"Now that we've been face to face, if I'm there and I gotta put you away, I won't like it. But I tell you, if it's between you and some poor bastard whose wife you're gonna turn into a widow? Brother, you are going down."
The Film
Although I don't pretend to know what he was thinking with Miami Vice, Michael Mann is one of Hollywood's most consistent A-List directors. Amid a resume which includes such greats as Manhunter, Last of the Mohicans, The Insider and this year's Public Enemies, Heat stands tallest as his one true masterpiece and one of the finest "cops and robbers" films to ever grace the silver screen.
Neil McCauley (Robert DeNiro) runs a tight crew. He's cool, intelligent, detached and slow to trust. Only his associates (which include Jon Voight, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore and Danny Trejo) get the time of day from Neil, though usually that time has something to do with bank hours or armored truck schedules. On his trail is Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), a veteran Police detective who, like the elusive Neil McCauley, has no idea what it means to live a normal life of "ball games and barbecues."
The Picture
With its subdued color palette, gritty exteriors and an exquisite use of shadow, Heat is the epitome of Michael Mann's now-patented aesthetic. For the most part, Warner's Blu-ray Disc features a beautiful rendering of the film. Skin tones are spot-on and blacks appear wonderfully deep. The classic road-side diner scene reveals exceptional detail in DeNiro's finely-groomed goatee, arguably the actor's Best Facial Hair to date. (Where's the Oscar for that?) On the down side, several overhead establishment shots and cityscapes look unnaturally soft, to the point where I had to pause and rewind one sequence thinking I had an eyelash blurring my vision. No such luck. Still, overall Heat looks great in 1080p and fans will definitely want to trade-up from the inferior DVD.
The Sound
For a 3-hour film about hardened criminals and the cops charged with bringing them to justice, Heat is a surprisingly quiet picture. To Mann's credit, much of the film's running time is spent developing the characters of McCauley and Hanna and those closest to them. Consequently, when these two men, who spend much of the film orbiting each other in an ever-shrinking circle, finally come face to face, we actually care about the outcome. Dialogue is consistently intelligible and ambient sound effects help to make Heat a well-rounded Dolby TrueHD mix.
All that said, don't think for a minute that Michael Mann doesn't know when to turn up the, well, heat. All of that dramatic tension I just spoke of is routinely punctuated by action-packed bank robberies and armored car hold-ups. And it all culminates in a brilliantly-staged, epic shoot-out in downtown Los Angeles. Automatic machine gun fire rips from every corner of the sound field and your subwoofer will, for at least ten minutes, maintain a firm grip on your mid-section.
The Extras
Although you won't find any high definition bonus material or BD-LIVE functionality, Warner's Blu-ray Disc does carry forward all of the extras found on the recent Special Edition DVD. The highlight is a lengthy, 3-part documentary on the making of the film. Before watching this, I had no idea the film was based on a real criminal and it was quite fascinating to see how this true crime story evolved and was ultimately adapted for the screen. Fans will also enjoy the Michael Mann commentary and the dozen or so deleted scenes we're given here.
Final Thoughts
Michael Mann has yet to top what he did with Heat, bringing together two of Hollywood's heaviest hitters for a tour de force of tense, compelling drama and adrenaline-fueled big screen action. Heat may have taken its sweet time coming to Blu-ray Disc, but the good news is it was worth the wait. Highly recommended.
Product Details
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