Public Wars, Private Wars

Rating: Null/10 (25 January 2005)

Michael Mann's longstanding affair with Los Angeles crystallises into a beautiful canvas called "Heat". We are given to read some of the most personal thoughts of an individual who seems to have a pulsating passion for the grandiosity of the city, as well as its law breakers. But he doesn't love these individuals, rather enjoys observing their choices, their moves, and their troubled lives. Ultimately, the dichotomy between the good and the bad world is diminished, leaving the society  the law-breakers and the law-protectors  naked, with all its scruples and shortcomings.
Neil McCaluey (Robert de Niro) robs banks, with his entire arsenal of armed men. Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) is the policeman trying to catch him. But "Heat" is not an usual 'cat-and-mouse' story. Both men do what they do best, and the fact that their interests conflict with each other is a pure accident of nature. There is no invested interest from either side to harm the other, there are no personal gains from succeeding in their plans. The cat would almost willing let the mouse run around the house, until the latter would lose any interest in his mischievous behaviour. It is the social pressure however, the roles designated by man for man, that prevents the chase to stop, and it is precisely this issue which is taken under scrutiny by Mann.
"Heat" excels in its exploration of institutions. Like in a chess game, every detail is given attention, every pawn is regarded as valuable, and the similarity of tactics and emotions on either camps does nothing but to solidify a universal theory of human action. The bank becomes a symbol of social values, and its insecure status (in need of protection) does nothing but to prove a lack of coherence in its construction. Building those values becomes as easy as stealing them, but both actions would still share the same intrinsic characteristics.
The film does not give any answers, but like any good piece of work it raises the right questions, and formulates them quite successfully. The only outcome is probably that the game will go on until one king would leave the chess-board voluntarily, but even them the success of the victor is questionable. Beyond the public war, there is always a private war, one driven by personal convictions, incited by the individuals who surround one's life. The desire to lead a good life, the desire to be loved, becomes the driving engine in this latter conflict. And neither of the protagonists are able to rise above the challenge.
Mann has constructed a complex work, that seems almost incapable of fault. Two outstanding performances from its two legendary leads, who have paved the history of gangster films, are complemented by some career bests from Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore and Diane Venora. But only Dante Spinotti's shadowy cinematography is able to take the spotlight from its creator. LA becomes the leading character, that is misunderstood, haunted, cherished, and destroyed by its own hand sweating of heat.