User reviews

The film talks a hold-up to Turkish museum carried out by a motley group : Melina Mercouri , Maximiliam Schell , Jess Hahn , Gilles Segal . They are pursued by a chief policeman who blackmails to Peter Ustinov to get undercover in the band.

From the beginning until ending the good mood and humor is continued . The plot is very amusing and the final has got an extraordinary surprise . In the movie there are comedy , action , tongue-in-cheek , giggles and results to be very bemusing . The highlight and great climax , of course , is the heist which is developed with imposing tension and intrigue . The robbing has been imitated thousand times in European films as well as American movies (Mission impossible). This picture along with ¨Rififi¨(also by Jules Dassin) created during the 60s and forward an authentic genre .

The title of the film refers to the Topkapi palace built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II in 1459, after the fall of the Byzantine Empire , the Ottoman sultans made their main residence in the Topkapi palace for 400 years , it became a museum in 1924 . The motion picture attained a lot of success and originated copies , rip offs and awful imitations . Actors's interpretation are excellent , Peter Ustinov is magnificent and Robert Morley is top-notch specially . Manos Hadjidakis' musical score is cheerful and enjoyable . The picture was very well directed by Jules Dassin (Melina Mercouri's husband).

The yarn will appeal to comedy enthusiasts and robbery genre fans . Rating : Above average . Well worth watching .

Before "Mission Impossible" made every big heist a challenge for technology, there were movie efforts like "Topkapi" which played the human element in the big scam.

A wonderful and truly international cast is assembled here for this 60's effort that showcases Istanbul. Melina Mercouri is marvelous, blending humor and sensuality with her hard side. Maximillian Schell is excellent as the leading man with all the answers while Peter Ustinov is the classic bumbler. Akim Tamiroff adds additional levity as the irascible cook.

Not sure I was totally satisfied with the outcome but it's such a rollicking and colorful ride, give director Jules Dassin top marks anyway.

With beautiful camerawork in Istanbul and Greece and an equally intriguing plot, Jules Dassin brings to the screen a film worthy to be considered alongside his masterpieces "Du rififi chez les hommes" and "Naked City". Peter Ustinov follows up his Oscar-winning performance in "Spartacus" with a second award for best supporting actor, while playing a "schmo"--a lowly, disgraceful, British rogue living in Greece as the self-proclaimed "un-crowned king of the nightlife": Arthur Simon Simpson. Getting involved in much more than he bargained for, Simpson enters a ring of double-crosses as an informer for Turkish Intelligence while still hoping to line his pockets with filthy lucre.

The show, however, is stolen by the seductive, raspy-voiced Elizabeth Lipp, played by Greek beauty Melina Mercouri (who was also in the starring role of Dassin's "Phaedra" two years earlier--as well as "Pote tin Kyriaki" (1960), "La Legge" (1958), and "Celui qui doit mourir" (1957)--and whom the director would marry two years later). The curvy enchantress draws in Walter Harper (Maximilian Schell) and Cedric Page (Robert Morley I), offering them their cut on the biggest heist ever--the theft of the sultan's jewel-encrusted dagger from the Istanbul Museum.

However, there is a problem. The museum is impenetrable, equipped with a state-of-the-art alarm system that requires a strong man to hoist an acrobat from above the museum and slowly lower him into the treasure trove while avoiding security (à la "Mission Impossible" and "Oceans Eleven"). An unattended, even ironic, ending makes this film a classic in the genre as the dénouement keeps the viewer attached to the screen all the way up to the credits.

Not quite the masterpiece of a "Bob le Flambeur" or "Rififi", this film is in the top ten of its genre and is crucial in its intrigue and influence on future heist ("casse") films. Highly enjoyable, with the right balance of humor, suspense and allure (thanks to Melina Mercouri) to establish it as a touchstone in the genre, Dassin's caper is a cinema classic.

Geez, I can't get over all the sour comments about this film on this site. Long? Boring? These must be the feelings of MTV kids who can't focus on an image for longer than thirty seconds... For the rest of you looking for the perfect caper film, look no farther. Exotic locale... great cast... memorable score... Topkapi has it all. In my opinion, this is a far superior film to Jules Dassin's earlier Riffifi. Topkapi is glamorous, funny, exciting -- but above all, fun.

Jules Dassin's Topkapi was one of the lavish heist movies, set in touristy locales, that were all the vogue four decades ago. And Dassin executes the heist itself -- of an emerald-encrusted dagger from the famed museum in Istanbul -- with grace, precision and suspense. But it's a very long time coming.

Dassin seems reluctant even to start the movie, dilly-dallying with a proto-psychedelic opening sequence involving games of chance and glittering gems. Then Melina Mercouri, shot in an iridescent haze, bulldozes her way out to address the audience but fails owing to her thick-as-moussaka accent. Finally we get to the rounding up of the gang of amateurs who will pull off the caper: mastermind Maximilian Schell, Robert Morley, Peter Ustinov, Gilles Segal (as a deaf-mute gymnast), and Mercouri.

The plotting and rehearsing of the crime take up most of the movie, leaving us to be entertained by the characters, none of which is really written. So instead we get each actor's idiosyncratic bag of tricks. And while Morley and Ustinov reliably amuse us, Schell flaunts his Continental-cool duds with a smug smirk frozen on his face. Mercouri, meanwhile, vamps it up like a demented drag queen doing Joan Crawford. What little friction exists among the cast members gets played for laughs -- no subversive subplots, no separate agendas are afoot.

Dassin made his reputation directing tough, unsentimental films in the noir cycle: Brute Force, Thieves' Highway, Night and the City. When forced back to Europe by the Hollywood blacklist, he did a superior caper film, Rififi; Topkapi seems a belated attempt to recapture it. But the chilled-down, ironic style that came into fashion in the early 1960s doesn't suit his earnest talents. Topkapi remains professional and pleasant but is now looking more and more like a period piece.

Jules Dassin's film version of Eric Ambler's book "The Light of Day" seems more like a light-hearted variation of his French heist-drama "Rififi" from 1955. A glamorous Greek thief and her Swiss lover concoct an ingenious plan to rob an emerald-studded dagger from the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul with help from a disparate group of wily characters. Peter Ustinov (wonderful) received the Supporting Actor Oscar as a British con-artist in Turkey who is initially recruited by Turkish security to keep an eye on this raffish team. The picture works mostly on a visual level, with a bravura use of color coupled with spiky editing to propel the story. If only the screenplay had been wittier, Dassin and company might have turned out a masterpiece of the genre. The movie simply isn't as sharp or funny as one might hope. The heist sequence is breathlessly intricate, and the sardonic finale is also a dandy...and yet there is a puzzling feeling of dissatisfaction which hangs over the end results. **1/2 from ****

One of the most entertaining heist films of all time. Full of original ideas, smartly written and joyfully directed. And, if all that wasn't enough, Peter Ustinov! He won his second Oscar as best supporting actor for this creation - an unsuccessful small time crook, intelligent enough to know that he's not intelligent enough - without country and without future. Ustinov soars. He is surrounded by a group of Euro-heavy weights, Melina Mercouri, Maximilian Schell, Robert Morley, Akim Tammiroff. The suspense, fun filled entrance to the Topkapi museum was stolen and disguised with a multi dollar budget by Brian De Palma and his accomplices in the first Mission Impossible without being able to duplicate the suspense, the fun, the humanity or the innocence of the proceedings. The locations are another treat, the music, the costumes and the honesty with which the dishonesty of the characters is portrayed. A true delight.

Heist stories are usually appealing to me, and this one is, too, despite the fact the actual jewelry heist doesn't take place until the last 15 minutes out of two- hour movie! Today, this would probably be considered way too slow, compared to most modern crime movies.

Nonetheless, I thought the story of it all was interesting enough to keep one's attention, Peter Ustinov won honors for his performance which, indeed, steals the spotlight from the two others stars of the film, Melina Mercouri and Maximllian Shell.

For a "leading lady," and one who is portrayed or at least has the air of a sexy woman, I found Mercouri anything but that. In fact, I thought she bordered on being repulsive, especially with those 1960s fake eyelashes. She was the worst part of this film.

There is decent photography in here and some good Greek music which plays throughout the film. It gives the movie a unique flavor, something akin to the zither played in "The Third Man."

Overall, a pretty good movie but a bit overrated by the critics.

Melina Mercouri introduces herself as a thief who doesn't hide the way she feels about the most wonderful emeralds… She wants to rob a dagger encrusted with fascinating gemstones…

One of her potential partners is her former lover Maximilian Schell, a very distinguished crook who fights at his best when he fights in a corner… Schell wants to pick his crew from amateurs with no police records, and strike the most protected fortress…

Peter Ustinov won his first Best Supporting Oscar for his amusing performance as the clever middle-aged 'nobody' who could have gone far but he always plays for small stakes…

Ustinov is the victim of circumstances, caught at the Turkish border with a riffle and six grenades… For that, his mission is to spy on the spies, and report to the Turkish security everything he overhears-no matter how trivial it may seem to him… The police gives him a chance to prove that he is not a terrorist… He accepts to work with them…

With a funny toy man who proposes to get into the palace museum without touching the floor; a mute acrobat who talks with his whole body; a mad muscle man who hates a drunken cook; a showman with no problems at the customs border; plus Islamic mosques; ancient streets; colorful bazaars; oiled wrestlers; talented belly dancers; and fable roofs; "Topkapi" overlooks both the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus, offering bright moments with a final suspense sequence in the 'Rififi' manner

Every single moment of Topkapi that dealt with the heist was an absolute thrill to me. It has been a long time since I watched a movie that had me holding my breath to this degree, but there were so many moments when I couldn't wait to see what would happen next (including a scene that clearly inspired an iconic moment from the first Mission: Impossible film.) I also loved how this movie embraced the idea of building a team of people who all have specific roles to play in the heist. Between watching the team assembling and seeing how they adapt to problems along the way, I was hooked. I only wish they got to the actual job a little earlier in the film. There was a long stretch of time where they do nothing of importance, and I was worried it might get boring. I also didn't fully understand the reason that they involved Peter Ustinov in their plot in the first place, which seemed to be a massive inconvenience created solely to add drama to the film.

That being said, I would never complain about Ustinov's presence in any movie. He's a great actor, and works well in this bumbling role. I also quite enjoyed Maximilian Schell as the mastermind and Robert Morley as the gadget man. Where Topkapi truly fell flat for me was Melina Mercouri. She had basically no purpose in the film, and did nothing more than serve as a distraction during the heist. Her entire performance rubbed me the wrong way, and I practically began the film rooting against the team simply because they were stealing something that was ostensibly for her. There were plenty of good things in Topkapi to win me back, and she isn't on screen during the best parts of the movie, so I still enjoyed my time with it. There are certainly better heist/caper films that I've seen, but Topkapi has all the right qualities to be on that list. I will probably even give it another try in the future, and perhaps my complaints won't bother me so much then.

The guy who talked about an alternative ending in two reviews here got the film mixed up.

The alternative ending he mentions is from the movie "Grand Slam (1967)", starring Janet Leigh and Robert Hoffmann.

Unfortunately, it's hard to concentrate on what's happening in the film because you're constantly confronted with the catastrophic miscasting of the main actress.

Melina Mercouri as a man-devouring nymphomaniac is about as fitting as Danny de Vito as James Bond.

The first part is a bit long-winded and garrulous, but the depiction of the burglary is staged in an exciting way.

I like films from the '60s. This is a mess, esp the casting. Mercouri plays some supposed love-interest & sex bombshell, but she is a mess. She is just plain scary. Then Ustinov acts like a clown in nearly all of his scenes. The scenes where Ustinov is clownishly getting the hots for Mercouri must be some of the most cringe-worthy scenes in history. Other reviews with low ratings detail all the problems better than I can be bothered to do.

Topkapi is a wonderful caper film that established the genre of the light heist flick. Much copied even to this day, it was a big international hit back in '64. Marvelous international cast (Ustinov's Oscar winning performance among them), exotic settings and a great climax is pure entertainment. Ustinov, Melina Mercouri, Max Shell, Robert Morley, Akim Tamiroff (demented!) and more. What a terrific international all star cast! Exciting movie in it's day, though some of the effects are dated to the 60's. If it seems a bit slow at the beginning (by today's standards), give it a chance. The climax art museum theft scene is one of the great moments in film - don't miss it!

"Topkapi" was very dated. The credits and the beginning featured a freewheeling 1960's style that looks goofy today. Melina Mercouri was miscast. She had an exotic appeal but was way too old to play the hot babe. Peter Ustinov was somewhat of an irritant. He played his character well but that character was just a hindrance to the caper and would have never been included in a serious crime. Robert Morley was good but Jess Hahn and Gilles Ségal were just playing types, competent but they didn't really stand out in their roles. Akim Tamiroff was a waste of time. I was disappointed in the movie. It was too light to be considered seriously and not really a comedy. The actual robbery scene was good but rest of the movie was tiresome. Watch "Du rififi chez les hommes" to see a good caper movie.

"Topkapi" is a classic. In it, a group of criminals with a plan to break into the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, and steal a jewel-encrusted dagger. Melina Mercouri stars as Elizabeth Lipp, the mastermind behind the heist. Peter Ustinov is along for the ride as Arthur Simon Simpson, who does a good turn of comic relief. The movie shows beautiful shots of Greece and Turkey on its wild trip. It's similar to the original "Ocean's Eleven," as you root for the thieves. You find yourself hoping crime will pay! The last shot of the movie shows more of the fun spirit present in the movie. In the end, I wondered a little about the continuing adventures of the characters. Surely, this caper deserves investigation!

We all know that a film can look good on paper as long as there are film fans who have not seen it.It is only by watching a particular film that a film fan is in a position to decide whether it is a masterpiece or a terrible piece of entertainment ? "Topkapi" is known as a brilliant heist film but film critic Lalit Rao could not really get to appreciate it as this film's lead players choose to spend their time in pursuing other pleasure activities instead of concentrating on their heist plans.It is due to this and other plot related inconsistencies that Topkapi can be considered as an absolutely weak effort by maestro of heist film genre Monsieur Jules Dassin.He is known to have made better films where action spoke louder than words. While watching "Topkapi",one can surely notice that there are too many nice views of Turkey.It is not known whether it was all intentionally relevant or director Jules Dassin wanted to achieve a kind of exotic nirvana in order to find spiritual enlightenment in Istanbul.It is due to these reasons that there are moments in this film where it appears as if it is nothing but a glamorous propaganda film made for Turkish government with a sole objective of giving a boost to local tourism industry.It is only for 20 minutes of its heist sequence that "Topkapi" is able to cement interest in viewers' minds.Alas,by that time viewers must surely have made up their mind to stop paying any attention to what is happening with the film.

This film involves a collection of rogues who set out to steal a fabulous jewel encrusted dagger from an Istanbul museum, protected by an "Indiana Jones" style nest of security features and traps, not knowing they are being watched by Turkish undercover agents mistakenly believing them to be terrorists.

Filmed on location in Turkey and Paris, this film is a droll sparkling delight, a skillful blending of humor and suspense, with a touch of the exotic, making, at times, magnificent use of Istanbul for its scenic backdrop. Unlike the same director's most famous heist film, the legendary Rififi, Topkapi is light hearted in tone, but its big heist sequence is genuinely ingenious and suspenseful.

Aside from the film's physical attractiveness with its color photography, much of its appeal lies with its cast of players, headed by Maximilian Schell as the mastermind behind the robbery, Melina Mercouri, Robert Morley, a spectacularly bizarre and slovenly Akim Tamiroff and, above all, Peter Ustinov as a small time hustler who becomes involved in the scheme. Ustinov's delightfully bumbling everyman (called a "schmo" by Schell when first spotting him) won him his second Academy Award as best supporting actor.

Not nearly as good as the series that was based on it, Mission Impossible. In fact, it's rather slow. Only the break-in sequence (subsequently "borrowed" in the Mission Impossible movie, but also in many forms in the TV series) is truly interesting.

Topkapi is a great example of those silly ass, slapstick comedies of the 60's, that look like a vaudeville cabaret, and not like a movie. Those films were not funny enough to be a straight forward comedy, and were too silly to be taken for a crime, thriller or any other genre it was supposed to be. Topkapi is a such case in it's purest form. The character that should have carried the comedy part here is Peter Ustinov, and he just can't do it, first because he's no Peter Sellers, and second because the script has very few punch lines for him, so the comedy part rests solely on circus acts, clown and acrobatic, and that makes the whole thing look rather stupid.

Maximilian Schell is the only one who looks half as decent and the casting of Melina Mercouri is the biggest mistake of all. I know that she was director's girlfriend, at the time the movie was made,(later his wife) but come on? Could they have hired more inappropriate actress for this role in those days. She looks like a wicked witch of the east, and ruins any comedic pleasantry that this movie could have possessed with her sinister gaze that chills you to the bone, and laughter that sounds like it's been taken from a Roger Corman horror film. And she uses both with no restrain, so after a while it makes you really sick. You can think of any other major actress of the day, and she would be more appropriate for the film that is supposed to be funny and nice to look at. There is no story for 120 minutes here, so it goes nowhere most of the time, and the dreary Turkish scenery doesn't help at all. Avoid.