The Italian Job is a 1969 British comedy caper film starring Michael Caine and Noël Coward. The plot centres around Cockney criminal Charlie Croker, recently released from prison, who forms a gang for the job of stealing a cache of gold bullion being transported through the city of Turin, Italy in an armoured security truck. The film proved a success upon its release, earning critical acclaim amongst critics for the performances by Caine, the film's reflection of British culture from the period, and the climactic car chase. It became a cult symbol of British filmography and was ranked in the top 100 British films by the British Film Institute.