Thomas Crown is a Boston financier who organises a daring bank robbery. This crime is not committed because he needs the money- he has made a large fortune from entirely lawful activities- but because he is bored with life and needs excitement. The police are in the dark as to who might have been responsible, but the bank's insurers are determined to recover their money and appoint Vicki Anderson, a tough female investigator, to look into the affair. Vicki soon comes to suspect Crown, but cannot prove his involvement, and so a game of cat and mouse begins between them. Vicki makes contact with Crown, hoping that he will give himself away, but he is well aware of her suspicions and is too clever to betray himself. They find themselves attracted to one another and eventually begin a love affair, leaving Vicki torn between her feelings for Crown and the job she has been assigned to do (in which she also has a financial interest, as she has been promised a percentage of any money she recovers).

The above scenario is, of course, implausible, but this is not a realistic film. It is a glossy colour supplement of a film that one watches not for realism or for its plot but for an atmosphere that has been described as the epitome of sixties cool. The trappings of Crown's millionaire lifestyle are much on display- his expensive cars, his luxuriously furnished penthouse apartment, his Cape Cod beach-house, his private glider, his games of golf and polo. (His surname is significantly derived from a symbol of wealth and power). The two leading actors, both iconic figures of the sixties, are perfectly cast. Steve McQueen was known not only as the Cooler King (his role in "The Great Escape") but also as the King of Cool. He was normally cast in "tough guy" roles, but here he broadens his range by taking on the role of a suave, wealthy playboy (although still with a hint of toughness),the sort of man every man wants to be and every woman wants for herself. Faye Dunaway was perhaps not a classical beauty in the style of some other sixties icons such as Raquel Welch or Julie Christie, but few actresses were better than she at conveying elegant, sophisticated glamour.

Everyone who sees this film seems to remember it for the same three things. First, there is director Norman Jewison's use of the "split screen" technique during the robbery and in the scenes of the polo match. This has been criticised as a gimmick, but I found that it did help to give these sequences a greater sense of urgency and rapid movement, a sense also heightened by Michel Legrand's driving musical score. (Legrand also provided a similar score for the British film "The Go-Between"). Second, there is the famous scene, full of sexual symbolism and suggestion but without any overt sexual content, where Vicki seduces Crown- or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they seduce one another- over a game of chess. (Faye Dunaway was at her best here). Third is the well-known theme song "The Windmills of Your Mind". The song's rather enigmatic lyrics do not have any direct reference to the plot of the film, but it fits the general mood perfectly, particularly as the plot itself is often enigmatic.

The sixties were the golden age of the heist movie with films such as "Topkapi", "The Biggest Bundle of them All" and "The Italian Job", all of which featured daring robberies carried out by a glamorous cast, often in an exotic setting. This genre has been criticised- and there is justice in the criticism- for glamorising crime and dishonesty, and "The Thomas Crown Affair", although it concentrates as much on the aftermath of the crime as on the robbery itself, falls within this tradition and must therefore bear some of the criticism. It is, however, unlikely that it ever persuaded anyone to take up a career as a millionaire playboy criminal mastermind. It is too obviously a fantasy for that- with its visual tricks, its highly stylised acting (especially from Miss Dunaway) and a general atmosphere that seems unreal, at times even dreamlike, it has about as much to do with real crime as the James Bond films have to do with the everyday work of the British Secret Service. Moreover, unlike some of the other heist movies, such as "The Italian Job" or "The Biggest Bundle", which have artificially moralistic endings, "The Thomas Crown Affair" at least has the courage of its own amorality. Its ending may be ambiguous, but it does not try to drive home a "crime does not pay" message.

I prefer this film to the recent Pierce Brosnan remake which, although it has its good points, lacks the distinctive style of the original film. The original has, in fact, been criticised for being a triumph of style over substance. Well yes, it is- but with style like this, who's complaining? 7/10

The first time I tried to watch "The Thomas Crown Affair", I soon gave up. This is because the director, Norman Jewison, was being innovative and featured many of the scenes in multi-pane. In other words, two, three, four or even more things (sometimes MANY more) are going on at the same time on the screen in small screen shots. It's VERY tough to watch using an old standard television. Fortunately, I got to see this tonight on a very large HD TV--one large enough to take away a lot of my frustration. This is a film best seen this way or in a theater--and I would not see it on anything smaller than 42".

When the film begins, you are assaulted with a song that was very popular back in the 1960s ("Windmills of Your Mind" by Noel Harrison). It even won an Oscar--but which is severely dated today. My advice--turn off the sound as the credits roll and play whatever song you like or sing to yourself or take a bathroom break. Just do NOT listen to "Windmills of Your Mind"! When the film begins, you see that Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen) is a hugely successful and very rich man. Yet, inexplicably, he's also a man planning an enormous bank heist. And, as far as the robbery goes, it works like clockwork---and nets 2.6 million dollars! But, with no leads, the police and insurance folks are stumped. So, they call in an expert, Vicki Anderson (Faye Dunaway). She is supposed to be an incredibly brilliant investigator--a match for any crook. Can she manage to nab Thomas Crown? "The Thomas Crown Affair" is unique in a VERY crowded genre. While there have been tons of great caper films, this movie focuses very little on the robbery itself and much more on the plan to capture the crooks. And, this plan includes Vicki vamping Thomas Crown very, very, very slowly (sometimes too slowly). Oddly, she announces that she is going to catch him--something that is quite stylish as well as completely illogical.

So how does this film stack up with such great films as "Rififi", "Grand Slam", "Bob Le Flambeur", "Le Deuxieme Soufflé", "The Asphalt Jungle", "The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three" (the original),"The League of Gentlemen", "Kansas City Confidential", "Oceans Eleven" (also the original) and "Odds Against Tomorrow"?! The bottom line is that ALL these films I just mentioned are great films--and by comparison, while "The Thomas Crown Affair" is good, it just doesn't stack up as well. This film is very, very stylish (with lots of costume changes and jet-set locales) but occasionally makes logical jumps. How does Vicki KNOW Thomas Crown committed the crime?! She just KNOWS. The same could go for her finding the driver for the caper--she just KNOWS. Also, while the heist is very well executed, ALL five guys are wearing sunglasses INSIDE a bank and this doesn't draw suspicion?! Fortunately, the film does end well and there is plenty to keep your interest. Not great but well done and very watchable.

The Thomas Crown Affair is a very good movie, that I do think is superior to its remake. While its remake is although stylish and slicker perhaps, what it lacked was the clever interplay between the two leads. The film does look a little dated and starts off slowly, but there are some nice locations and costumes especially that exquisite dress Faye Dunnaway wears in the chess scene. Director Norman Jewison directs with precision, and the screenplay has an essence of sophistication. The plot is tense in places, subtle in others. The music is outstanding, and the song Windmills of Your Mind thoroughly deserved the Oscar it won for it is a superb song. The performances are brilliant; Steve McQueen plays Thomas Crown with style and intent and Faye Dunnaway looking as stunning as ever was a revelation as Vicki Anderson. What stood out most of all was the chess scene, one of the most sensual scenes in any movie, and the heist itself was cool. All in all, stylish and underrated. It has its flaws, but it is a definite affair to remember. 8/10 Bethany Cox