"The Italian Job" | |||||||||||||||||
| The plot: | |||||||||||||||||
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The Plot:
1968, and Charlie Crocker (Michael Caine) inherites plans for a "Job" in Italy, from Beackerman, who comes to an untimley end on an Italian road by the hands of the Mafia. The job is to steal $4 000,000 from right under the Mafia's nose, and to get away by causing the worlds biggest traffic jam!. When Charlie gets out of prision, he is egar to put the plan into action, but he needs men and money. So he pays a visit to Mr Bridger (a upper class gang land boss) who is still in prision!. After a bit of persuading, Mr Bridger (played by Noel Coward) decides to back Charlie. And off they go with a brillient cast and the 3 mini coopers!, even when their 3 "fast cars" get a little, um, dented!.
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| The characters: | |||||||||||||||||
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The whole of the Italian Job is full of brilliant characters, from Charlie to Camp Freedie. Michael Caine is the ONLY person who could play Charlie. He is the apitomy of the 60's cockney gangster!. You've also got hillarious characters such as Arthur, (watch for Arthur's face when he blows up the , entire truck during the practice run!), and the classic argument about who sits in the back!, with Arthur and his asthma! The most thing that Artur says all through the film is "yeah, yeah Charlie" - to whatever Charlie asks or says to him!. The scripting of Noel Coward as Mr Bridger was a stroke of pure genious!, he was the perfect person to play Bridger, as was the brillaint Benny Hill as the Professor, (who had a thing for large ladies!). But when it comes down to it, there are four big stars in the film, Micheal Caine, and of course, the three Mini Coopers!. With that said, when this film was released in 1968 it must have sold countless Mini Coopers!, and it still is today, 30 years later. I'm one of them!!
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| What makes the film?: | |||||||||||||||||
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Well, what does make the film?!. Where do you start?. It has so many things going for it. You got the brilliant characters (Micheal Caine for a start!). You ask anybody in the 18-25 year old age bracket to do a Michael Caine impression, and they will probably come up the the old classic "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!". In fact, a lot of the classic Michael Caine quotes have come from this film. I supposed the film would now be called a "comedy action film!", which you just don't get these days. In nearly ever scene, there is a hint of comady in it!. Check out the scene, and the quote, where Charlie phones up Camp Freddie to ask if he can meet Mr Bridger!.
The whole film is promoting "Britishness", something we lack in our PC world, I don't think anybody really cared back then!. But why not?. Back in the 60's when the mini first came out, it revolutionised car design forever. The getaway scenes where so perfect for the mini cooper they could have been a mini advert!. Whoever thought of the idea to use 3 mini coopers deserves a medal! - it was a brilliant stroke of genious!. You could also argue that the idea of stealing the money was just so they could film 3 coopers running around Turin!. I mean just imagine the face's of the guys from Paramount, when someone said "I've got a great idea for a film!. There are a gang of cockney gangsters who go into Italy to steal $4 000,000, cause a big traffic jam, and escape in 3 mini coopers over roof tops, and through tunnels!". It has all the right ingredients, it's not to long, but it's not to short either, just enough so that there is always something going on. It's one of these films were it was probably not obvious at the time that it was going to be such a great film. Every so often a film is made were everything just falls into place, and this is definately one of them!. I mean, what about the song during the getaway scene?! - " this is the self preservation society!". Anyway thats enough of that!, I just have one thing to mention after reading John Cooper's page in Aprils '98 Mini World magazine. There are rumours floating around that the people who brought us three weddings, and a funeral are going to do a remake of this classic film. Paramount are apparantly ment to be very interested?!, so it might just happen!. But how would it look?. Would it be a striaght remake, set in the 60's, but with different actors?. Who could fill Michael Caines shoes?. Would it carry on from the end of the origianl (which was actually change so as to leave the possiblity of a second film)?. Email me with your ideas, and perhaps we can send them off to Paramount!...... you never know!". PS please bare with me with this site, this is my 1st go at site deign, and I'm trying to get some pictures in, a quotes page, and somewhere for people to leave their mark! | ||||||||||||||||
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