The ” biggest burglary in English law history ” was committed over the Easter weekend 2015. The public has been fascinated by this jewelry heist, in which a criminal group drilled through a 50cm thick concrete wall and broke into 73 boxes of security in London’s Diamond District. They stole PS14m worth of bullion and jewels as well as cash.
Social media has speculated on the actors who will play the main characters in the “caper film,” which is expected to be made based on the crime for which eight men, a woman, and a child have been either convicted or pleaded guilty.
The public’s fascination with crime and the love for rule-breakers has a long tradition. Examples are dating back to Robin Hood and those of 20th-century villains like Bonnie & Clyde or The Great Train Robbers. Over the years, their exploits were celebrated in all media, from ballads to broadsheets to movie epics.
Breaking the rules and ripping off yarns
Even royalty has been enthralled by criminal acts and romanticized crimes. When Col. Blood stole crown jewels from the Tower of London in 1671, his audacity captured the imagination of the nation. Charles II was amused by Blood’s declaration to him that the jewels weren’t worth PS100,000. They were only worth PS6,000. He pardoned Blood and gave him land in Ireland.
Dick Turpin was the most famous highwayman of that era. His legend has been further enhanced by his throwing himself off the scaffold during his hanging, which was viewed as a “good” death. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, for example, is a popular book that tells the story of pirates. Although the reality was very different, even brutes like Edward TEACH (Blackbeard) enjoyed popularity and left behind a legacy that became more unlikely as time passed.
It is important to have an exciting story if you want to become a criminal hero. According to Thomas Ohlgren, your story must include daring deeds and villains. It should also feature adventurous chases, disguises or tricks, narrative suspense, and vile villains. This is the key to creating a crime caper that the audience will love.
There’s no doubt that Hatton Garden Heist is a “good story.”
The police and thieves
The type of crime committed will determine whether or not you are included in the pantheon of “glamorous villains.” Drugs, child abuse, prostitution, as well as people smuggling are not the kind of crimes that make underground heroes. Many people celebrate the Hatton Garden heist because of the daring, cunning, and planning involved.
It is also important to consider the time and place where criminals live and how they commit crimes. Some criminal behavior is more acceptable in 21st-century Western society than others. This is especially true if the crime has no victims or if it can be viewed as a Robin Hood-style criminal enterprise against the wealthy. Highwaymen, pirates, and even the Great Train Robbers targeted rich or faceless authorities. They included Spanish galleons that carried other people’s gold and Post Office trains carrying large amounts of insured money.
John Collins, Daniel Jones, and Terry Perkins have all confessed to their involvement in the plot. Metropolitan Police/PA Wire/Press Association Images
It is important to have a clear image of the criminal. The Krays, despite their violent tendencies, were well-known for being stylish dressers in 1960s London. The Great Train Robbers were portrayed as lads who would be found in pubs in south and east London. Their image was softened with movies like Buster, which starred the likable Phil Collins.
The Hatton Garden Heist is still a mystery. The public is fascinated by their caper. It is up for debate whether the public will warm to this group of older men. This may depend on the casting in the film. What is beyond question, however, is the appeal of a criminal who challenges the system with a criminal act.
Hatton Garden Heist was not the first story that captured public attention. It may be the last of its kind, as the most lucrative and large-scale crimes are now committed online. It’s difficult to imagine how a group of computer geeks could beat the thrill of watching Michael Caine and his friends in an adrenaline-pumping car chase on the streets of Turin.
