REVISITING CLASSICS - 2

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Heat is a classic action genre for many and a Michael Mann kind of movie (known for movies like Last of the Mohicans starring Daniel Day Lewis in a role where you wont see him too often). where action rules. Heat is however, to me a different space primarily because it puts two heavyweights Pacino and De Niro against each other who seem to have a respect for each other in what they do and the intensity with which they do. Roger Ebert in his review of Heat has mentioned that these two have acted in so many of those cops and thieves genre that the new gen cops and thieves take inspiration from them. That, indeed is a compliment. Heat is a simple plot of a heist that goes wrong at the start where they pick a wrong guy to do the job. The recruit (Kevin Gage as Waingro) does not follow the code of conduct and that upsets the team lead (De Niro) and decides to eliminate him, but Waingro gives them the slip. This was a costly mistake that plays up till the end. In the next 2 1/2 hours we are witness to two; an obsessed cops and a thief pitching against each other. A brilliant Pacino as Lt. Vincent Hanna opposite De Niro Neil McCauley trying to outrun each other. What works is the chemistry between the two and the mutual respect that have against each other. Both disciplined and dedicated to their task.

Where does Heat work and lifts itself from the trap of being a routine cat and mouse game. Heat's brilliance and perhaps Michael Mann's thought of casting two brilliant actors. But that could have gone horribly wrong too (there are enough movies with a brilliant star cast but failed miserably). It further has some brilliant confrontations that it creates through a brilliant screenplay. The famous coffee shop scene of De Niro and Al Pacino is iconic and lifts the movie to greater heights. A lot of the scene was improvised by the two greats and every time you sense that the mutual respect that they have for each other brings out the best of the scene. De Niro tells Pacino that do not keep anything with you on which you cannot walk out in 30 seconds and that sets the tone for the code of conduct he follows. In the next 11-12 minutes one is witness to the intensity of the moment where till that time the two were trying to outclass each other are suddenly sounding remorseful and there is a venerate around them for each other. 

Besides, small moments in the movie, where De Niro finds love in the beautiful Amy Brenneman or where he is disciplining his team member; an erratic Val Kilmer or his wife Ashley Judd or cautioning the well- settled Tom Sizemore, all of it showcases Heat as a movie which needs to be dwelled on. Contrastingly, its the personal life of Pacino which is a mess unlike De Niro's which looks clean and speckless. Pacino is multiple times divorced and is shuttling between an ignored live in partner with a daughter (the beautiful Natalie Portman) and his work. 

Heat is a dialogue heavy movie too and a lot of the scenes get lifted through the wonderful conversations that you hear. The length of the movie never really tires you. It has to be seen at a pace of its own and needs multiple viewing to savour the scenes that lifts the movie to the classic category. Go watch. Its there on Amazon Prime.     

     


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