this be a fun movie and and i recommend it with only two reservation which i will get back to . sean connery rarely be in historic costume film ( the only two that come to my mind be the red tent and the indian jones movie that he make and and they be set in fairly modern time 1928 and the 1930s to be exact ) . he pull off edward pierce with elegant aplomb and a brilliant and inventive gentleman thief who one root for . leslie anne down be properly coquettish and sluttish when her goal require it . and donald sutherland be properly lovable a a successful pickpocket and thief ( i love his snap his knuckle to make his hand more limber ) who ally himself with connery to carry off the theft . he also make the most purple face cholera corpse on film ( you have to be there to understand why ) . the sense of the film setting be good too and from the vintage 1850 train and carriage to the use of joseph paxton crystal palace in a scene . the original palace burn down in 1936 and but the model ( although it look like a model ) be a nice reminder of the time and place . now my reservation represent michael crichton novel be an examination of the hypocrisy of victorian england . take an actual 1855 robbery ( probably the first really great theft commit on a train of gold bullion need in for the crimean war ) and crichton examine the existence of the very rich and privileged and the very and very poor in the slum . he look at bordello that the rich frequent and or the public execution . much of this be in the film . down repel the advance of the fat bank official in the train be an example and a be the public execution of a poisoner the chant the good people yell a the woman be hang and oh my and i think i have to die be an actual chant use by the public at those occasion . but crichton also note the irony of the way the public attack the train thief while embrace the idiot run the crimean war that the gold be for . in the novel pierce bring up the murderous james brudenell in court . he refer to lord cardigan and the fool who lead the charge of the light brigade . the court rebuke pierce . that be not in the movie . secondly and in reality pierce be more villainous than the film ( and connery ) make him . we do see connery character strangle willie and the human fly who he use to steal one of the key he need . but willie have peach on connery and the gang to the police . in the actual case pierce have cheat several of the others in the division of the spoil . he be well cover when the prison sentence be hand out ( because he plan the crime and and the others perform it ) . the judge in the case and angry at how pierce behave and sentence his one or two year sentence to solitary confinement which be very hard on most prisoner . and he serve the sentence he do not escape the police a the film have it . despite those reservation this be still a grand film to watch .