I know, I know. It has been a little while since my last review. I understand your impatience and boredom. So here's what we'll do.
Occasionally during the breaks in the action, I'll post some great scenes from my favorite films and maybe try to give just a brief rundown of why I like it so much. Does that seem reasonable? Alright.
Well, then. I guess we'll start with a clip from my favorite film: Heat (1995)
First of all, I love DeNiro in this film from start to finish. He portrays Neil perfectly. Neil is a hard and extremely professional thief who occupies the difficult situation of needing to be independent enough to walk out the door "if he starts to feel the heat around the corner," yet, contradictory to this necessity, demonstrates genuine care for those around him. In this scene we see Neil let his guard down with Edie, someone who breaks through to him after meeting him in a diner.
I like this scene for several reasons.
1) First we establish that Neil and Edie are opposites. In talking about her family, we get the sense that Edie is set where she is and with who she is. Her family settled down a long time ago and are "tight." On the other hand, Neil doesn't know who he is. He talks about Fiji like he's been there, but he hasn't been. He talks about his home but doesn't know where his family is. All Neil is is where he is going, but his destination eludes him. He is a man on the run. Constantly.
2) We start to see Neil's character develop and change. Despite Neil's assurances that he is fine on his own, he lingers with Edie, an action that he himself would warn against and has warned against previously in the film. This is the beginning of a change in Neil. For the first time he has a reason to stay somewhere. Such a simple conversation at first glance, yet Neil is fighting a battle with himself just underneath the surface.
3) Art Direction and Screenplay. Neil and Edie are standing on a balcony overlooking Los Angeles, a city with lights constantly shining through the heat waves. This represents two things. Firstly, the lights demonstrate that Neil is constantly being pursued. He is never completely safe and the heat is a constant reminder of those who are chasing him. Yet secondly, in this scene, he seems to have risen above it. As Edie and Neil talk, the light and heat remain below and Neil's reference to heat (the tropical island of Fiji) is a positive thing. Edie seems to be Neil's hope of an escape.
All of these things together, in combination with an ethereal soundtrack and that distinct Michael Mann look make this scene one of my favorites. Enjoy!
DCon
