Heat
A Los Angeles crime saga.
Heat (1995)
Production
Budget
$60 000 000
Revenue
$187 400 000
Director
Scenario
Composer
Producer
Actors
Al Pacino
Lt. Vincent Hanna
Robert De Niro
Neil McCauley
Val Kilmer
Chris Shiherlis
Jon Voight
Nate
Tom Sizemore
Michael Cheritto
Diane Venora
Justine
Amy Brenneman
Eady
Ashley Judd
Charlene Shiherlis
Short description
Heat is a crime drama set in Los Angeles, where Neil McCauley leads a disciplined crew of professional thieves who plan their jobs carefully and avoid unnecessary risk. Detective Vincent Hanna pursues them with a similar intensity, and as the two men study each other through surveillance and case files, they develop a mutual understanding that complicates their pursuit. The film follows the collision between McCauley's crew and Hanna's investigation as each side tries to outmanoeuvre the other.
The film was directed by Michael Mann, who also wrote and produced it. It was released in 1995, arriving between The Last of the Mohicans and The Insider in Mann's filmography. Al Pacino plays Hanna, Robert De Niro plays McCauley, and the cast includes Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore and Diane Venora; 92 cast members and 355 crew members are credited. The film runs 170 minutes and combines action, crime and drama.
Made with a budget of 60 million dollars, Heat took about 187 million dollars worldwide. On IMDb it holds 8.3 out of 10 from roughly 797,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 7.9 out of 10 from far fewer votes. A critics' rating of 8 out of 10 from 154 reviews places it in line with the strong audience response.
What's left behind the scenes
- In one interview dedicated to the release of the film 'Fortress' (1983), Michael Mann stated that he would have liked to make 'Heat' (the script for which had already been written), but he was not interested in directing the film.
- Kevin Gage's character, Waingro, is based on a real Chicago gangster named Waingro, who turned informant on several powerful Chicago crime bosses. According to Michael Mann, Waingro was missing for a long time, but his body was later found in New Mexico.
- The actor who played Waingro (McCauley's exiled accomplice, and a serial killer) served a prison sentence for marijuana cultivation from 2003 to 2005.
- In the film's trailer, McCauley tells the doctor, “I’m going to double the worst thing you’ve ever seen.” One of the deleted scenes explains this moment in more detail: the doctor wanted $30,000 instead of the standard $15,000 because Neil and Chris were wanted by the police. Neil agreed, but warned the doctor that if Chris died, he would find him and kill him.
- The actors involved in the bank robbery scene underwent special firearms training.
- The scene where Vincent catches his wife with a lover, takes the television, and later throws it out of the car is almost identical to the scene with Dennis Farina in the series 'Crime Story' (1986-1988), produced by Michael Mann.
- On February 28, 1997, a very similar shootout occurred in North Hollywood, resulting in the deaths of the robbers. When police entered the home of one of them, they discovered a videotape with a recording of the film “Heat”.
- Al Pacino and Robert De Niro were Michael Mann's initial choices for the lead roles.
- John Voight initially turned down the offer to play Nate, stating that he knew several actors who would be better suited for the role.
- Val Kilmer was simultaneously filming this movie and 'Batman Forever' (1995).
- Vincent's pistol is a Colt Officer's Model in .45.
- At the moment when Chris fires at the white pickup truck, two hits are visible on the windshield. Then the camera shifts to the view from the driver's side, and there are about eight hits in the glass. Then it shifts back to Chris's perspective, and only three holes are visible on the windshield.
- One of the heists in the Armored Transport update for the game Payday 2 is a direct reference to the scene of the first heist in the film.
- Neil's pistol is a Sig P220.
- The actors underwent firearms training under the guidance of Andy McNab, a former sergeant in the British Special Air Service.
- In several scenes, one can notice Lieutenant Hanna checking the chamber of his pistol. This is a distinctive trait of Nick Stone, the main character of several novels by Andy McNab, who was present on the set of "Heat" as a consultant. Although there’s nothing surprising about Lieutenant Hanna’s actions, such attention to detail is rarely found in feature films. Also, the robbers' departure from the bank strongly resembles the tactics described in McNab's book "Bravo Two Zero," which was the basis for the film of the same name in 1999.
- Initially, Keanu Reeves was supposed to play Chris.
- In one scene of the film, Neil mentions an airplane with registration number N1011S. According to the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States, an aircraft with that number was registered in 2000.
- Dennis Farina, a former Chicago police officer, was one of the consultants on the set.
- The conversation between the characters played by De Niro and Pacino was filmed at Kate Mantilini restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.
- This is the first film to feature Robert De Niro and Al Pacino in the same frame. Previously, the actors appeared in the same film – “The Godfather Part II” (1974) – but they did not have any scenes together.
- Vincent's line, "Because she has an amazing ass!" was an improvisation by Al Pacino. Therefore, Hank Azaria's surprise on camera is genuine.
- Amy Brenneman strongly disliked the script due to its violence and immorality. Upon learning this, Michael Mann told her that with such an attitude towards the characters, she would be perfect for the role of Eady.
- No sets were built for the filming. The entire film was shot on location in Los Angeles.
- The film featured two actors who had previously played serial killers in films about Hannibal Lecter. Ted Levine played Detective Bosco in "Manhunter" and Buffalo Bill in "The Silence of the Lambs" (1990). Tom Nunnen played Kelso in "Manhunter" and Francis Dolarhyde in "Manhunter" (1986), directed by Michael Mann.
- An abridged version of the film was shown on NBC. After Michael Mann disowned this version, NBC assured him that the film would be shown in its theatrical version at subsequent screenings. However, Mann stated, "You can do whatever you want with the film, but only change the director's name to Michael Smith or Alan Mann."
- Michael Mann directed this film as a tribute to a police friend in Chicago who tracked down and killed a thief named Neil McCauley.
- In 2005, the filmmakers released a collector's DVD with additional scenes not included in the main content, and two special features: “10 after” (a report from the filming location, 10 years later) and “True crime story” (a story about the real people who inspired the director to create “Heat,” as well as exclusive interviews with all the actors).
- The director's cut has a runtime of 188 minutes.
- The film contains many similarities to Michael Mann’s "Thief" (1981).
- The scene in the bar where Neil and Eady first meet is almost identical to the scene of the introduction of the main villain and his girlfriend in the miniseries 'Drug Wars' (1989), produced by Michael Mann.
- The street shootout scene after the failed bank robbery took 4 days to film and began on March 24 – Mother's Day. Mothers and children who filled the playgrounds on one of central Los Angeles’ boulevards were surprised by what was happening and did not immediately realize that filming was taking place.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
