AllMovie

The Thief is built on a gimmick - that the entire film is told sans dialogue - and one's reaction to it will likely depend on how interested one is in that gimmick. There's a justification for taking this approach, beyond the challenge of telling a film without dialogue: the main character is, in effect, isolated and incapable of actual communication. Because of the situation in which he finds himself, there is no one whom he can totally trust, no one to whom he can reveal himself - in other words, literally no one to whom he can talk, and filming the picture without dialogue metaphorically emphasizes this. Still, even with that justification, it is still a gimmick, and one must give director/co-writer Russell Rouse credit for taking up this challenge and for doing such an excellent job of meeting it. Rouse brilliantly finds ways of telling the story without sacrificing any tension, suspense, or emotional impact. working with cinematographer Sam Leavitt, whose noir-ish camerawork is nothing short of a marvel, he shapes and tells the story in a compelling and gripping manner. Yet, the end result is not totally satisfying: without dialogue, motivations and backstory remain murky and the characters undeveloped. Also, at times, the viewer's attention becomes focused more on "how will he work this part without dialogue" rather than on the story itself. Finally, when all is said and done, the story itself is none too original; it's been done before in many other spy films. Rouse is extremely fortunate to have Ray Milland as his star, for his performance is sensational; the depths that he reveals and the nuances he finds are a sheer delight. And Herschel Burke Gilbert's dramatic score is of inestimable help in telling the story.