Heat (1995 film)

Heat
Company type	Film
Industry	Motion picture
Founded	December 15, 1995; 30 years ago
Founder	Michael Mann
Headquarters	Los Angeles, United States
Products	Film
Parent	Warner Bros. Pictures

Heat is a 1995 American epic crime film both written and directed by Michael Mann. The movie showcases a star-studded cast led by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, supported by performances from Tom Sizemore, Jon Voight, and Val Kilmer. The narrative centers on the intense rivalry between a Los Angeles Police Department detective (Pacino) and a seasoned thief (De Niro), delving into how their conflict affects both their work and personal spheres.

Mann originally penned the screenplay in 1979, drawing inspiration from Chicago police officer Chuck Adamson's pursuit of criminal Neil McCauley, whose name was assigned to De Niro's character. Initially, this script served as the basis for a television pilot that evolved into the 1989 film L.A. Takedown after the series concept was dropped. In 1994, Mann revived the script for a feature-length adaptation, co-producing alongside Art Linson. Heat represents the first cinematic project to unite De Niro and Pacino on screen, with promotional campaigns highlighting their participation due to their legendary status.

Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures on December 15, 1995, Heat earned $187 million worldwide against a production budget of $60 million. It garnered critical acclaim for Mann’s direction and the compelling performances by Pacino and De Niro. The film is regarded as a seminal work within the crime genre and has influenced many subsequent productions. A sequel was announced as being in development on July 20, 2022.

Plot

Neil McCauley is an experienced Los Angeles thief who leads a group consisting of Chris Shiherlis, Michael Cheritto, Gilbert Trejo, and newcomer Waingro. They successfully steal $1.6 million in bearer bonds from an armored vehicle. Waingro kills a guard without necessity, forcing the crew to eliminate the remaining guards. McCauley intends to kill Waingro in retaliation; however, Waingro escapes and is later revealed to be a serial rapist and murderer.

The LAPD Lieutenant Vincent Hanna heads the investigation into the robbery. Hanna is a committed law enforcement officer struggling with family tensions, contrasting with McCauley’s solitary lifestyle; meanwhile, McCauley initiates a romantic relationship with graphic designer Eady. Nate, McCauley’s fence, advises selling the bonds back to money launderer Roger Van Zant, who attempts to ambush them. Anticipating this move, McCauley’s crew counters effectively by killing Van Zant’s hitmen and threatening retaliation.

An informant connects Cheritto to the robbery; Hanna’s team begins surveillance on the crew and their next target—a precious metals depository. During a stakeout, McCauley aborts the planned heist when unexpected noise alerts law enforcement. Hanna chooses not to arrest them for breaking and entering, expecting only minor charges.

The crew prepares for one last bank robbery valued at $12.2 million. On the 105 Freeway, Hanna stops McCauley for questioning; they discuss their devotion to their professions and isolated personal lives, acknowledging they would not hesitate to kill each other if necessary. Waingro allies himself with Van Zant to eliminate McCauley’s team. Trejo resigns due to police surveillance; Don Breedan takes over as getaway driver.

Following the bank heist, tipped off by Van Zant’s associate Hugh Benny, LAPD intercepts the crew which leads to a violent shootout. Shiherlis kills officer Bosko; Breedan and Cheritto die along with several officers. McCauley and Shiherlis manage to escape but Shiherlis is wounded. McCauley treats his injuries then leaves him in Nate’s care. Suspecting Trejo’s betrayal, McCauley finds him mortally wounded by Waingro and ends his suffering with a mercy killing.

Trejo reveals that Waingro and Van Zant coerced him into disclosing heist details. McCauley kills Van Zant while Hanna detains Benny. Discovering Waingro hiding in a hotel, Hanna uses him as bait to lure McCauley out. As McCauley prepares to flee abroad with Eady—who now knows his true identity—Shiherlis attempts reconciliation with his wife Charlene but escapes after she warns him off.

Hanna saves his stepdaughter Lauren from attempting suicide and reconciles with his estranged wife Justine, though their relationship remains fragile.

McCauley drives Eady toward Los Angeles International Airport intending to escape to New Zealand, but abandons caution when Nate informs him of Waingro's location. Disguised as hotel security during an evacuation caused by a fire alarm, McCauley kills Waingro. Spotted by Hanna while returning to Eady, he flees onto the airport tarmac where Hanna shoots him. In his final moments, Hanna holds McCauley's hand as he dies.

Cast

The extended cast features Martin Ferrero portraying a hardware salesman, Hazelle Goodman as the mother of a slain prostitute, and several LAPD officers including Paul Herman, Cindy Katz, and Dan Martin. Stunt performers Rick Avery, Bill McIntosh, and Thomas Rosales Jr. appear as armored truck guards. Additional supporting roles are filled by Patricia Healy, Yvonne Zima, Farrah Forke, with an uncredited cameo by Bud Cort.

Development

For Heat, as with his previous works Collateral and Thief, Michael Mann shaped the character Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) drawing inspiration from Alain Delon's minimalist portrayal in Le Samouraï. The line "I am alone, not lonely" spoken by McCauley echoes Delon's Jeff Costello's phrase "I never lose, never really," serving as Mann’s deliberate tribute to French crime cinema.

Factual basis

Heat draws from the real-life story of Neil McCauley, a calculating criminal and former Alcatraz inmate pursued by Detective Chuck Adamson in 1964. McCauley was transferred from Alcatraz to McNeil Island Corrections Center in 1961 and released in 1962, after which he returned to criminal endeavors. The film re-creates a heist involving Michael Parille and William Pinkerton who used bolt cutters and drills to rob a manufacturer specializing in diamond drill bits.

The character portrayed by Pacino is primarily modeled on Detective Chuck Adamson, who tracked McCauley’s crew during their criminal activities. Adamson met McCauley once over coffee—a scene faithfully reproduced in the film with dialogue based on their actual conversation. Their subsequent encounter involved a shootout also depicted on screen.

On March 25, 1964, McCauley’s team followed an armored vehicle delivering cash to a National Tea grocery store in Chicago. Three robbers entered the establishment, threatening employees and stealing $13,137 (equivalent to roughly $today), before fleeing amid police gunfire.

Unaware that Adamson and eight detectives had sealed all escape routes, the getaway car turned into an alley where the robbers became trapped. All exited firing; Russell Bredon and Michael Parille were killed during the shootout while Miklos Polesti (loosely inspiring Chris Shiherlis) managed to fight his way out and escape. Nearby, McCauley was fatally wounded at age 50; he was suspected of numerous burglaries. Polesti was apprehended days later and was still alive as of 2011.

Adamson went on to build a successful career producing television and film until his passing in 2008 at age 71. Michael Mann’s 2009 film Public Enemies is dedicated to Adamson’s legacy.

The character Nate, portrayed by Jon Voight, is based on Edward Bunker—a criminal turned author—who also acted as an advisor to Mann during production.

Canceled TV series

In 1979, Mann penned a 180-page draft of Heat, revising it after completing Thief in 1981. During the late 1980s, inspired by the success of Miami Vice and Crime Story, Mann developed a 90-minute pilot for NBC centered on the Los Angeles Police Department Robbery–Homicide division. The pilot cast Scott Plank as Hanna and Alex McArthur as Neil McCauley—renamed Patrick McLaren for the project.

Filmed over nineteen days, the script was condensed to approximately one-third of its original length, omitting many subplots that would later appear in Heat. NBC expressed dissatisfaction with Plank as the lead actor and requested recasting; Mann refused this demand, resulting in cancellation of the series. The pilot aired on August 27, 1989, as a television movie titled L.A. Takedown, which was subsequently released on VHS and DVD in Europe.

Pre-production

On April 5, 1994, Michael Mann chose to abandon his initial plan for a biopic about James Dean in order to direct Heat, collaborating as producer with Art Linson. This film marked the first time Al Pacino and Robert De Niro appeared together on screen, despite both having roles in The Godfather Part II without sharing any scenes. Mann’s top picks for the roles of Hanna and McCauley were Pacino and De Niro, who promptly accepted.

Janice Polley was appointed as location manager, while Lori Balton took charge of scouting. Between August and December 1994, they identified mostly new spots for filming throughout Los Angeles; fewer than ten of the eighty-five locations had been used before. The most difficult site to secure was Los Angeles International Airport, where production was nearly halted due to a Unabomber threat.

To increase authenticity during the extensive shootout sequence, British former Special Air Service sergeant Andy McNab was brought on as a weapons consultant and trainer. He designed a three-month live-fire training regimen for the cast prior to shooting with blanks on set. The effectiveness of this preparation led the U.S Army to later utilize segments of the film as part of their soldier training programs.

Casting

Robert De Niro was the first actor to receive the screenplay and shared it with Al Pacino, who expressed strong interest in joining the project. De Niro regarded Heat as a "very good story" grounded in realism. In 2016, Pacino disclosed that he interpreted his character as being under the influence of cocaine throughout the narrative.

For role research, Mann took Kilmer, Sizemore, and De Niro to visit inmates at Folsom State Prison, gaining insight from career criminals. Meanwhile, Judd prepared for her role by meeting with former prostitutes who had transitioned into domestic life.

Keanu Reeves declined the part of Chris Shiherlis in favor of playing Hamlet at the Manitoba Theatre Centre, which led to Val Kilmer being cast. Additionally, Jon Bon Jovi auditioned for a role.

Filming

Principal photography spanned 107 days during the summer of 1995, conducted entirely on location across Los Angeles as Mann intentionally avoided studio sets. Notable filming sites included the Citigroup Center, which served as the backdrop for the bank robbery and ensuing gunfight, and the Kate Mantilini restaurant, where Pacino’s and De Niro’s characters first meet.

Cinematographer Dante Spinotti utilized natural and practical lighting techniques to underscore a gritty realism, capturing both the vastness of Los Angeles and the isolation experienced by characters. Mann and Spinotti favored wide-angle shots and extended takes to convey scale and immerse viewers in the environment.

Both Pacino and De Niro engaged deeply with real-life detectives and criminals during their preparation. The diner scene was filmed with minimal rehearsal to maintain spontaneity and emotional intensity, employing multiple cameras and close-ups to capture subtle performance details.

Soundtrack

On December 19, 1995, Heat: Music from the Motion Picture was released by Warner Bros. Records on cassette and CD formats. Produced by Matthias Gohl, this album features a 29-minute compilation of composer Elliot Goldenthal’s score alongside tracks from artists such as U2, Brian Eno (credited as Passengers), Terje Rypdal, Moby, and Lisa Gerrard.

The movie includes a shortened instrumental rendition of Joy Division’s "New Dawn Fades" performed by Moby, which is also part of the soundtrack album. Director Michael Mann later incorporated Einstürzende Neubauten’s "Armenia" in his 1999 film The Insider. The closing sequence features Moby’s "God Moving Over the Face of the Waters", a variation that appears on the soundtrack release.

Mann collaborated with Goldenthal to create an atmospheric soundscape, with Goldenthal employing a "guitar orchestra" arrangement that imparted a distinctly European sensibility to the score.

Box office

Premiering on December 15, 1995, Heat debuted with an $8.4 million opening weekend across 1,325 theaters, securing the third spot behind Jumanji and Toy Story. Its domestic earnings reached $67.4 million, while international markets contributed $120 million, culminating in a global total of $187.4 million. This positioned the film as the 25th top-grossing title of 1995.

Home media

Warner Home Video issued Heat on VHS on November 12, 1996. Owing to the film’s extended duration, it was distributed on two separate tapes. The DVD format followed on July 27, 1999. On February 22, 2005, Warner Home Video released a two-disc special edition DVD that included director Michael Mann’s commentary track, deleted scenes, and behind-the-scenes documentaries. This version preserved the original theatrical cut.

The first Blu-ray edition appeared on November 10, 2009, featuring a high-definition transfer overseen by Mann himself. Additional materials included his audio commentary, a documentary on the making of the film, and excised scenes. For this release, Mann also re-edited two sequences, referring to them as "new content changes."

On May 9, 2017, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment issued a "Director's Definitive Edition" Blu-ray after acquiring distribution rights through Regency Enterprises in 2015. This two-disc set presented a 4K remaster supervised by Mann and incorporated all prior bonus features along with filmmaker panels from 2015 and 2016—one moderated by Christopher Nolan.

A comprehensive 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Ultimate Collector's Edition was launched on August 9, 2022, by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment under the 20th Century Studios banner. It contains the Director's Definitive Edition on both UHD Blu-ray and standard Blu-ray formats with legacy extras included. This release coincided with the publication of Mann’s sequel novel and notably omitted the Warner Bros. Pictures logo at the start while retaining it during the closing credits.

Heat was broadcast on NBC on January 3, 1999, in a significantly shortened version. Mann had suggested airing the film over two nights including additional footage to maintain narrative coherence; however, NBC trimmed nearly 40 minutes to fit within a three-hour time slot. Mann criticized these edits for undermining the story’s integrity and requested to have his director credit replaced with the pseudonym "Alan Smithee."

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, Heat holds an approval rating of 84% based on 152 reviews, with an average score of 7.8/10. The critical consensus praises the commanding performances of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro alongside Michael Mann's expert handling of the genre. On Metacritic, it has a score of 76 out of 100 from 22 critics, signifying "generally favorable" reviews. Audience polling by CinemaScore yielded an average grade of "A−".

Critic Roger Ebert awarded three and a half stars, commending Mann’s "uncommonly literate" screenplay for its psychological nuance and intricate dialogue exploring law enforcement and criminal dynamics. Simon Cote of The Austin Chronicle described it as "one of the most intelligent crime-thrillers in years," highlighting Pacino and De Niro’s scenes as both "poignant and gripping."

Kenneth Turan from the Los Angeles Times called it a "sleek, accomplished" film that fully engages viewers. Todd McCarthy of Variety praised its richly developed characters and insightful portrayal of contemporary life. Meanwhile, Owen Gleiberman from Entertainment Weekly gave it a B− grade, applauding the action sequences but noting some dialogue-heavy moments were less captivating.

In retrospective rankings, Rolling Stone placed Heat at number 28 in its "100 Greatest Movies of the '90s," while The Guardian ranked it #22 among "The Greatest Crime Films." The movie is recognized for its significant influence on later crime dramas.

Although it did not receive major award nominations, Heat was nominated for Best Action/Adventure Film at the Saturn Awards, with Val Kilmer also nominated for Best Supporting Actor; both honors ultimately went to other contenders.

Impact

French criminal Rédoine Faïd acknowledged Mann as his "technical adviser" during a film festival appearance. Observers pointed out that later heists, such as armored truck robberies in South Africa, Colombia, Denmark, and Norway, bore striking similarities to sequences from Heat. The 1997 North Hollywood shootout, involving Larry Phillips Jr. and Emil Mătăsăreanu’s robbery of a Bank of America branch and their ensuing confrontation with the LAPD, also reflected elements from the film; a copy of Heat was discovered at Phillips' home. This shootout is remembered as one of the most prolonged and violent in U.S. law enforcement history, resulting in the deaths of both assailants and numerous injuries. Media coverage frequently referenced Heat in relation to the incident.

For his 2008 production The Dark Knight, director Christopher Nolan took inspiration from Heat to depict Gotham City, aiming to "tell a very large, city story." In 2016, Nolan hosted a Q&A session alongside Michael Mann and the cast at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Heat.

The 2001 video game Grand Theft Auto III and its 2008 follow-up Grand Theft Auto IV drew inspiration from Heat, particularly evident in the mission "Three Leaf Clover," which parallels the film’s iconic bank robbery and shootout. The 2013 installment Grand Theft Auto V similarly incorporated elements from Heat, especially in the mission "Blitz Play," which features an armored vehicle heist.

Director Mia Hansen-Løve has described herself as "obsessed" with Heat, highlighting how its themes resonate with her own cinematic work, though explored through different lenses.

Subsequent works

On March 16, 2016, Mann revealed plans to develop a Heat prequel novel coinciding with the launch of his publishing venture, Michael Mann Books. Reed Farrel Coleman joined as co-writer on April 27, 2017. By May 15, 2020, Mann announced that the novel would function as both a prequel and sequel, chronicling events occurring before and after the film’s storyline. As of January 19, 2022, the project evolved into a collaboration with Meg Gardiner and was published in August 2022 under the title Heat 2.

In September 2019, Mann expressed ambitions to adapt this novel for either film or television formats. By July 5, 2022, he reaffirmed intentions to produce a feature film adaptation, acknowledging that some original lead roles might be recast. Reports from April 2023 indicated that development was underway with Adam Driver in discussions to portray a younger McCauley.

References

External links

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Heat. Work and genre Jump Cut magazine, J. A. Lindstrom, no. 43, July 2000, pp. 21–37
De Niro and Pacino Star in a Film Together, The New York Times