From the Vault Reviews: Heat (1995)

By Thomas Broome-Jones

Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, arguably the two most respected crime film actors of all-time. Between them are the likes of The Godfather, Goodfellas, Scarface, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and countless other American classics. It's a surprise, then, that the first time they ever appeared on screen together wasn't until 1995 in Michael Mann's heist thriller classic, Heat. Whilst the two actors had previously appeared in The Godfather Part 2 together, their arcs were in completely different time periods so they never crossed paths. So, Heat has a lot to live up to if it is the great meeting of two behemoths of film, and it very much does.

Two legends collide: Pacino and De Niro share the screen for the first time ever.

The story is a simple one that sees Pacino's gruff cop Lt. Vincent Hanna go up against De Niro's master career criminal Neil McCauley in an epic game of cat and mouse. The two characters share an amicable respect for one another and note that they are highly similar to one another with the only real difference being their chosen paths. Naturally, the two actors have dynamite chemistry, the mutual respect and conflict is really felt between these two characters and for most of the film I actually found myself rooting for the supposed bad guy in McCauley. But this film isn't just a near 3-hour drama piece of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro exchanging compliments and anecdotes with one another, although admittedly I'd probably watch that. This is a thriller, where action is at the forefront, the only reason why Michael Mann was able to include such strong character development was the run-time, although it didn't feel like 3 hours to me. The film was so fast-paced and brimming with energy that before I knew it it had ended.

Obviously the most famous moment of this film which I can't really not talk about is the breathtaking action sequence at the end which is one of the finest examples of editing and sound mixing that I've ever witnessed in my life. Without giving away spoilers, all I can say is that an intense shoot-out between McCauley's crew and the police goes on for what seems like forever. You hear every bullet fired, see every window smash and, most impressively, you actually SEE the reloads! For far too long has it been that characters in action films have a seemingly endless supply of ammunition, don't be expecting such cliches from Heat. This is one of the most sophisticated action films ever made and the final action sequence is a testament to that.

Gorgeously shot with fantastic direction from Michael Mann, as always. A real tale of life is created here, the story is told like an epic, with big, bold, tough characters on a quest to destroy one another without destroying themselves. But Pacino and De Niro manage to create characters that seem so human, they talk like we do, they have dreams, they eat, sleep, have lovers, have dysfunction. They're believable is what they are, half of that comes down to the brilliance of the actors and the other half is the strength on the screenplay, also written by Michael Mann, with dialogue that's realistic and rough-around-the-edges instead of smooth and uber cool , as is unfortunately the case with most of these flicks. Heat is definitely a recommended watch, for me it's up there with Die Hard, Leon, The Terminator and Aliens as one of the best action films ever made.

Heat is available in the College Library in a 2 disc special edition format which includes 11 additional scenes and 5 making-of documentary featurettes: True Crime: Recalling the real-life Chicago cop and criminal whose exploits inspired the film, Crime Stories: The screenplay's 20-year history and how the film finally got green-lit, Into the Fire: Filming in L.A., how the cast trained for their roles, shooting the climactic downtown heist and post-production, Pacino and De Niro: Anatomy of this historic on-screen showdown and Return to the scene of the crime: Revisiting the film's real-life L.A. locations 10 years later, it has a 15 certificate.

Thomas Broome-Jones is on Twitter, you can follow him @TBroomey.