I do what I do best. I take scores
Heat (1995)
Why watch it
It’s a film of timeless appeal, and due to its unique nature, improves with each viewing
It contains a clash of ideas that is fascinating, stemming from a real life situation
The two main characters are electrifying, and the supporting cast are as well written as leads in other films
It’s a study on the challenges of being a man in the modern world
The coffee shop conversation and the resulting ending are incredibly profound, and will stay with the viewer long after the credits roll
Memorable scenes
Opening score
Their MO is that they’re good
“There’s a flip side to that coin”
The bank job
Street assault
“I’ve got to take care of something”
“Told you I’m never going back’
Themes examined
The grey area in which police and criminals co exist
The existential dilemma that men must face
The loneliness of obsession
The duality of existence
The real nature of fate
“I do what I do best, I take scores. You do what you do best, try to stop guys like me.”
In 1963, two men reluctantly sat down over coffee in a Chicago diner. Being from two different worlds, their conversation was tense. However, as they opened up to each other, they realized that they had much in common.
Surprisingly, there was attunement between them, even common ground. Both men took their careers seriously, but struggled with the demands placed upon them by their jobs. Such was their obsession with perfecting their craft, that it was to the detriment of all other areas in their lives. Their mutual understanding gave birth to a rare instance in existence: a moment when two perceptions of reality click in alignment. This unusual occurrence created a profound duality between these two men. While they understood each other’s perspectives and respected each other’s skills, beneath, there was an unspoken agreement of ice-cold professionalism. If they were to ever meet again, one of them was going to kill the other.
It was a dance between respect and death.
This unusual meeting and its strange duality resonated with film director Michael Mann. From Thief (1981) to Collateral (2004), his work contains recurring themes of blurred morality, cause and effect, and abiding by a code. However, in Heat, Mann’s themes fused with this unusual meeting, to capture something unexplainable about the human experience. The result was a film of such significance, that it transcended the restraints of its genre and continues to resonate, over 25 years later.
“There’s a flip side to that coin.”
In Mann’s character-based tapestry, the above dialogue is uttered during the film’s most famous moment: the long-awaited onscreen pairing of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. It’s an understated, but ocean deep line, and it symbolizes what we can learn from Heat. The film has duality at its core – simple, but complex, profound, but ambiguous.
“What do you say I buy you a cup of coffee?”
Lost among the tough characters, ice-cool cinematography and a staggering shootout sequence, it’s the quiet moments that elevate Heat above typical Hollywood fare. In keeping with the idea of duality, there were two things which inspired Mann to write and direct this film: reality and art. One was the unusual meeting between two men, while the other was a painting…