Can a film be too clever for its own good? It’s the question that I pose any time I revisit The Thomas Crown Affair. It’s a breezy film filled with good chemistry and a vibe that feels more like a music video than an actual film. In sections and moments, it’s a dizzying piece of directorial flair. Taken as a whole, it’s not greater than the sum of its parts.
Part of the issue is the Thomas Crown himself. Not Steven McQueen. There’s a distinction to be had about that. McQueen is and always will be a symbol of 60s cool and masculinity. The Getaway, The Great Escape, Bullit … my god Bullit! Those films are perfect intersections of the man, the myth, and the character that convex perfectly to what made McQueen Great (with a capital “G”). Thomas Crown is not one of those characters. A playboy millionaire (now a billionaire in our era) who is so bored with his daily life that he concocts the “perfect” heist for nothing more than to see how it all plays out. To ‘stick it to the man’ as Crown/McQueen would have you believe. Not even McQueen’s uber charisma can muster more than a raised eyebrow at this shitty man-baby behavior.
In fact, it’s not even McQueen’s movie. The Thomas Crown Affair truly belongs to his “co-star” Faye Dunaway. Dunaway’s Vicki Anderson is a high-level insurance investigator. Anderson is head-to-toe perfection of womanhood, fashion, makeup, and sexuality. The way she enters the film is a breath of fresh air. Anderson is skilled enough to know how to handle a room of men who can only think of one use for her. It’s these scenes where the film soars beyond its 60’s pop style.
Even in the duo’s first meetings, there’s an electricity in the air that isn’t forced. It is only when they start the “romance” that it becomes an outright betrayal of both characters but more to Dunaway’s Anderson. The film’s script by Alan Trustman hits a brick wall once the seduction is over and Crown has bedded her. There is nowhere else for the film to go other than the typical ending of the bigger star wins. Though this is where The Thomas Crown Affair sinks under its own weight. Without realizing it, the film has made Anderson ineffective and redundant though there is nothing in the character that says she would have slept with him.
Therein lies the issues with the entirety of the film. It so concerns itself with its style and is so self-satisfied with its plot trappings that it never stops to think about the cost of its own narrative. Though, The Thomas Crown Affair in its enthusiastic style and breezy ways almost convinces you that it’s more than just criminally good entertaining storytelling. It almost convinces you that it’s truly THE classic of the heist genre.
The Transfer
Kino Lorber has treated The Thomas Crown Affair with the care and respect they do with all of their biggest titles. The image for the most part is clean and free of any dirt, hair, specks, or scratches. They’ve wisely kept the film’s grain structure intact which leads to a truer representation of how the film was shot and produced. The only issue with this transfer is the optical split-screen effects, in those scenes the loss of generations because of the optical printers produces a less than sterling image that is filled with scratches, dirt, and hair. Other than that this updated transfer is a beautiful clean transfer that mimics the film’s 35mm origins.
The Extras
They include the following;
Audio Commentary by Director Norman Jewison
Audio Commentary by Film Historians Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman
A Master Class in Style with Director Norman Jewison
When Pablo Meets Norman
Three’s A Company: 1967 on the Set Featurette with Cast & Crew
Theatrical Trailers
The first archival Audio Commentary is from Director Norman Jewison and begins with how he got involved with the picture after the success of In the Heat of the Night. Some of the other details include the success of the song Windmills of your Mind – and its importance in the a film that Jewison says “is style over substance”; the fact that it was one of the first films entirely on location in Boston; the development of the script – including the fact that it was written by Alan Trustman a lawyer; how they constructed and created the heist – and how a trip to the Montreal World Festival and Chapman Multi-screen technique became a part of the style of the film; a larger discussion of how they approached this technique for storytelling; because of how they found this technique late in the process they did not storyboard but improvised during the post-production process; the fact this was Yaphet Kotto debut feature – which leads to a discussion his work with Lynn Stalmaster the famous casting director; working with director Haskell Wexler – and the inspiration for both men visually; a great story about Alfred Hitchcock; a larger discussion about McQueen and the role of Thomas Crown – how they were different, but also how McQueen wanted to challenge his image; the freedom he had on this and most of the films he made in the late 60s and 70s making studio pictures and how this effected this production specifically; the casting of Faye Dunaway – which leads to a discussion of the film’s costuming style, and how they shot her; his views on Crown’s reasons for doing the heist; the score and music from French Michel Legrand – including the scoring of the climatic Chess scene, Jewison’s temp score for the scenes using Windmill (it a famous Beatles tune); the cars and vehicles – a larger discussion of McQueen’s obsession with the dune buggy; the modernity (for the time) of the style and how he wanted it to be “ripped from the overs of Vogue and GQ”; how they purposely allowed silences and lacked dialog because of the visual style allowing to take over the storytelling; and much more. There is a bit of the “explaining what’s on-screen”, but Jewison is great at adding insights to what he was discussing.
The second archival Audio Commentary is from Film Historians Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman from the first Kino Lorber Blu-Ray release begins with the argument of “style over substance” and whether it is truly that. Some of the details include the “lack of a screenplay” as an excuse to make an exercise in style and the possibilities of cinema; a discussion about screenwriter Alan Trustman’s career being ahead of its time; how this is a love story “between two shits” as Jewison described it – and how this could be an extension of the director’s thoughts on the two mercurial stars; the casting first choices that were not McQueen; the stories of how McQueen got the role and lobbied for it; a great anecdote about McQueen as told by Robert Vaughn who was a close friend since The Magnificent Seven; the use of the split screen in this film and other of the era – and their thoughts on “the gimmick”; McQueen’s own understanding of his image and who he was as a star – which leads to a deeper discussion of what makes a Steve McQueen picture; a great discussion of French composer Michel Legrand – and his work outside of this picture; a discussion of the career of Norman Jewison; a discussion of the work of Faye Dunaway – a larger discussion about the casting what if’s, Dunaway’s status at the time, and her performance in the film; and much more. Dobbs and Redman provide an informative relaxed commentary track.
A Master Class in Style with Director Norman Jewison (19:26) – this archival interview with the director begins with how the idea of the film was developed and created. Jewison discusses the evolution of the screenplay; how McQueen got involved – and his reaction to the screenplay and how different of a part it was for him; how McQueen convinced Jewison to cast him; how Faye Dunaway became involved because McQueen had shown Jewison Bonnie and Cylde; the rounding out of the cast; the split screen sections and the problems that came up using it so extensively and the development as they moved forward into post-production; and much more. The interview is intercut with some great Super8 footage taken during the production.
When Pablo Meets Norman (7:39) – the archival interview with the title designer Pablo Ferro begins with his first collaboration with Jewison on The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming! Some of the other details include how they developed the credit sequence The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming! – and how successful it was; his involvement with The Thomas Crown Affair – including his part in working on the split screen sequences; and much more. The only part that’s disappointing is the interview is all too short.
Three’s A Company: 1967 on the Set Featurette with Cast & Crew (8:57) – a great behind-the-scenes EPK of the era featuring McQueen, Dunaway, and Jewison. The all-too-brief look at the making of this big Studio film. It features some interesting bits regarding how they developed Crown to fit McQueen’s persona; the issues Jewison faced filming in Boston; the ascent at the time of Dunaway from actor/model to Super Star/Model – and her thoughts on a giant production like this; some great moments with McQueen actually working on the various vehicles that are in the picture; and much more. Any film fan or fan of this film will love this vintage EPK because of the time and care that was put into it and shot on film too boot.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for The Thomas Crown Affair (2:04); In the Heat of the Night (2:47); The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming! (4:29); F.I.S.T. (2:29)
The Final Thought
If you love The Thomas Crown Affair this is the set for you. Kino Lorber has furnished this updated Special Edition with all the special features one could hope for. Highest Recommendations!
Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway match wits in the sizzling and very 60s The Thomas Crown Affair. Kino Lorber has upgraded the Blu-ray with a new Special Edition.
The Film
Can a film be too clever for its own good? It’s the question that I pose any time I revisit The Thomas Crown Affair. It’s a breezy film filled with good chemistry and a vibe that feels more like a music video than an actual film. In sections and moments, it’s a dizzying piece of directorial flair. Taken as a whole, it’s not greater than the sum of its parts.
Part of the issue is the Thomas Crown himself. Not Steven McQueen. There’s a distinction to be had about that. McQueen is and always will be a symbol of 60s cool and masculinity. The Getaway, The Great Escape, Bullit … my god Bullit! Those films are perfect intersections of the man, the myth, and the character that convex perfectly to what made McQueen Great (with a capital “G”). Thomas Crown is not one of those characters. A playboy millionaire (now a billionaire in our era) who is so bored with his daily life that he concocts the “perfect” heist for nothing more than to see how it all plays out. To ‘stick it to the man’ as Crown/McQueen would have you believe. Not even McQueen’s uber charisma can muster more than a raised eyebrow at this shitty man-baby behavior.
In fact, it’s not even McQueen’s movie. The Thomas Crown Affair truly belongs to his “co-star” Faye Dunaway. Dunaway’s Vicki Anderson is a high-level insurance investigator. Anderson is head-to-toe perfection of womanhood, fashion, makeup, and sexuality. The way she enters the film is a breath of fresh air. Anderson is skilled enough to know how to handle a room of men who can only think of one use for her. It’s these scenes where the film soars beyond its 60’s pop style.
Even in the duo’s first meetings, there’s an electricity in the air that isn’t forced. It is only when they start the “romance” that it becomes an outright betrayal of both characters but more to Dunaway’s Anderson. The film’s script by Alan Trustman hits a brick wall once the seduction is over and Crown has bedded her. There is nowhere else for the film to go other than the typical ending of the bigger star wins. Though this is where The Thomas Crown Affair sinks under its own weight. Without realizing it, the film has made Anderson ineffective and redundant though there is nothing in the character that says she would have slept with him.
Therein lies the issues with the entirety of the film. It so concerns itself with its style and is so self-satisfied with its plot trappings that it never stops to think about the cost of its own narrative. Though, The Thomas Crown Affair in its enthusiastic style and breezy ways almost convinces you that it’s more than just criminally good entertaining storytelling. It almost convinces you that it’s truly THE classic of the heist genre.
The Transfer
Kino Lorber has treated The Thomas Crown Affair with the care and respect they do with all of their biggest titles. The image for the most part is clean and free of any dirt, hair, specks, or scratches. They’ve wisely kept the film’s grain structure intact which leads to a truer representation of how the film was shot and produced. The only issue with this transfer is the optical split-screen effects, in those scenes the loss of generations because of the optical printers produces a less than sterling image that is filled with scratches, dirt, and hair. Other than that this updated transfer is a beautiful clean transfer that mimics the film’s 35mm origins.
The Extras
They include the following;
The first archival Audio Commentary is from Director Norman Jewison and begins with how he got involved with the picture after the success of In the Heat of the Night. Some of the other details include the success of the song Windmills of your Mind – and its importance in the a film that Jewison says “is style over substance”; the fact that it was one of the first films entirely on location in Boston; the development of the script – including the fact that it was written by Alan Trustman a lawyer; how they constructed and created the heist – and how a trip to the Montreal World Festival and Chapman Multi-screen technique became a part of the style of the film; a larger discussion of how they approached this technique for storytelling; because of how they found this technique late in the process they did not storyboard but improvised during the post-production process; the fact this was Yaphet Kotto debut feature – which leads to a discussion his work with Lynn Stalmaster the famous casting director; working with director Haskell Wexler – and the inspiration for both men visually; a great story about Alfred Hitchcock; a larger discussion about McQueen and the role of Thomas Crown – how they were different, but also how McQueen wanted to challenge his image; the freedom he had on this and most of the films he made in the late 60s and 70s making studio pictures and how this effected this production specifically; the casting of Faye Dunaway – which leads to a discussion of the film’s costuming style, and how they shot her; his views on Crown’s reasons for doing the heist; the score and music from French Michel Legrand – including the scoring of the climatic Chess scene, Jewison’s temp score for the scenes using Windmill (it a famous Beatles tune); the cars and vehicles – a larger discussion of McQueen’s obsession with the dune buggy; the modernity (for the time) of the style and how he wanted it to be “ripped from the overs of Vogue and GQ”; how they purposely allowed silences and lacked dialog because of the visual style allowing to take over the storytelling; and much more. There is a bit of the “explaining what’s on-screen”, but Jewison is great at adding insights to what he was discussing.
The second archival Audio Commentary is from Film Historians Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman from the first Kino Lorber Blu-Ray release begins with the argument of “style over substance” and whether it is truly that. Some of the details include the “lack of a screenplay” as an excuse to make an exercise in style and the possibilities of cinema; a discussion about screenwriter Alan Trustman’s career being ahead of its time; how this is a love story “between two shits” as Jewison described it – and how this could be an extension of the director’s thoughts on the two mercurial stars; the casting first choices that were not McQueen; the stories of how McQueen got the role and lobbied for it; a great anecdote about McQueen as told by Robert Vaughn who was a close friend since The Magnificent Seven; the use of the split screen in this film and other of the era – and their thoughts on “the gimmick”; McQueen’s own understanding of his image and who he was as a star – which leads to a deeper discussion of what makes a Steve McQueen picture; a great discussion of French composer Michel Legrand – and his work outside of this picture; a discussion of the career of Norman Jewison; a discussion of the work of Faye Dunaway – a larger discussion about the casting what if’s, Dunaway’s status at the time, and her performance in the film; and much more. Dobbs and Redman provide an informative relaxed commentary track.
A Master Class in Style with Director Norman Jewison (19:26) – this archival interview with the director begins with how the idea of the film was developed and created. Jewison discusses the evolution of the screenplay; how McQueen got involved – and his reaction to the screenplay and how different of a part it was for him; how McQueen convinced Jewison to cast him; how Faye Dunaway became involved because McQueen had shown Jewison Bonnie and Cylde; the rounding out of the cast; the split screen sections and the problems that came up using it so extensively and the development as they moved forward into post-production; and much more. The interview is intercut with some great Super8 footage taken during the production.
When Pablo Meets Norman (7:39) – the archival interview with the title designer Pablo Ferro begins with his first collaboration with Jewison on The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming! Some of the other details include how they developed the credit sequence The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming! – and how successful it was; his involvement with The Thomas Crown Affair – including his part in working on the split screen sequences; and much more. The only part that’s disappointing is the interview is all too short.
Three’s A Company: 1967 on the Set Featurette with Cast & Crew (8:57) – a great behind-the-scenes EPK of the era featuring McQueen, Dunaway, and Jewison. The all-too-brief look at the making of this big Studio film. It features some interesting bits regarding how they developed Crown to fit McQueen’s persona; the issues Jewison faced filming in Boston; the ascent at the time of Dunaway from actor/model to Super Star/Model – and her thoughts on a giant production like this; some great moments with McQueen actually working on the various vehicles that are in the picture; and much more. Any film fan or fan of this film will love this vintage EPK because of the time and care that was put into it and shot on film too boot.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for The Thomas Crown Affair (2:04); In the Heat of the Night (2:47); The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming! (4:29); F.I.S.T. (2:29)
The Final Thought
If you love The Thomas Crown Affair this is the set for you. Kino Lorber has furnished this updated Special Edition with all the special features one could hope for. Highest Recommendations!
Kino Lorber’s Blu-Ray edition of The Thomas Crown Affair is out now.
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