THIEVES LIKE US | Dir. Robert Altman | 1974 | 123 min | PG | 35mm

THIEVES LIKE US (1974), pairs Shelley Duvall and Keith Carradine as romantic leads and ultimate Altman-esque anti-heroes. In keeping with his taste of complex and layered sound, no score was composed for the film; instead all music is diegetic. Radio programs feature prominently in the background of the film. This was an early example of Altman’s love for and inclusion of radio programs.

THIEVES LIKE US is the fourth film in this season’s Master Series. Between September and November Calgary Cinematheque is presenting a selection of Robert Altman’s films released between 1971 and 1977, a period in which his work exemplified the Maverick style for which he became known. The films inherent to this collection showcase Altman’s unrelenting tendency to de- and then re-construct Hollywood genre, his unmistakable blending of scripted and improvised dialogue, and the trademark of a uniquely mobile camera.