Calling "Tre per una rapina" a thriller doesn't quite get the point across. True, the framework story is about a bank robbery by 4 young men, but most of the running time is spent on their respective personal background, a kind of character (or social) study. One, for example, came from southern Italy to Germany and tried relatively unsuccessful to earn money through honest work. His story is reminiscent of the Italian neo-realism of the 1950s, not only because of the burned out b/w look of the flick. Another robber tries to impress his funky new girlfriend (Barbara Steele in an uncharacteristically funny role), another feels exploited by his father, a factory boss, etc.
The bank robbery itself is amateurishly filmed. The stylistic quality in general isn't sufficient, the most annoying bit is a know-it-all narrator explaining everything in words, instead of letting the pictures do the talking. On the soundtrack, a jazz band happily improvises background music which most of the time is not fitting the darker mood of the story. Therefore, as a thriller, "Tre per una rapina" lacks suspense, as a social study, it lacks quality. Even several good actors (Peters, Steele, Trooger) can't save it.
The bank robbery itself is amateurishly filmed. The stylistic quality in general isn't sufficient, the most annoying bit is a know-it-all narrator explaining everything in words, instead of letting the pictures do the talking. On the soundtrack, a jazz band happily improvises background music which most of the time is not fitting the darker mood of the story. Therefore, as a thriller, "Tre per una rapina" lacks suspense, as a social study, it lacks quality. Even several good actors (Peters, Steele, Trooger) can't save it.