“The Italian Job” The charm of young Michael Caine explodes! Exciting car action that dashed through the end of the 1960s

legendary last scene

As a result, the reason why "The Italian Job" ended up with a completely different style from the conventional car action movies that overwhelm others by revving up a powerful engine is all because of the Mini Cooper. The Mini is extremely maneuverable. It can move smoothly through the small gaps in the traffic jam like an acrobat with a cool look on its face.

The action scenes by the famous stuntman Remy Julien (the 007 series, etc.), who passed away last year at the age of 90, are now all legendary. He runs freely inside buildings and arcades, slides diagonally down the cobblestones of a church, then sprints up to the dome-shaped roof of an indoor stadium, and finally runs across the roof of the Fiat factory and jumps with great force! This is the smartness that only a Mini can have. His graceful movements, which are almost like dancing, are extremely satisfying to watch.

"The Italian Job" (c)Photofest / Getty Images

Thus, as if guided by fate, they arrive at the famous "cliff-hanger ending." For those who haven't seen it yet, I won't go into detail (or rather, it's a literal one), but this is a fitting final scene to the swinging 60s, or, depending on how you look at it, it could even be said that one body remains in the 60s while the other has already plunged into the 70s.

Although the creators saw it as a stepping stone to a sequel, in the end, despite the film's huge success in the UK, no sequel was ever made.

And Michael Caine himself, as if he had no regrets about the sequel, started a new legend in the 1970s with the hard revenge drama "The Sniper" (1971), which was unimaginable from the comical nature of "The Italian Job". His role is that of a gangster who pursues his enemy silently. He doesn't even have an impressive smile. The vividness of this transformation is nothing short of amazing.

"Sniper" trailer

No, it's not just the 70s. After all, Kane didn't lose his charm in the 80s and 90s, and even in the 00s and beyond, he continues to exert his presence as an important weight in the work. The roles he is required to play have changed a lot with age, but when he smiles, the atmosphere becomes relaxed and relaxed, and the whole work becomes fragrant and gorgeous.

It is often said that an actor's "peak period" is only a short time in total. However, Michael Caine has always been in his prime. He is one of the rare actors who has been allowed to remain in his prime.

Reference materials:

"The Italian Job" DVD (Paramount Japan/2006) audio commentary, bonus footage

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/movies/secrets-behind-cars-and-stunts-italian-job

https://www.topgear.com/node/283886

https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/the-italian-job-film-locations

Text: USHIZU ATSUNOBU

Born in Nagasaki in 1977. When he was 3 years old, he saw ``Superman II'' with his father and became fascinated with movies. After The Graduate from Meiji University, he worked for a movie broadcasting channel and then became a movie writer. Currently, in addition to writing for Eiga.com, EYESCREAM, Real Sound Movie Club, etc., he also contributes to media press and theater programs.

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(c) Photofest / Getty Images