The Big Job (1965) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The movie is set in London and its surrounding outskirts in the early 1950s. The central location is a hollow tree in a quiet rural fringe area, which later becomes enveloped by a newly built housing estate. This spot sits near the boundary wall of a local police station, creating the film's central comedic problem.

• london
• england
• housing estate
• hollow tree
• setting

The story spans two eras: the post-war London of 1950 when the original bank robbery occurs, and 1965 when the criminals are released from prison and return to find the area dramatically changed. This 15-year gap is central to the film's comedy, as the countryside hideout has been replaced by suburban development.

• 1950s
• 1960s
• time period
• post-war
• britain

The film explores three interconnected themes: 'Capers' - the irony that crime is fragile and self-defeating; 'Plans and Deception' - how flawed schemes and misread intentions lead to comic misfortune; and 'Time and Irony' - how the passage of years erodes even the most carefully laid plans, with fate rather than cleverness determining outcomes.

• themes
• crime
• deception
• time
• irony
• fate

George Brain (played by Sid James) is the self-proclaimed leader of the criminal gang, nicknamed 'The Great' Brain. He is charming and confident but prone to overreaching schemes. His fixation on recovering the £50,000 drives the film's central conflict, though his desperation strains his relationships with those around him.

• george brain
• sid james
• leader
• gang
• criminal

Myrtle Robbins is George Brain's longtime girlfriend, portrayed as pragmatic and wary of criminal life. She desires stability and openly doubts whether the hidden loot will bring happiness. Throughout the caper, she serves as both a confidante and a skeptic, often pushing George toward more cautious decisions.

• myrtle robbins
• sylvia syms
• girlfriend
• pragmatic

In 1950, the money is hidden in a hollow tree at a secluded countryside location. By 1965, rapid post-war redevelopment has transformed this area into a housing estate with a police station now standing near the tree. This physical transformation is the source of the film's central comedy - the criminals' perfect hideout has become the worst possible location to retrieve their loot.

• housing estate
• police station
• redevelopment
• location change

Sally Gamely is a widow who rents rooms to the gang, portrayed as observant and shrewd. Her daughter Mildred is a perceptive young woman who becomes entangled in the criminals' schemes. Both characters add a domestic layer to the caper, with their involvement driving much of the house-conflict and improvisation.

• sally gamely
• mildred gamely
• widow
• room rental
• house

The Police Sergeant is a local law enforcement officer staying at the house where the gang operates. His constant presence and routine attention to the gang's behavior create ongoing tension and complicate every attempted escape and alibi. He serves as an obstacle that fuels the film's comedic stalemate between criminals and authority.

• police sergeant
• deryck guyler
• law enforcement
• obstacle
• tension

The film presents crime as fragile and ultimately self-defeating. Despite the gang's bravado and elaborate schemes, luck and human error consistently derail their plans. The twist ending - where mice have shredded the money - underscores this theme, suggesting that criminal ambition leads to futility rather than reward.

• crime
• self-defeating
• mice
• money
• caper
• irony

The Big Job is a crime comedy with light, farcical elements. While there is sustained comedic tension from the gang's repeated failed attempts to access the police station, the tone remains upbeat rather than stressful. The film has a bittersweet ending where characters achieve nothing, but this loss is presented as a comic twist of fate rather than tragedy.

• comedy
• crime
• farce
• tone
• lighthearted
• british comedy

The hollow tree serves as the film's central plot device - it is where the gang hides £50,000 in stolen money after their 1950 robbery. By 1965, the tree sits within a police station courtyard, making it nearly impossible to retrieve without detection. The tree becomes a symbol of the criminals' lost fortune and the relentless march of time turning their plans to dust.

• hollow tree
• money
• loot
• hidden treasure
• police station