• Wael Khairy in Cairo
Michael Mann's "Heat" ranks right up there with the best of the crime genre from "Rififi" to "The Godfather". In fact, it is in my opinion the single greatest Los Angeles crime epic of all time, for it encompasses themes and visuals rarely achieved by productions. "Heat" is very ambitious and the end result is nothing short of a larger-than-life epic grandeur of a film.
Much of the film is based on a real life confrontation between a Chicago detective by the name of Chuck Adamson and the real Neil McCauley. Adamson worked with Mann as an advisor in many of his films including "Thief". When this detective friend of his told Mann about his once obsession to catch McCauley and how both Adamson and McCauley met under non-violent circumstances, Mann was inspired. Besides the scene between Vincent Hanna and Neil McCauley in the coffee shop, the real life tale of McCauley inspired many other parts of the film. The warehouse sting where McCauley calls it off when one of the cops makes a noise actually happened in real life.
Mann was bowled over by this story and the fact that a criminal was intelligent enough to pull back even after investing tens of thousands of dollars in a heist - risk versus reward. The duality and respect Adamson had for this criminal as well as the question of what if it was the other way around and Adamson was the criminal hit a note with the director. The real Neil McCauley was killed during a heist by Adamson's team who like in the film were tipped off to the robbery. However, Michael Mann didn't want to stick to the simplicity of this true story and went for a bigger more ambitious project.
He combined this storyline with other unrelated real life characters such as Waingro who ratted out a crew of criminals and was later found dead. Nate played by Jon Voight is based on career criminal Edward Bunker. Even though Mann first directed this material in "L.A. Takedown", it was only a rough draft with less than half the content of the much more polished remake, "Heat". Michael Mann is probably the most knowledgeable director when it comes to crime. Most of his body of work revolves around the crime world. His connections and friendships with real life police detectives helped him develop a real understanding of true crime. And "Heat" is the result of twenty years of research. Everything that interests him and us about the dark human nature of criminals and cops is encapsulated in this three hour contemporary classic.
What makes "Heat" great isn't the reality of it, but how Mann handled the material to express the loneliness of cops and criminals through their personal lives (or the lack of). Any man or woman dedicated to their job can and most probably will relate to this theme. Mann essentially brings that to life by bringing the best out of his working crew. Everyone involved from the cinematographer, the actors, writers and producers did their job with precision and through this desired understanding of material, the audience ends up with a perfect example of faultless mise-en-scene.
Some films are great primarily because of the visuals, others we appreciate for the rich characters, good dialogue or entertaining story. Rarely do we get a combination of textual and visceral elements fitting the same grand theme of a film, which in this case is loneliness. Both Neil and Vincent are lonely even though they interact with people on a daily basis. The same goes for Mann's portrayal of Los Angeles. Los Angeles is an overpopulated city, yet it's depicted as a silent milieu of isolation. Cinematographer Dante Spinotti provides us with a canvas of the great city, only one we've never laid eyes on before. A car driving in an empty highway, flickering city lights of a silent night, an empty apartment reflecting an endless ocean, airport runway lights fading to complete darkness, it's all there to inject the viewer with a mood much similar to what the characters feel throughout this tragic journey.
Visually, "Heat" is treated like a film noir and so we wind up with a neo-noir. The conventions and elements of that genre are crystal clear from the hard-boiled detective to the urban setting, the interplay of lights and shadows in the final scene to the neon lights of the dark corners of the city. However, there's certain uniqueness to the mood and feel of the film due to the icy-blue palette apparent in the atmospheric tone. Michael Mann used many paintings as inspirations to the look of the film, most notably with the shot of Neil facing the ocean in the background with a gun on a table in the foreground which is strikingly identical to Alex Colville's 1967 painting "Pacific".
This striking style is accompanied by depth of content, because "Heat" is more of a sad opera set up as a chess game than a flat-out action picture. When I say it's like a chess game, I mean every move the soldiers on the board make has a cause and effect pattern to it. All the characters are decision makers in "Heat". Each and every character of this large 'Robert Altman' like cast gets his own little storyline and somehow all the threads tie up in the end contributing to a bigger scope of this Greek tragedy like tale of ethics, morals, and principles. It all starts with Waingro, a last minute replacement in Neil's crew, who kills a cop during their initial robbery, leaving behind a track of evidence. We later learn that he's a prostitute killer; again his sloppy work is apparent in the matching semen mentioned during the investigation. Thanks to his careless method of crime, Vincent fixes his eyes on the crew.
Spoilers ahead.Another storyline is that of Van Zandt. In the armored car robbery, Neil's crew steals an envelope of barrier bonds. Since Van Zandt already has insurance on these bonds, Neil attempts to sell him the bonds for 60% of its value which would result in a gain both ways. Later, Van Zandt sends his henchmen to kill McCauley. The deal goes wrong and McCauley's gang walks out of the shoot-out with a bag full of paper. Neil's following phone call to Van Zandt triggers a series of events.
Van Zant: What are you doing?
Neil McCauley: What am I doing? I'm talking to an empty telephone.
Van Zant: I don't understand.
Neil McCauley: 'Cause there is a dead man on the other end of this fuckin' line!
This threat eventually leads to the scared business man trying to kill before getting killed and so he unites with another enemy of Neil McCauley, Waingro. Together they follow Trejo, torture him and get the details of the big heist. They tip the clueless cops with the time and bank location, and the shootout is the result. I'll mention the shootout after I lay out how all these threads or story lines eventually merge. Trejo's last minute no-show is when Donald Breedan's heartbreaking struggle to adapt to a normal life ties in. After, the Waingro situation, Neil no longer trusts the inclusion of strangers and after spotting Breedan, a former cell mate, he proposes the job offer. Breedan's storyline is both heartbreaking and sad in that we witness how life after prison isn't that easy. The system is corrupt, which leads to many criminals sticking to what they know best rather than being treated like animals in a normal life. Breedan ends up dead driving in the getaway car.
Vincent's step daughter, Lauren Gustafson, is in a depressive state leading to a suicide attempt. She chooses to end her life and more importantly chooses to do it in Vincent's bathtub after the parent separation. This is when Vincent first realizes that he should focus on his family not just his job for life and death situations are not limited to crime.
Through Michael Cheritto aka "Slick" we learn how close and "tight" Neil's crew really is. Instead of taking advantage of his skills, Neil tells him "I got plans. I'm going away after. So for me the reward is maybe worth the stretch. But Elaine takes good care of you. You got plenty put away. You got T-bonds, real estate. If I were you, I would be smart. I would cut loose of this." To which Slick replies "Well, you know, to me the action is the juice". He's addicted to adrenaline rush, the same way Chris is hooked on gambling, and Vincent and Neil are obsessed with their tasks.
When all these storylines connect, it all explodes in the shoot-out scene. Everything leads up to that scene and when we finally reach the climax, the result is one of the most well executed heist scenes of all time. Many have called it the best shoot-out scene in film history and the truth is there isn't much I can say that hasn't been said already. The fact that real life criminals once imitated the robbery and that new Marines recruits are required to study it speaks for itself.
When Vincent gets tipped by Van Zandt's people, Neil is in the midst of the heist. Elliot Goldenthal magnificent avant-garde score kicks in, and then Mann builds up the tension through Dov Hoenig's editing. While Neil and Chris slowly walk out of the bank carrying bags full of cash, we simultaneously get shots of Vincent running out of the police department and his team preparing weapons in a speeding car. This use of montage editing between slow pace, in conjunction with fast pace, builds up the viewer's tension and eventually the stored intensity is released through the shoot-out. Masterful editing.
We then enter the final act of the epic. Both Neil and Vincent are frustrated and angry by the outcome of the heist, for both were unprepared for the shoot-out resulting in many deaths in both sides of the law. Vincent releases his anger by going to the "fucking rat" and beating up the guys who gave him the big heist heads up. Neil releases his anger by killing Van Zandt even though he initially thought of the task as a "luxury". The Waingro murder bears more significance as it marks the only time Neil breaking his own rule.
"Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner."
Through Neil's actions, we learn how his entire life is dedicated to that rule. He lives by it and in return is successful at what he does. Neil mentions the "30 seconds" rule twice. Once to Chris and a second time to Vincent, the two characters he cares for most. However, we see him apply this rule in three key scenes. The first is when he hears a suspicious noise during a robbery. His facial reaction is concentrated as Vincent's crew wait for his reaction. It literally takes him less than 30 seconds to walk out of the job.
The second time is when he gets the call about Waingro's whereabouts. As he drives through a white tunnel, we see through De Niro's excellent acting another decision making process. Without any dialogue, in less than thirty seconds, he breaks his own rule and takes a turn. This thirst for revenge eventually leads to his death. When he breaks his rule, he carries the consequences, and even though Vincent put three bullets in him, Neil was dying the moment he ventured off his philosophy of life. The third and last "30 seconds" scene comes after he kills Waingro. He walks to Eady when suddenly his eyes are fixed on those of Vincent running against the panicking crowd. Same as the other two scenes, no dialogue is used, "Heat" features some of De Niro's best work. Like great silent actors facial expressions is all that is needed. He looks at Eady, then at Vincent and back at Eady. Thirty seconds later he lets go and runs to keep his girl out of the mess. This is probably De Niro's most romantic moment in film. He's back to his senses and follows his rule, but it's too late.
Robert De Niro manages to portray Nail McCauley with such intensity; we can't help but root for him. He's smart, successful, hard working, and always researches everything before planning ahead using a business-like approach with a clear head. In other words, he's everything a man aspires to be. In fact, Neil would have been successful at pretty much anything in any other line of work.
One scene is a testament to how good both Neil and Vincent are at what they do. Since the cops keep McCauley's crew under 24 hour surveillance, they follow them to an isolated area. Neil points to key escape routes of their supposed plan. After they leave, Vincent and his men stand at the same place trying to figure out what the thieves will go after. While McCauley takes pictures of Vincent on one of the surrounding roofs. The situation is reversed, as the man under the microscope becomes the observer. One aspect that is often overlooked is how Vincent responds. Yes, Neil is a mastermind, but so is Vincent. While the rest of the cops stand there clueless of the situation, Vincent finally gets it. "I mean - is this guy something, or is he something?" He laughs hysterically as he tells his men that they are being watched. The scene cuts to Neil taking pictures and smiling. Both men are enjoying the cat-and-mouse game.
Another smile curves Neil's face when his boss tells him this dedicated detective has taken a liking of him. "He thinks you're some kind of star. You do this sharp, you do that sharp.Look how sharp this guy is to figure that...the man is one of those guys out there prowling around all night, dedicated." Vincent is no different than Neil. The genius of Mann's literate screenplay is the developing chemistry between both main characters without the sharing of screen-time.
With most films the criminal and the cop is all there is to the opposing main characters. "Heat" isn't "most film". It's a film that takes its time to develop each and every character. The criminal and the cop are just labels, professions or the surface on multilayered individuals.
We get three key scenes that give us glimpses at the men behind the professions. Mann structures these scenes as dinner conversations. The first of which is Neil enjoying a night out at a classy restaurant with the rest of his crew and their families. If you observe the interplay between Den Niro's acting and the camera movement, you'll understand the purpose of that scene. The camera shows mostly fake reactions of De Niro smiling in conjunction with eye-lining shots of his friends or co-workers interacting with their wives and children. Suddenly, it's like a sudden wave of sadness eclipses De Niro's face. He realizes that these people aren't as lonely as him. He longs for what they have- the sharing of happiness and glory.
Moments later, Neil excuses himself and calls Eady. What was at first a one-night stand is no longer and becomes a more serious relationship. Dinner scene #2 mirrors the first dinner scene in that this time, Vincent and his crew are out partying. They seem to be enjoying the night when like in the other scene a phone call concludes the social gathering. Only now, Vincent receives the call as opposed to Neil making the call. Vincent then pardons himself for his job requires his expertise. While Neil moves closer to his woman drifting away from his focused attitude of life, Vincent glides away from his personal life to focus on his profession.
The third dinner scene or the third exposure to the men behind the professions scene is the intimate scene when Neil and Vincent lay it all out on the table. Through the sharing of emotions, feelings and dreams, they realize that both are very much alike. In another life and under different circumstances, they could've been as close as brothers. The importance of that scene is the fact that now they know what us viewers knew all along, the overlapping similarity of the first two dinner scenes. The common ground between both professionals is finally out in the open. "I do what I do best, I take scores. You do what you do best, try to stop guys like me."
It gets to the point that Vincent attempts to talk him out of taking down scores:
Vincent: So you never wanted a regular type life?
Neil: What the fuck is that? Barbecues and ballgames?
"Barbecues and ballgames" Michael Mann is an auteur for his Kubrick like control over everything from the dialogue to the visuals. Later on, during the downtown shoot-out, Neil rescues Chris who is shot. As Neil desperately tries to shoot his way out of the chaos, we get shots of Vincent and his police force under fire. In the background, barbecue grills and bags of coal get showered with bullets.
This detailed approach is manifested in another line from that scene "You see me doing thrill-seeker liquor store holdups with a 'Born to Lose' tattoo on my chest?" Neil does have a tattoo, only it's a Marine Corps logo on his left shoulder. Slick, on the other hand, does have somewhat a 'Born to Lose' like sleeve of tattoos, which explains why he didn't make it out of the ambush. Neil and Chris are professionals, we see them work together in the heist using a tactical approach; therefore, they survive. Another tattooed character is Waingro. Michael Mann attention to detail is marvelous, for he uses tattoos as body art to express who these people are. On Waingro's chest there's a Nazi symbol tattoo. If Waingro is the black, and Vincent is the white, then Neil is the shade of grey in between.
"I have one where I'm drowning. And I gotta wake myself up and start breathing or I'll die in my sleep." Neil says in sharing a recurring dream. When Vincent asks him what he thinks it means, he tells him it's about "having enough time". In the final act of the film, Neil makes time to kill Waingro. He shoots him in the chest, causing him to desperately gasp for air. He finishes him off, after a few seconds of "drowning". Unfortunately the fact that he broke his own rule doesn't provide him with "enough time" and he ends up dead.
This final showdown between Vincent Hannah and Neil McCauley is something the audience subconsciously expects. In the key dinner scene Vincent says: "You know, we are sitting here, you and I, like a couple of regular fellas. You do what you do, and I do what I gotta do. And now that we've been face to face, if I'm there and I gotta put you away, I won't like it. But I tell you, if it's between you and some poor bastard whose wife you're gonna turn into a widow, brother, you are going down."
"I won't like it". He talked the talk and at the end we see him walk the walk. After shooting down the only man he respects, admires, and understands, he isn't happy about it and it's beautifully heartbreaking. "Told you I'm never going back..." Vincent slowly moves over "Yeah.", they hold hands, it cuts to a close-up shot of Vincent mournfully looking into the night. It's a great moment for Pacino as a simple look into his eyes injects us with his sad emotions. This isn't what he wanted. Vincent Hannah wanted to catch Neil McCauley not kill him. But Neil would rather die than go back to prison. It's a tragic ending for both characters. The final two-shot of them holding hands at the center of the frame is so deep, it's as close as you'll ever get to witnessing visual poetry.
One word Wael: excellent. I just watched "Heat" last night. Excellent film. Excellent analysis by you.
Wow this really is a perfect description of the movie. I am now 30 years old and then movie came out when i was 15. I wasn't old enough to watch it then, but it did come up on TV some two years later when I was 17. At that stage of my life, I didn't really catch the deeper meening in movies, but I remember the movie having a big effect on me. But I didn't see it again for a good couple of years after that. When I turned 23, I started with my own personal collection of DVD's. I lived in London for a year in 2004, and on some of my off days, I just took a train and jumped off at some station I haven't been to, and just walked around. But I always looked out for DVD shops, and then would buy like 2-3 DVD's for my collection. And it was in that year that I saw Heat laying there, and I remembered the feeling I had when watching it. So I bought it and haven't stopped loving it even more and more.
A lot of the things you mention in your article I have picked up, like the dinner scene with Neill and his friends where he is almost kind of an outside observer, all alone, trying to smile when looking on at his friends and their families.
The loneliness theme of the movie is really powerfull to me. You see this huge city with so many people living there, but even in such a big city, one lonely person after another passes each other on the train platforms or in a restaurant while having coffee.
Also the scene where Neill first goes home with Eady and they stand on her balcony looking over all the lights in the big city, there's almost a kind of eerie silence surrounding them. Beautiful. And even though he tells her that yes, he IS alone, but not lonely, you can sense that he is not completely honest. Almost as if he himself really wants to believe it, but still kind of doubts himself. That scene is so powerfull.
Wow I'm kinda going on here....
Oh also the brilliant coffee scene between Neill and Vincent. I watched it again the other night, just on my laptop laying in bed. Not only the dialogue and the acting is perfect, but the way it is shot. I watched the scene through about 3 times. When the just start to talk, you can hear all the background noise of all the other customers in the shop, telling their own stories to each other. But then when they start sharing details about more personal stuff like their dreams, the background noise very subtly gets less and less, and a very faint piece of music score can be heard coming in. You almost don't realise it, but the effect is so imense.
Anyways, great movie and great article Wael.
Charlie from Cape Town
I do not want to sound sexist at all but, in my experience, I've found HEAT to have become some kind of common link that just about every man shares. This is not to say that women can not appreciate it but I've yet to meet one whose reaction to it is similar to ours. I don't like to use the "anti-chick-flick" term but I do think it applies just about perfectly here.
This is one of my very favorite films. As you mention, the shoot-out simply has no equal but the same applies to the bank-robbery as well.
I specially love films like this in which all the character have these great names (Cheerito, Van Zandt, MacCauley, Vincent Hanna, Waingro etc.).
I'm glad you mention the scene in which MacCauley decides to go after Waingro. I believe that is exactly the point in which HEAT turns into a tragedy, seeing this proffesional, incredibly prepared man who is unable to defeat his inner, vengful nature.
This is as exhausting and well researched review of HEAT as I've ever seen before. Just great.
Mr Ebert thank you for sharing/uploading this article for one of my favorite movies, even with all the praise it's starting to get I still think it's really underrated.
Mr Khairy thank you for writing this, great article. I always loved Heat, well actually that's I lie. I first saw it when I was 10 years old and it was boring. Then, slowly I after I watched it a few more times I started to appreciate it and now finally I love it, I watch it at least once every year.
I don't know if this is appropriate but I hated the trailers they made for Heat, they marketed the movie as some "De Niro Vs Pacino" showdown while Heat is sooo much more, so much bigger then both of them. Finally I made a trailer of my own, just so I could watch a proper promo and show friends what Heat is all about. Since this is a discussion about the movie I can imagine a lot of people reading it will be fans and maybe they enjoy watching this Heat trailer as much as I enjoyed making it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HALnmMnTtKg
@Omar Moore Thank you, Omar. Your compliment means a lot.
@Charlie "Almost as if he himself really wants to believe it, but still kind of doubts himself" I agree with you 100%. This is Michael Mann's masterpiece and I doubt he'll ever top it. I love your description and observations on how the table confrontation scene was directed. I didn't realize the subtle input because of how smoothly the flow of all the elements that went into that scene was handled. Mann is both confident and gentle.
Thank you for commenting Charlie and for sharing your history with this modern masterpiece. I kind of do that too whenever I'm in London. Nothing could beat HMV. :)
@Gerardo Many thanks my friends. There names will never be as cool as yours though Gerardo.
@Stefan Stefanovic I love how some of you are describing how you first discovered this film and how eventually it grew on you. "Heat" only improves upon each viewing. It's very unique that way and almost impossible to describe. One thing I do know is this, years from now "Heat" will be remembered by many as an all time great. Can you believe it's been 15 years since it first came out?!
Also, thank you for the trailer. Believe it or not, I think I've seen your trailer before. I think someone linked it on one of the IMDB message boards. I loved it then and I love it now. Your combination of the perfect choice of shots, impressive editing and the original music encapsulates the mood of "Heat" perfectly.
Heat is a masterpiece. One of the best films of all time. Know how many Academy Awards it was nominated for?
If you didn't guess, you got it right: none. In the year that Babe, a movie about a talking pig was nominated for Best Picture, Heat received no nominations.
What gives?
Thank you for this piece Wael. Great job.
I've seen many of Mann's films recently, most of them for the first time, and all were totally enjoyable film experiences. All have a number of really spectacular standout pieces or moments - too many to list in Heat and Collateral, but there is a particularly great sequence about midway through Manhunter worth mentioning - William Peterson is holed up alone in a hotel room exuding absolute frustration through his gestures and body language. Very powerful.
As for Heat, not having seen Thief, The Keep, The Insider or Ali, I think it's still safe to say that Heat is Mann's work for posterity. It's his most satisfying film because it's such an epic drama; it is indeed Altmanesque. Of course, one of the joys of Collateral is its steller cast, with even Jason Statham taking a non-speaking part just for the heck of it, to give it that added spice - but this is nothing on Heat's mano-a-mano of Pacino-DeNiro; the kick of having Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo, Ashley Judd, Val Kilmer in support; and seeing Natalie Portman and Martin Lawrence in small parts.
As the third commenter has noted, Heat is a very macho film, and it is so in a way that is very much related to its theme of loneliness. A.O. Scott says the following of Collateral: "As with all of Mr. Mann's movies, ''Collateral'' is finally about men and work, and about how being a man is itself a kind of job. Whether chasing fictionalized serial killers or those serial killers who run tobacco companies, Mr. Mann's men risk everything -- happiness, women, life itself -- to get the job done." The characters in Heat confront loneliness because they are such devoted, or obsessed, professionals. DeNiro's character however isn't quite lying when he says that he's alone but not lonely; his aloneness was an essential part of an identity with which he was well satisfied up to this point. He and Pacino's character, in a great American movie tradition, are charismatic, ultra-masculine Romantic Loners. Mann himself, on an extra on the DVD, likens the structure of Heat to a Western.
But what an update of the Western! The sense of immersion which it creates in its urban, very specifically LA setting is wonderful, and a good part of the reason it so satisfyingly fills its run time. There is an obvious celebration of its modern architecture, the industrial spaces and minimalist interiors, and a perfect harmony between this aesthetic and the cast's impeccable grooming, tayloring and good looks. In line with this there is also - from Tom Noonan’s character on his laptop getting the details for the robbery out of the ether of electronic communications to Amy Brenneman’s character being a graphic designer - a celebration of the technical nature of the characters' jobs. That no character passes comment on Val Kilmer’s incredible ponytail, similarly, is a tacit approval of modern culture. And again (as another commenter has noted, the characters have great names) their obviously various ethnicities signify not a thing. They are strong individuals, powerfully but utterly matter-of-factly united by a collective enterprise.
The fate of the ex-con cook-cum-getaway driver is the most poignant of anyone’s in the film because he must commit to the job immediately and is conflicted about it as no one else is. But then again, his whole demeanour has conveyed from his first appearance on screen that he is a MAN and deserving of a slice of the big time – in term of dignity as much as financial reward - with DeNiro's crew.
I don’t think Mann necessarily makes the greatest films in Hollywood. Would he have done better with The Aviator, which he might have directed, than Scorsese did? But because he so brilliantly reconciles his classical attitude to professionalism and enterprise with a love for modern fashion and technology; because he so sure-handedly and lyrically conveys the romance of the loner (achieved most brilliantly in the coyote, Audioslave montage in Collateral); and because of the sensational visuals he captures of Miami or LA’s beautiful urban sprawl, or of Daniel Day-Lewis as a waxed-chested savage dashing though a primeval up-state New York, or of souped-up ‘30’s cars racing through America’s Midwestern heartland, I think of him and him alone among contemporary filmmakers, as a great American artist.
Well, probably the Coens too, on second thought.
Forgive the harping on, this is pretty much my latest passion.
Good discussion of a great movie. A nitpick: the things McCauley steals from van Zandt are "bearer bonds," not barrier bonds. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bearer_bond
I saw 'Heat' when it came out, sitting in the back of the theatre, by myself. It was magnificent. I didn't know who Michael Mann was at the time, but the film took three hours out of the evening and turned them into masterful storytelling. It was intelligent and visceral at the same time, with the viewer sensing the approach of the tragic ending, hoping that something would forestall it.
I couldn't believe how little attention it received at the time. I like action films but they have to be damn good. This film rose high above the genre, as true work of art should.
Great review of the film, Wael.
Thoughtful analysis of an outstanding movie.
Watched it again last week and was struck by how much information it gives us about the different characters. For example, through their early dialogue, we learn that De Niro's new girlfriend's family first settled in Appalachia when it arrived in America. Most modern crime thrillers would not even bother to give you this kind of deep-background biographical info about its main characters, much less about a subordinate character.
It is precisely because the expository material about the various characters is handled so perceptively and well that we come to feel that we really know the characters. And because we really know the characters, we are more fully engaged with them later on, when the action explodes out of the box during the big heist scene.
The prime example of this seen is Dennis Haysbert's brief but masterly and heartbreaking turn as an ex-con who finds that his life as a parolee entails a crappy and corrupt job at a diner--just another and new form of servitude for a quiet, dignified man who is desperately trying to get his life back together. For most of the film, his life of painful readjustment to society has no connection whatsoever to the film's story. But "Heat" keeps checking in on him from time to time, although we're not sure why.
Then the film's story suddenly and sharply intersects with the arc of his sorry, hardscrabble life. Before you know it, in a quick and cruel undertow-like progression of events, he's dead--a bloody corpse still sitting behind the wheel of a getaway car that isn't getting away from anywhere. To recap, he starts his day reporting to work at the diner, then within hours (and from out of nowhere) he's recruited to be De Niro's heist driver, then the getaway goes sour and he's quickly and unceremoniously shot dead. Cruel, cruel fate.
In a film full of powerful performances, Haysbert's screen time may be the most memorable. His story, like that of several of the characters, is the stuff of Greek tragedy. And his hard-luck tale achieves a pathos that helps elevate "Heat" into the realm of epics.
Ultimately, "Heat" succeeds so well partly because it takes its time and develops each of its dispirate plot elements. It's really structured like an old-style action movie--say, something along the lines of "The Guns of Navarone."
Because it allows its scenes to play out fully and organically, "Heat" is able to also do a superb job of telegraphing Los Angeles culture. The early scene with De Niro and girlfriend does much to seduce us--with its hypnotically flickering Hollywood lights down below, its subtly romantic dialogue, and the sensual ambiance of its moody sountrack. We can understand perfectly how two people might fall in love at such a moment.
Finally, another early moment from "Heat" perfectly illustrates its greatness. During the first heist, the criminals use a tractor trailer to ram and capsize an armored security truck. This takes place near a car dealership, and the rammed vehicle forcefully slams into one row of new cars that then slams into another row of new cars.
When the last row of impacted vehicles comes to a stop, one of the vehicles strikes a light pole, to which is attached a tinsel streamer, such as one sometimes finds festooning auto dealterships. One end of the streamer becomes dislodged and Mann's camera watches the boa-like streamer slowly and gracefully flutter to the ground. It takes a couple of seconds for it to happen, but Mann's editor waits until the streamer actually lands--actually touches the ground--before cutting to the next shot.
A lot of lesser directors, facing a very long running time and an audience with a relatively short attention span, might have trimmed that cut and saved a couple of seconds. But Mann understands and proves in "Heat" that epics are built one fascinating and unfolding moment at a time.
Great job!
A very detailed review, Wael. Believe or not, when the movie was released in South Korea in 1996, what I saw was a criminally butchered version with little more than 2 hours. Moreover, they chose to release that version on VHS instead of the original version. I guess they did not want to release it on two VHS tapes; I remember several movies whose running time exceeds 130 minutes were mercilessly chopped during the 1990s just for cramming them into one VHS tape("Pulp Fiction" was a prime example). That was probably why the movie did not made a big impression on me at that time; what I saw was a well-made but ordinary action movie. Fortunately, the original version is widely available on DVD here at present.
Again, I have to say I enjoyed your review. Thank you.
One thing I have yet to see noted by any reviewer of Heat is the rare occurence when a character utters a line that can in that one instant capture the film's essence. When Nate says to Neil, "this guy, this much heat, you should pass"...followed by the score kicking in is just a great moment you rarely find in any film.
The narrator in Goodfellas simarly says, "he was one of us, a good fella, understand?"...
It's no coincedence these are perhaps the two greatest crime movies ever.
"I had to demean myself with Ralph in order to get closure with you" is, quite simply, the greatest line in the history of cinema.
Terrific piece (university standard IMO) on a brilliant film - and great comments from all contributors, especially Lou and Phill - but to John, I just wanted to suggest that he find a better way to criticise the Academy's judgements and priorities than pointing the finger at Babe, which I believe to be a film as great as Heat (and it's not just because I'm Aussie); so it's about a talking pig? Well, that's an accurate description of the protagonist, but I would suggest that Babe, the film, is also 'about' the themes that it dramatises so cleverly, delightfully and poignantly - and if you read a lot of Roger's writings, you should be aware of his perceptive credo: "A film is not about what it is about, it is about HOW it is about it"...something to bear in mind, perhaps, when you're tempted to dismiss a film merely because of its ostensible 'subject matter'.
Excellent article about Heat. One of my favorite films. It's similar to Godfather Part 2 in that every scene and all the characters are so high-quality. The characters seem like real, breathing human beings, not just one-dimensional action figures. Also, every scene is so meticulously written, shot and edited. Very high-quality film-making. The female characters are also very well-written, a rarity in action movies. One actor who I don't seen get mentioned a lot, who is very good in the film, is Tom Noonan as Kelso. He isn't in very much, but he's very convincing. I've seen this film numerous times and there's always new qualities to enjoy. Tom Sizemore is particularly excellent in the film. One of the most under-rated actors around.
Wael,
Thanks for this great review. "Heat" is one of those movies that, if it comes on, I can start watching it at any point and be totally entertained. I agree that it is an underappreciated modern classic.
One point that I have never seen in a review, but you have come closest to making a few different ways, is how much we are rooting for both Neil and Vincent to succeed. We like both guys who are simply the best at what they do.
The other point, where again you basically draw this out, is that when Neil makes the decision to go after Waingro, he knows both that he should and he should NOT. He knows Waingro needs to be killed and should not be running around loose, not just for what he did to his team. But he also knows he should get on the plane and leave, because that is his discipline. He's gotten away with the crime, and wasn't that the point of being a criminal?
However, viscerally, we want McCauley to get Waingro - we want someone to get him, which is why making him a serial killer seemed excessive to me at first but then made perfect sense later. It would be one thing to have Neil go after Waingro because of what Waingro did to Neil's guys. But we also know Waingro is an evil psychopath, making Neil's decision to go after him one that gives the audience multiple emotions, both supporting Neil's decision but giving us pangs because we know Neil is breaking his rule - we WANT him badly to break his rule by going after Waingro, but because he broke his rule, he loses Eady and ultimately his life, and we feel complicit in that. It's pure genius, in my opinion, the way it is structured. It gives us the crushing scene where Neil loses Eady, and then the emotional climax at the end.
Would Neil have gone after Waingro without at first finding Eady and letting himself feel emotion? Maybe - maybe not.
It's also interesting to me that "Heat" came out one year after "The Shawshank Redemption", which was another film that had the aspect of a deep friendship and respect between two men that only grows in the esteem the public holds for it over time. I remember telling people at the time that "Shawshank" would be viewed as a classic in the future. I believe that's now the case, and I hope "Heat" reaches that same class.
Thanks again.
Jeff
Ha! I am absolutely thrilled that you, Roger, have written the perfect article on this film. I can remember vividly the first time I saw "Heat." My father brought my twin brother and I to the "budget cinemas" in Milwaukee, quite possibly the most fun I've had for three dollars total. At the young age of 15, I recall being blown away by this movie. With the exception of "Stand by Me", this was the first "R" rated movie that I had watched with my dad. "Heat" left such an impact on me, but being at a young age I didn't really know what this profound feeling was for or towards. Now, I've just turned 30 and have had a number of chances to watch "Heat" again over the years. Simply put, it's a great film because EVERYBODY involved with making this movie did a GREAT job. To this day, I still recommend this film to people. That "shoot-out" scene was something I've never felt before in a movie. Well, maybe I had before while watching Dr. Jones throw that Nazi under the truck that he was just under himself during his mission to find the lost ark. Maybe.
Anywho, thanks for pointing out the correlation between the three "dinner scenes." I never caught on to the significance of those. This film has so much going on for just a "cops & robbers" movie, which indeed pays off and makes this THE greatest heist movie of all time, of course that's just my opinion. And this movie single-handedly began my everlasting crush on Ashley Judd. It is true though, I've showed this movie to every single one of my girlfriends, and none of them enjoyed it. I dunno. I just don't understand. I guess I'll stick with "500 Days of Summer." That one works everytime.
Thanks for the article! It made my night.
Ebert: You're welcome. But look at the byline again. :)
Did any of you find yourself drained at the end of the movie the first time you saw it? Feeling a bit disoriented and in shock.. as if you actually lived through that day and shootout unfolding as a real life drama on tv or something? I did.
In fact, I think it was just after Heat was released that we actually did have that all-day big bank shootout here in LA.
The ending was a sudden letdown for me. Didn't fit for me. I wish Neil had escaped. Made it to that plane and away.
That could have created any number of cool possible futures for all involved (including a sequel ?? ), while still leaving the shock of the day with you as the credits rolled.
I wish this movie were about 8 hours long. I get completely absorbed by it whenever I watch.
My apologies to both Ebert and Wael for my stupidity. I was so excited about the review that I didn't even realize who wrote it. Thank you Wael. And thank you Roger for that correction. :)