Why Heat is Simply the Best

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Heat (1995)

Written by Tyler Clark

As we close out this week let’s discuss Mann’s calling card film, the movie people will always start with when discussing him. A film that is both incredible and quietly super influential. Today we’re talking about Heat.

Why Heat is Simply the Best

This is one of those films I feel can't be overrated. It is endlessly entertaining, deeply weird, and constantly surprising to its audience. What I find sets it apart from other action films of the era is not just the impeccable direction—though there is that—nor its bulletproof performances from its entire cast. 

It's the unruly screenplay. 

It is simultaneously laser-focused on its objective but also a bit of a hangout movie. It goes in strange directions, whether it's caring for your depressed stepdaughter or needing to kill some crazy dude named Waingrow. This film constantly takes you to places you never expect to go.

How it Changed the Game

I saw Ferrari this week, and while sitting in the theater, it got me thinking about the influence Michael Mann has had on cinema. His movies inspired filmmakers like David Ayer, Christopher Nolan, and, believe it or not, Wes Anderson. Yes, the king of twee points to Mann as one of his biggest influences. Anderson emphasizes that if you go through his entire filmography, most of his works involve a heist, stemming from his obsession with Heat.

Notably, we mustn't overlook The Dark Knight in all of this. Nolan is fervently obsessed with Heat and frequently cites it in his work. A sit-down interview between Nolan and Pacino on the Insomnia DVD delves into the discussion of Heat, where Pacino reveals he played the character as if he were "constantly chipping cocaine." Most crucially for Nolan, Heat stands as a massive influence on The Dark Knight, with moments that make it feel more like a remake than a sequel—from the heist sequences to the superstructure and even featuring many of the same cast members. The Dark Knight serves as a testimony, in many ways, to the enduring impact of Heat.

The Power of a Movie Star

As we conclude today, I have two clips I want to show you. One is the iconic diner scene from Heat, and the other is the exact same scene from the 1989 TV movie LA Takedown. LA Takedown was intended to be a pilot for an ongoing series that Mann had written. They shot the script, but Mann was dissatisfied with the results. He pulled the script out from obscurity and remade his own movie, resulting in Heat. I encourage everyone to watch both of these scenes for one reason: you get a profound sense of the power that a movie star wields over the film. LA Takedown stars two gentlemen (who I am sure are lovely guys), but at the end of the day, they just aren't Pacino and DeNiro. It's the same scene, predates it even, but there is something missing—an ineffable quality that Pacino and DeNiro inherently possess.

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