Topkapi - 1964 film review

Eight years ago, I wrote an introduction for Eric Ambler's The Light of Day, an Edgar-winning novel that appeared in the British Library's Classic  Thrillers series. The book was filmed as Topkapi, but I've never got round to watching it until now. It's a highly rated movie, although to be brutally honest, my impression is that it's over-rated. Or perhaps it simply hasn't worn as well as I'd hoped. I certainly enjoyed it much less than the book.

This is a heist story, about a woman who decides to steal a valuable gem from the Topkapi Palace and recruits her ex-lover (Maximilian Schell) and a gang of amateurs with no criminal record to do the necessary. The film is directed by Jules Dassin, best known for Rififi. He decided to cast his wife, Melina Mercouri, in the lead role, and his son Joe also appears. I'm afraid I didn't find Melina's performance as charismatic as I should have done.

Two notable British actors play important parts. Robert Morley, who I felt was at least a bit less irritating than usual, is a member of the gang, and the role of Arthur Simpson - who is the book's narrator - is taken by Peter Ustinov, who actually won an Oscar for his performance. Ustinov is, certainly, the best thing about the film.

Heist films tend to be samey in terms of structure, so it's important, I think, for them to be handled with pace and verve. Ocean's Eleven, The Italian Job, and The League of Gentlemen are all great examples of how to bring new life to the formula. The main problem here, given the quality of the source material, is that for most of the time things move at a funereal pace. And although it's said to be a comedy, genuinely funny moments are few and far between. Given the film's reputation, I'd expected much better.