The characters that pull it off aren't a gang of evil scheming masterminds, nor a bunch of wisecracking numbskulls. Each person that plays a part in the heist has a sharply defined character and his own agenda. Their interaction is treated like a complex business transaction. Some of the characters are portrayed in a sympathetic light but never a positive one. That doesn't seem to stop the criminals looking less like criminals and more like consummate professionals where evasion of the law is an unfortunate hazard that comes with the job.
Crime is just another form of human endeavor.
The ensemble cast is almost perfect. It would not have been optimal for the audience to focus too much on any one character, lest they lose sight of the whole. The dialogue is fantastic, every line is shaped for its speaker. Stark and atmospheric, in glorious, haunting, dreamy black and white, the film received an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography. John Huston was nominated, too, for Best Director.