2018 4K Restoration! “Every crime has a personality, something like the mind that planned it,” says Vicki Anderson (Faye Dunaway, Chinatown, 3 Days of the Condor), the sleek insurance investigator trying to figure out the intellect behind a bank robbery so stunning, it has Boston’s finest completely baffled. Sophisticated, handsome Thomas Crown (Steve McQueen, Bullitt, The Getaway) has only one worry–what persona he will take on tomorrow. But when the genius rogue pulls off a crime-of-the-century bank heist and finds himself pitted against a nemesis as powerful as he is, his devil-may-care attitude hurls him into an edge-of-your-seat game of intrigue and suspense. The Thomas Crown Affair has all the dazzling personality of the intriguing crime it portrays. The great Norman Jewison (In the Heat of the Night) directed this classic sexy thriller featuring top-notch cinematography by Haskell Wexler (The Conversation) and score by Michel Legrand (Summer of ‘42).

For thoughts on The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/pPsN6xv-QFw?si=_IN8EF6QkZc6qSMw&t=975]

Video Quality

Kino Classics presents The Thomas Crown Affair with a really nice 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K restoration that was conducted back in 2018. Unlike some recent “Special Edition” releases of older titles from their catalog with new encodes and special features, this is the exact same Blu-Ray disc released in 2018, only now it comes with a slipcover for its first printing. While a 4K UHD Blu-Ray would have been a welcome sight with this new release, this Blu-Ray is still a substantial improvement over the dated MGM Blu-Ray from 2011. If you haven’t picked this one up yet, it is absolutely worth it.

The film features some bold, natural colors within the costumes and production design which captures the mod aesthetic of the ‘60s. Black levels are fairly strong with favorable stability throughout. The detail and clarity that we get on this Blu-Ray are terrific with a significant amount of natural film grain intact and resolved without issue. Where the film struggles a bit is in the onslaught of optical shots and split screens, which degrades the image quality as you move further away from the original image. This is not a fault with the transfer, though, and it handles it as well as you would hope. The film appears to be lacking any major signs of dirt and damage, but a few issues still linger. This one does not suffer from any unwanted digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such nuisances. Kino Classics has brought a great disc back into circulation.

Audio Quality

The film has been given a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio presentation that translates this material perfectly well. Dialogue comes through clearly throughout without being engulfed by any competing elements. The track balances vocals with the environmental noises with unimpeachable clarity. The terrific Michel Legrand score maintains a formidable fidelity with almost no drop in quality. You will not find very many moments when the track shows any anomalies such as popping, dropouts, or other signs of damage. Kino Classics has provided a grand audio presentation that presents the film with great confidence. The disc also comes with optional English (SDH) subtitles.

Special Features

Audio Commentaries: There are two great commentary tracks provided in which the filmmaker and film historians discuss the release and legacy of the film, how it functions a bit as style over substance, the background of the performers, the output of Norman Jewison, the development of certain filmmaking techniques used in this picture, and more that gives invaluable insight into the picture.

- Audio Commentary #1: Director Norman Jewison

- Audio Commentary #2: Film Historians Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman

Interview with Director Norman Jewison: A nearly 20-minute interview with director Norman Jewison in which he discusses how he got involved with The Thomas Crown Affair, working with Steve McQueen, the captivating presence of Faye Dunaway, the casting process, getting carte blanche after the success after his early pictures, and more.

Interview with Title Designer Pablo Ferro: An eight-minute piece with Ferro in which he discusses his working relationship with Norman Jewison, his work on The Thomas Crown Affair, his process of discovery, and more.

Three’s A Company – 1967 On The Set Featurette with the Cast & Crew: A nine-minute vintage piece that features brief interviews with the cast and creative team during the production of the picture.

Trailer: The two-minute theatrical trailer for The Thomas Crown Affair is provided here. There are also trailers provided for In The Heat of the Night, The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!, and F.I.S.T.

Final Thoughts

The Thomas Crown Affair is a fun and breezy heist movie that leans into the inherent star power of Steve McQueen quite effectively. Very few people could make the dynamic he develops with Faye Dunaway feel believable, but you can understand the appeal of the narrative turns on some level. The plotting is executed in a thrilling manner which reminds you why the genre can be so fun. This is thanks to the complete control of the legendary Norman Jewison mixed with an aesthetic that allows for a sense of levity. It is good fun. This Blu-Ray release from Kino Classics offers up a respectable A/V presentation and a nice selection of special features. If you are a Steve McQueen fan, this should be in your collection. Recommended

The Thomas Crown Affair (Special Edition) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.