STUDIO: Music Box/Doppelganger | DIRECTOR: Havana Marking
DVD RELEASE DATE: 12/3/2013 | PRICE: DVD $19.95
BONUSES: director interview, featurette, animated storyboards, Pink Panther phone call, robbery footage, more
SPECS: NR | 89 min. | Documentary | 1.33:1 widescreen | Dolby Digital 5.1RATINGS (out of 5 dishes): Movie
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People considering a career change towards international jewel thievery may want to take note of Smash & Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers, Havana Marking’s (Afghan Star) new documentary about some real-world jewelry thieves, which has a few great pointers. But what starts out as a glitzy, glamorous thriller full of high-speed chases and Tarantino-esque heists becomes a poignant examination of our world’s political economy, making for a thoughtful, worthwhile film.
Dubbed “Pink Panthers” for the obvious reason, these million-dollar jewel thieves share a common background—they’re all Yugoslavian. Which brings up some interesting history. A country plunged into civil and ethnic disarray with the death of longtime dictator Tito, former Yugoslavia became the scorn of the western world in the mid90’s, earning itself UN bombing raids and, more damagingly, economic sanctions, which forced average, middle class citizens into survival mode virtually overnight. Smuggling all kinds of basic household goods became common and necessary—so much so that the government itself allowed and encouraged such clandestine behavior. Given that even today, the former Yugoslavia remains a third class political citizen mired by economic depression, the prominence of the Pink Panthers should come as no surprise to anyone.
Diamonds are the Pink Panthers' best friend in Smash & Grab.
While the film doesn’t glamorize this illegal group, it certainly sympathizes with them. Despite allowing the other side (Interpol agents) their say, it’s the jewel thieves that receive the majority of screen time, their interviewed images recreated by lip-synching actors (who are then animated for further stylistic effect). It’s hard not to relate to the story of a teenage girl dreaming of raising a family someday, or with the experienced ringleader who’s lived through war and famine—a reminder to us that many people who have experienced both communism and capitalist globalism would willingly go back to the “golden age” of the iron curtain, strange as that may sound to western ears.
The cops mockingly remind us that these guys are no Robin Hoods, but it’s hard to feel any kind of scorn when the only victims are the ultrarich’s wallets, foiled by some elegantlyexecuted, nonviolent heists. Though it does reveal the thieves’ lives to be full of stress and paranoia, Smash & Grab’s underlying philosophy is clear: this is nature balancing itself, the only logical consequence to the actions of a species unable to govern itself fairly.
DVD extras include a short featurette explaining the animation process that plays a key role in the film. While animation is almost cliché in modern docs, it’s nicely executed here; the ultrarealistic rotoscoping is highlydramatized and stylish, a perfect companion to some fascinating criminal anecdotes that give Scorsese a run for his money. The DVD also gives you an oddly dramatic film about the robberies made by and for the police, some genuine CCTV footage of a break-in, and some deleted material, including an unused audio interview with one of the robbers. A Q&A with director Marking about the logistics involved in interviewing both international criminals and the detectives hoping to catch them makes for a thoughtful contemplation on the symbiotic relationship between Hollywood’s mythical gangster films and our modern world. All in all, a solid package.
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