Made with no dialogue, THEY STOLE THE BOMB is a Romanian sci-fi, spy-comedy featuring a mixture of pantomime, slapstick, and visual gags. The story centers around a criminal gang of Runyonesque hoods who steal an atomic bomb, only to have it end up in the hands of a man who has no idea the briefcase he's carrying around town contains the deadly device. Hilarity abounds as the petty thieves attempt to retrieve the bomb and end up battling with the military over its ownership.

Produced at the height of the Cold War in a style reminiscent of the works of Jacques Tati, THEY STOLE THE BOMB had its international premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and received critical praise by the contemporary press who called it an “exuberant comedy” (Daily Telegraph) and a “subtle and frequently hilarious satire” (Edinburgh Evening News).

DIRECTED BY ION POPESCU-GOPO
ROMANIA | 1961 | NO DIALOGUE