Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7257 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-09-15
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Italian
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 95 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The greatest Brit-flick crime caper comedy of all time, 1969's The Italian Job towers mightily above its latter-day mockney imitators. After Alfie but before Get Carter Michael Caine is the hippest ex-con around, bedding the birds (several at a time) and spouting immortal one-liners ("You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"). The inheritor of a devious plan to steal gold bullion in the traffic-choked streets of Turin, Caine recruits a misfit team of genial underworld types--including a lecherous Benny Hill and three plummy public-schoolboy rally drivers--and uses the occasion of an England-Italy football match as cover for the heist.

In his final screen appearance, Noel Coward joyfully sends up his own patriotic persona, and there are small though priceless cameos from the likes of Irene Handl and John Le Mesurier. But The Italian Job's real stars are the three Mini Coopers--patriotically decorated red, white and blue--that run rings round every other vehicle in an immortal car-chase sequence, which preserves forever the British public's love affair with the little car. Quincy Jones provided the irreverent music, naturally, while the cliffhanger ending thumbs its nose at anything so un-hip as a resolution. It's all unashamedly jingoistic--ridiculously, gleefully, absurdly so--but the whole sums up the joie de vivre of the 1960s so perfectly that future historians need only look here to learn why the decade was swinging.

On the DVD: The Italian Job disc contains three all-new documentaries--"The Great Idea" (conception), "The Self-Preservation Society" (casting), and "Get a Bloomin' Move On" (stunts)--which dovetail into a good 68-minute "making of" featurette. Contributors include scriptwriter Troy Kennedy Martin and Producer Michael Deeley, who also crops up on the sporadically interesting commentary track with author of The Making of The Italian Job, Matthew Field. The deleted "Blue Danube" waltz scene is also included, with optional commentary. The print is a decent anamorphic transfer of the original 2.35:1 ratio, and the soundtrack has been remastered to Dolby 5.1. The animated Mini Cooper menus set the tone perfectly. --Mark Walker

DVD Description
DVD Special Features:

Commentary track
Documentary
Deleted Scenes
Trailers
Sound: English 5.1, German Restored English Mono, Commentary Surround sound
Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired, English, Arabic, Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Romanian, Swedish, Turkish
Commentary Subtitles: English, German
Anamorphic widescreen, 2.35:1

Synopsis
Charlie Croker, fresh out of prison, takes on a job to steal gold from Italy. In order to finance the raid he enlists the help of Mr Bridger, an established criminal. The team plans to distract the Italian police with a traffic jam whilst they make off with the bullion in three Mini Coopers...

Customer Reviews

The Italian Job
The 'classic' british crime caper. Charlie (Michael Caine) is a cocky career thief who, during a stay at her majesty's pleasure, learns of a foolproof way to pull off the crime caper of the decade by stealing millions of gold bullion from the Italian Government. Unfortunately, on his release from prison, Charlie learns that the brains behind the operation (Rossano Brazzi) has met an untimely end at the hands of the Mafia, whilst finalising the plans for the robbery. With the assistance of the incomparable 'Prison Kingpin' Mr. Bridger (Noel Coward), an undeterred Charlie puts together a team to rob the Italians of their gold bullion in spectacular and unforgettable fashion.

The plan is to cause a traffic jam in the centre of Turin and then using specially adapted Mini Cooper's escape from the gridlocked city by the only remaining route. It's no normal road route though and the car chase that ensues is still probably the best ever captured on film!

It is not a car chase film though, there is so much more to it than that. There is never a dull moment, with plenty of humour and suspence as the mini's make short work of every conceivable obstacle in their desperate bid to heist the gold.

The ending has one of the most quoted lines of any British film and still leaves you on the edge of your seat. A top notch ensemble cast make this an accomplished tour de force of humour and tension that may never be surpassed.

"Get the wheels in line, get the wheels in line..."
How anyone can give this classic film a mere one or two star rating is beyond me, i can only assume they are confused with the truely dire remake that was set in L.A. because frankly that version was a complete waste of time, especially as the original (which i am reviewing) is such a classic.

The storyline which does take time to build up (like all good stories do) is set around the often used scenario of a loveable english ganster mob performing a blag and getting away with it (almost). The script contains much subtle british humour, and the shots of 60's London with empty streets and classic cars are a joy to behold. All the usual ingredients for films of this genre are there, the initial doubt, the bungled rehersals, and the most unlikely looking bunch of crooks ever seen in the same room that somehow on the day, manage to pull it off. The dialogue is sharp and witty and full to the brim with superb one liners, phrases and sayings, some of which have entered the english language, and how many films script can have that claim to fame?

Michael Caine is peerless as Charlie Crocker, with his unique voice and acting style proving to the be the icing on the cake for this classic British caper. It is his acting and the script that provided an undeniable template for many a British gangster\mob film to follow i.e. Lock Stock \ Snatch \ Layer Cake...

What is worth bearing in mind is that at the time of it's original release (1969) England were very much on a high with the sixties still swinging, we were football world champions, and as a country we were looking forward with optimism to the common market and europe, hence the almost celebratory atmosphere throughout, and the light hearted us against them feel of the whole film.

This is not only a truely classic film, it is solid family entertainment with the loveable Mini Coopers providing the 'rule brittania' ending that we all remember so well. Do they ever get the bullion into the Geneva bank ? "Hang on Lads, i've got a great idea..."

Amazing!
One of the best films of all time!. No matter what age group, you will love this!. I loved watching this on TV when i was young and after buying the DVD, i love watching it again! Michael Caine is, as always, amazing and the rest of the cast did a great job. Its a simple story about a big-time robbery they are going pull. This is a well thought of script as its very realistic unlike some other films like this. At the same time it has some very funny moment and one-liners!
It also has a great soundtrack to go along with it! On the DVD there are also some good and interesting Extras.
This DVD is a must have! Well worth the money!