MovieChat Forums > Thief (1981) Discussion > Leo...(SPOILERS)

Leo...(SPOILERS)

posted 10 years ago by barryc1
6 replies | jump to latest

For me, this character takes the cake as the scariest mob boss put on film. He's not some yelling, screaming unhinged Joe Pesci psycho. Instead he's calm, calculating, and pure evil. He can go from being a warm, grandfatherly figure to cold and reptilian in the snap of a freaking finger. That whole speech to Frank after murdering his friend...chilling stuff. Son of a b*tch got what was coming to him in the end though.

Take him to the little room...for the questioning.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] grapeape67 10 years ago

I had no idea this was Robert Prosky's first film. At age 50!
Wonder what he was doing before that.
He absolutely nails the character of Leo.
Warm on the outside, but you f with him, and he shows you what a cruel, heartless b astard he is underneath.
I know Frank plays by his own rules, but if he agreed to keep working with Leo, would Leo have kept his end of the bargain?
You know the supposed "investments in shopping centers", etc.?
Up until that point, Leo seemed to really like Frank, and appeared to want to be a partner with him.

[–] barryc1 9 years ago

Leo, I imagine, had the same attitude toward Frank that Michael Vick did toward his dogs.

Take him to the little room...for the questioning.

[–] Darren (1451) a year ago

Not "if you f with him," (although I'm sure the response would be the same if you did) rather, "if you don't knuckle under," if you don't let him control you as if you were his property."

Frank was very up front: he didn't like working for a boss; he was freelance. He would agree to take a few jobs for Leo, in exchange for Leo helping him adopt a kid and get his retirement nest egg, but he wanted his money in cash, and when he'd done the agreed upon jobs, he was out. Retired. He'd run his car dealership, and enjoy the white picket fence and legitimate lifestyle for the rest of his days. Leo agreed to this.

Then, when it comes time to honor his agreement, he gets amnesia. Frank objects, and Leo comes off like Frank is being ungrateful. Frank is having none of it, and reminds him that they had a deal, and Leo needs to live up to it. Leo's response is to kill Frank's best friend, threaten his family, and tell him that he is basically Leo's slave. Leo's mistake was doing that on a guy who was willing to burn down his own life and his dream before he'd accept the complete loss of his freedom.

[–] Noir-It-All 9 years ago

It's like Sidney Greenstreet in the Maltese Falcon.

[–] Stirchley 9 years ago

Reminded me of The Greek in The Wire.