The Thief is narrated by a man looking back at his childhood in a post-WWII Soviet society, but while the narration might be that of an adult's, Chukhrai makes the perspective of the camera distinctly childlike. The protagonist, Sanja, never gets to see the full view of the world; Chukhrai cuts people off before the viewer (and by assumption, this is what Sanja sees) can do a full once-over, and inside shots rarely lift to reveal the ceiling or tops of windows. The physical landscape begins to take cues from the camera and Sanja's surroundings become increasingly claustrophobic. Eventually the "family" is living in a basement communal apartment, with only a stunted view of the world; the scene in which the boy stares longingly out the dwarfed window is reminiscent of Abram Room's Bed and Sofa. So similar is this technique, in fact, that it produces a similar effect: Sanja and his mother, are having their freedom restricted by Toljan and they are trapped. Chukhrai takes advantage of long shots when he has them, and slowly pans to reveal Sanja's mother giving birth, a dream sequence in which Sanja sees his father, or the empty winter landscape. These scenes disrupt the child's-perspective and the flittering camera cuts that work to keep up with the action and add a hazy, dreamlike quality to the film. Of particular note is the acting of Misha Philipchuk. While it's easy to extend a fair amount of grace and not expect a stunning performance from child actors, Philipchuk is mesmerizing as Sanja. The acting overall is very solidly done, and the other aspects of the film (cinematography, innovative perspective of camera, script) are all done with noticeable skill.
Review of The Thief
