Topkapi

Jules Dassin's Topkapi was one of the lavish heist movies, set in touristy locales, that were all the vogue four decades ago. And Dassin executes the heist itself -- of an emerald-encrusted dagger from the famed museum in Istanbul -- with grace, precision and suspense. But it's a very long time coming.

Dassin seems reluctant even to start the movie, dilly-dallying with a proto-psychedelic opening sequence involving games of chance and glittering gems. Then Melina Mercouri, shot in an iridescent haze, bulldozes her way out to address the audience but fails owing to her thick-as-moussaka accent. Finally we get to the rounding up of the gang of amateurs who will pull off the caper: mastermind Maximilian Schell, Robert Morley, Peter Ustinov, Gilles Segal (as a deaf-mute gymnast), and Mercouri.

The plotting and rehearsing of the crime take up most of the movie, leaving us to be entertained by the characters, none of which is really written. So instead we get each actor's idiosyncratic bag of tricks. And while Morley and Ustinov reliably amuse us, Schell flaunts his Continental-cool duds with a smug smirk frozen on his face. Mercouri, meanwhile, vamps it up like a demented drag queen doing Joan Crawford. What little friction exists among the cast members gets played for laughs -- no subversive subplots, no separate agendas are afoot.

Dassin made his reputation directing tough, unsentimental films in the noir cycle: Brute Force, Thieves' Highway, Night and the City. When forced back to Europe by the Hollywood blacklist, he did a superior caper film, Rififi; Topkapi seems a belated attempt to recapture it. But the chilled-down, ironic style that came into fashion in the early 1960s doesn't suit his earnest talents. Topkapi remains professional and pleasant but is now looking more and more like a period piece.

"Topkapi" is a classic. In it, a group of criminals with a plan to break into the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, and steal a jewel-encrusted dagger. Melina Mercouri stars as Elizabeth Lipp, the mastermind behind the heist. Peter Ustinov is along for the ride as Arthur Simon Simpson, who does a good turn of comic relief. The movie shows beautiful shots of Greece and Turkey on its wild trip. It's similar to the original "Ocean's Eleven," as you root for the thieves. You find yourself hoping crime will pay! The last shot of the movie shows more of the fun spirit present in the movie. In the end, I wondered a little about the continuing adventures of the characters. Surely, this caper deserves investigation!

Jules Dassin directed the classic hard-boiled 'Rififi' in the mid-50s. Ten years later he's at the heist genre again, but 'Topkapi' is a very different kind of movie. Gone is the realism and darkness of 'Rififi', which influenced many subsequent crime thrillers. Instead we have a good old fashioned adventure, which is quite tongue in cheek and very colourful and fun. The eclectic ensemble cast are all very good - Dassin's wife Melina Mercouri, Maximilian Schell, Robert Morley, and especially a knockout performance from Peter Ustinov, an actor I usually have little time for. The robbery sequence was "borrowed" thirty years later by Brian De Palma for 'Mission Impossible', but 'Topkapi' is the better of the two movies by far.

Before "Mission Impossible" made every big heist a challenge for technology, there were movie efforts like "Topkapi" which played the human element in the big scam.

A wonderful and truly international cast is assembled here for this 60's effort that showcases Istanbul. Melina Mercouri is marvelous, blending humor and sensuality with her hard side. Maximillian Schell is excellent as the leading man with all the answers while Peter Ustinov is the classic bumbler. Akim Tamiroff adds additional levity as the irascible cook.

Not sure I was totally satisfied with the outcome but it's such a rollicking and colorful ride, give director Jules Dassin top marks anyway.

One of the most entertaining heist films of all time. Full of original ideas, smartly written and joyfully directed. And, if all that wasn't enough, Peter Ustinov! He won his second Oscar as best supporting actor for this creation - an unsuccessful small time crook, intelligent enough to know that he's not intelligent enough - without country and without future. Ustinov soars. He is surrounded by a group of Euro-heavy weights, Melina Mercouri, Maximilian Schell, Robert Morley, Akim Tammiroff. The suspense, fun filled entrance to the Topkapi museum was stolen and disguised with a multi dollar budget by Brian De Palma and his accomplices in the first Mission Impossible without being able to duplicate the suspense, the fun, the humanity or the innocence of the proceedings. The locations are another treat, the music, the costumes and the honesty with which the dishonesty of the characters is portrayed. A true delight.