Topkapi

In 1964 Jules Dassin reteamed with Melina Mercouri to make Topkapi, which was in essence a spoof of his most famous film, Rififi. It is caper film, but in much more light-hearted vein, and doesn't follow the usual patterns. In Topkapi, the job itself is the climax, and supposedly the fun. But I didn't have much fun watching it.

Part of the problem is how incredibly dated it is. It prefigures some of the worst aspects of sixties' films--the candy colors, the forced zaniness, the almost psychedelic camera effects (at the beginning of the film Dassin uses a lens that makes it though we are looking through a crystal). Also, due perhaps to the international nature of the cast, I had a hard time making out what people were saying. The DVD has French and Spanish subtitles, but not English.

The story concerns Mercouri, who is some sort of jewel thief (I think--it's never clear to me) teaming up with Maximillian Schell, a fellow thief. They want to steal an emerald-crusted dagger from the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul. Mercouri has made a duplicate, which they will leave in replacement. Just what they are going to do with it after they steal it isn't clear, either. They enlist an eccentric inventor, Robert Morley, as well as a couple of circus performers--a strong man and an acrobat, to enter the museum without touching the floor and setting off a sensitive alarm.

Enter into this mix Peter Ustinov, as a low-level hustler and con-man who lives in Greece. Schell hires him to drive a car across the border into Turkey, but when customs finds the car loaded with weapons (much to Ustinov's surprise) they enlist the "schmo" (as Schell refers to Ustinov) to spy on the thieves, whom the Turkish authorities believe are terrorists. Eventually Ustinov ends up working both sides of the aisle.

Aside from Ustinov's performance, which won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, I found little to like about Topkapi. I didn't care for the pace or the photography. It was just too rompish, sacrificing the precision of Rififi for a sun-splashed scenery and general goofiness. Ustinov is very good, he sort of reminded me of Ricky Gervais, who would be a first choice for me if there was ever a remake. He's cowardly, but will put aside fears when the opportunity for money arises (when he has to face his fear of heights, Schell tells him, "Close your eyes and think of $10,000!")

Dassin would make a few more films before he retired, but this was the last one that had any kind of impact. Sad to say it is the one I have liked least.