The Heist Film: ‘The Killing’ (’56) & “Reservoir Dogs’ (‘92)

Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) opposite the police officer he has captive (Kirk Baltz) in the infamous “ear cutting” scene. This scene was allegedly improvised by Madsen.

The “heist film.” It has been around for generations. It has permeated the oldest of classic films in The Great K & A Train Robbery (1926), classic film noir in The Asphalt Jungle (1950), non-American film noir in Rififi (1955), and even more popular films like the original Ocean’s 11 (1960) and the 2001 remake, The Italian Job (1969) and its 2003 remake, and films that could be…