Heat

Arguably the most memorable and important scene in Michael Mann’s crime thriller takes place in a diner, about midway through the film.  For the first time, LAPD Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and professional thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) meet face-to-face and talk about their lives over coffee.  They are lonely in their own ways. Hanna is in a strained relationship with his third wife, who is becoming increasingly unhappy because his commitment to his job means that he shares the bed with corpses.  McCauley is a man whose lifestyle also takes a toll, and at the end of the day he is not only alone, but very lonely and unhappy. His philosophy is that you should avoid attachment especially in relationships, and that you should be ready to leave within thirty seconds. Both men are really two sides of the same coin: one is the cop who spends his days catching robbers, but while they need each other in that way, neither will hesitate to kill the other if necessary.

Mann’s skillful direction and script, paired with Dante Spinotti’s cinematography and a score by Elliot Goldenthal, creates an exciting film that is also a brilliant character study.  The director makes great use of the supporting cast that includes Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, and Ashley Judd.  There are car chases, shootouts, sting operations, and heists aplenty.  But one of the major strengths of this film lies in the focus on Pacino and De Niro.  Ever since they both appeared in The Godfather Part II, despite not sharing any screen time, these men feel born to play these roles.

There is an intensity that drives Heat, with superb twists and turns throughout. Emotionally, the stakes are high for the main characters. While there is little room for the women in a male-dominant project such as this, they do contribute well. Inevitably, affairs in the lives of both Hanna and McCauley occur. The former’s reaction when he comes home from a long day pursuing criminals only to catch his wife with another man is simply terrific.

The film is overlong at nearly three hours.  But Heat is nevertheless a must-see for fans of this genre, because it offers more than just thrilling action.  It is the two leads who really make it a compelling viewing experience.  Fortunately, Pacino and De Niro are more than up to the challenge and really bring the heat.

170 minutes

Contains scenes of intense and bloody action, coarse language, a few implied sexual situations, and an attempted suicide.