Heist Genre Research, history

A heist film is a film that has an intricate plot woven around a group of people trying to steal something. Versions with dominant or prominent comic elements are often called caper movies. They could be described as the analogues of caper stories in film history. Typically, there are many plot twists, and film focuses on the characters' attempts to formulate a plan, carry it out, and escape with the goods. There is often a nemesis who must be thwarted: either a figure of authority or a former partner who turned on the group or one of its members.

As technology and security evolve, so does the criminal guile that seeks to fleece hidden treasures — it's the darker half of innovation, creating a balanced Ying-Yang of wealth. American industries flourished with the advent of train transportation, until they had to contend with the ferocious Jesse James gang. Large banks responsible for the 1920s Depression fell victim to John Dillinger's string of robberies and drew little sympathy from people who held them accountable for the economic collapse. History has taught us that no matter how big the trap, there’s always a sneaky mouse willing to steal the cheese. i think this is where the origin of heist began.

Usually a heist film will contain a three-act plot. The first act usually consists of the preparations for the heist: gathering conspirators, learning about the layout of the location to be robbed, learning about the alarm system, revealing innovative technologies to be used, and, most importantly, setting up the plot twists in the final act. The second act is the heist itself. With rare exception, the heist will be successful, though some number of unexpected events will occur. The third act is the unravelling of the plot. The characters involved in the heist will be turned against one another or one of the characters will have made arrangements with some outside party, who will interfere (often a wise, underestimated detective). Normally, most of or all the characters involved in the heist will end up dead, captured by the law, or without any of the loot; however, it is becoming increasingly common for the conspirators to be successful, particularly if the target is portrayed as being of low moral standing, such as casinos, corrupt organizations or individuals, or fellow criminals.

there are many great films within the history of this genre. such as

1900S-1910S: THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (1903)

The Great Train Robbery (1903) didn't just lay the groundwork for heist films; it changed the way that moviemakers told stories. Edwin S. Porter's landmark 12-minute short was one of the first narrative films, and it utilized some ground breaking cinematic techniques (cross-cutting, non-static camerawork) to tell the tale of a railway heist and its bloody aftermath. Though the film begins with the villains undertaking the job, it's clear from their actions that they've done their homework, executing the heist with cold, occasionally murderous discipline. The Great Train Robbery is one of the most influential films ever made, and its iconic final shot. That of a man firing a gun directly at the camera

1950S: RIFIFI (1955)

Nobody made stylish heist films like the French in the 1950s. Case in point: Jules Dassin's Rififi, a dark, cynical tale of a group of thieves who meticulously plan and execute the perfect jewel heist before falling prey to human nature. Rififi perfected many of the conventions that would inform subsequent caper flicks, from the assembly of the perfect team to the inevitable fallout once the job is completed. However, its pièce de résistance remains the job itself, a wordless, virtuoso 30-minute sequence so precise and tense that it still dazzles today.

 and most recognisably.... 

2000S: OCEAN'S 11 (2001)

Ocean's 11 pulls the rug from underneath the '90s brainy genre exercises that preceded it (Reservoir Dogs, Bottle Rocket, Heat), offering itself as a bubblegum caper filled with heavily stylized shots and a hot ensemble cast espousing witty one-liners. Other new millennium heist films, like The Italian Job (another remake) and The Bank Job, also patterned themselves after classic cinema, though more in line with the grittier style of the 1970s.