gems showcasing a unique take on a heist include Jules Dassin’s cheeky European romp Topkapi 1964 with the indomitable Melina Mercouri; an all-woman crew staging a strip club heist in Lorene Scafia’s Hustlers 2019; Taiwanese director King Hu’s complex monastery-set robbery Raining in the Mountain 1979; and the high octane, one-take German film Victoria 2015.

And closing the program is the charming Australian comedy Malcolm 1986, the tale of a newly unemployed, chronically shy mechanical genius and a bank robbery, starring Colin Friels.

Good to know - QAGOMA’s Australian Cinémathèque presents curated programs, genre showcases and director retrospectives covering the world of film from crowd-pleasing fan favourites and cult classics to hard-to-find international cinema, rare 35mm prints and silent films with live musical accompaniment.

Need to know - The Art of the Heist tickets are available to purchase now!

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