Heat (1995) is a crime movie in which
screen legends Al Pacino and Robert De Niro shared the screen for the first
time. That alone should be good enough to guarantee near perfection. Fortunately,
this is also a Michael Mann movie featuring some crackling dialogue and action
choreography that makes the audience feel like they are right in the streets
amid the gunfight. The result is a movie so good it influenced a slew of other
crime movies in its wake, including Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.
My first viewing of Heat was sometime in the
mid-2000s when I watched it the old-fashioned way by renting it from the video
store. I did not know much about it other than it was a crime movie starring
Pacino and DeNiro, and upon first viewing I thought there were a few lengthy
moments in between the action scenes. Having recently viewed it again, I have
more appreciation for the scenes when the bullets aren’t flying because those
quieter scenes do a good job of establishing the characters.
The plot is pretty basic, having been recycled from
Mann’s earlier film L.A Takedown. However, with Heat he is
working with an all-star cast, a sharp script, impeccable action choreography,
and a much larger budget. On paper this may seems like a basic story of the
cops vs. criminals. In its execution, it is a drama about two groups of
professionals whose work lives make it nearly impossible for them to have
personal lives. It just so happens these two groups are cops and criminals.
The criminal gang is led by Neal McCauley (DeNiro), a
man who has spent years in prison and years executing elaborate heists. Along
with his crew (Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo) he does careful research
about the place they will rob, the time it will take for the police to respond,
the chemicals they will need to blow up locks, and the best way to get away
from the crime scene. Their robbery of an armored car works like clockwork,
except for when a newcomer to the crew (Kevin Gage) gets the guards killed.
This now deadly robbery gets the attention of
Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Pacino) who quickly realizes he is not dealing with
amateurs. Hanna also has his own crew (Ted Levine, Mykelti Williamson, Wes
Studi) and is no amateur either. In a matter of days, through hard work and
dedication, he has identified McCauley’s crew and begins following them hoping
to catch them committing a major crime.
The thing is, McCauley is good at surveillance too. Once
he knows the cops are following him, he pretends to plan a robbery at a
harbour, just so that he can take pictures of the cops when they also visit the
harbour. This gives him Hanna’s name and personal information: a veteran of the
marines, a star in the major crimes unit, and on his way to his third divorce. McCauley
understands this is the portrait of a workaholic who will not be taking a break
from the hunt any time soon.
McCauley’s personal life is not that impressive
either. He begins a relationship with a graphic designer (Amy Brenneman), but
it is a relationship built on a lie since he can’t say what he really does for
a living. Even if he does, McCauley lives by a code to allow nothing in his
life he cannot walk away from in 30 seconds flat if he spots the heat around
the corner. Obviously, this is not a man planning to set any roots.
There is an overused line in movies when a villain
faces a hero and says: “We’re not so different you and I Mr. (insert name)”. In
Heat, that cliché is deeply discussed by the criminal and hero, not
during a standoff, but during a relaxed conversation at a restaurant. While enjoying cups of coffee McCauley and Hannah agree they are not so different to the point
they could have been friends. They both have trouble maintaining personal
relationships because of their chosen professions, they are very good at what
they do, and they agree a normal life sounds too boring. They also agree that
despite their similarities, they will not hesitate to kill each other if one
gets in the other’s way. It is what it is.
Heat might be taxing for viewers with
short attention spans expecting explosions and shootouts every ten minutes.
However, it is worth the wait because this movie has one of the best shootout
sequences in movie history when Hanna and McCauley’s men face off during a bank
robbery that goes very wrong. Los Angeles turn into a war zone with both sides armed
with automatic weapons, loud gunshots relentlessly echoing through the streets,
and civilians running everywhere in panic. As much as the audience may have
grown to like McCauley, this is a serious reminder that his lifestyle has
deadly consequences.
Whether you are in it for the quieter scenes of
dialogue or for the shootout, Heat is worth seeing for the sight of two
cinema icons going toe-to-toe for the first time. Pacino and DeNiro are both in
top form here doing what they do best. Personally, as impressive as the
gunfight sequence is, I could watch that coffee shop scene three or four times
in a row.
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