Released in 1995 to critical acclaim, Michael Mann’s heist-thriller “Heat” represents quite a few cinematic turning points. It’s the first time that Hollywood legends Robert De Niro and Al Pacino shared a scene. It’s also one of the last times Pacino turned in a real acting performance before he began simply showing up on set and screaming his lines as loud as he could.
But it’s probably most remembered for its downtown LA gunfight scene, which is all but guaranteed to show up on any list of “realistic” action sequences. In an article published in 2019, Business Insider celebrated Val Kilmer’s performance in particular, remarking that the scene is used to train American Green Berets at Fort Bragg and marines training at MCRD San Diego. The military news site “Task & Purpose” further celebrated the scene in 2020, calling the it “the most realistic firefight in movie history.”
Heat - amazon.com
14.99Shop Now
But watching "Heat" in 2021, I’m not sure if "realistic" is the word I’d use. Yes, the actors use their guns with military precision, but is that realistic? Is it likely that Val Kilmer’s character – an alcoholic career criminal – would be familiar with “textbook marine rifleman tactics”? Al Pacino, portraying Lt. Vincent Hanna, may aim down the ironsights of his rifle with a “proper cheek weld” in the moments before he kills Michael Cheritto (Tom Sizemore) with a pinpoint shot to the forehead. But is that actually a realistic shot for Hanna to take, considering Cheritto is holding a child hostage? Is it likely that a high-ranking police officer would put an innocent child’s life at risk in order to stop a few hundred thousand dollars from being stolen from an FDIC-insured bank?
It seems like that wouldn’t be the priority. I’m not a cop, but maybe just chase them in a helicopter or something? Leave a comment if you’re a real-life cop and think this was actually a good move.
In 1995, most people were only familiar with firefights from film, and those firefights were, overwhelmingly, depictions of lone heroes effortless gunning down countless unnamed mooks, usually firing from the hip, and always shirtless for some reason (see: “Rambo II,” “Commando”). At the time, characters using real-world tactics was no doubt a visceral experience.
But in 2021, that isn’t true. Even if you’re lucky enough to never experience a gunfight first-hand, you’ve almost certainly seen cell phone or body-cam footage of one, and they're the polar opposite of the crisp and precise combat seen in this film. The shots in "Heat" are loud and disorienting, communication is virtually impossible, innocent people are hurt, and split-second decisions are often wrong. Guns, in real life, are hard to use, disorienting, and dangerous.
Far from being realistic, the firefight in “Heat” seems to play directly into one of Hollywood’s most persistent but unremarked upon tropes: That guns are easy to use. There’s a reason actors must train extensively to look like they’re good at using firearms, and that false notion has the ring of a marketing slogan. In fact, one of Colt Manufacturing Company’s early slogans was “God created men equal, Colonel Colt made them equal.” One might argue that Hollywood and gun makers want to sell you the same fantasy for different reasons: The former because it makes their gun fantasies easier to swallow, and the latter because it makes their product more valuable.
Now, I’m not trying to say that movies shouldn’t have guns in them, or that guns can’t be cool. I’m a Montana boy, and I went hunting last year – I’m familiar with all the ways that firearms can be used respectfully and for fun. Nor am I trying to burn down “Heat” with my scorching hot take, if such a thing is even possible. This movie slaps, and the Downtown LA firefight is one of the most exhilarating action scenes ever put to celluloid precisely because the actors put in the time and effort to learn military-level combat techniques.
But I wonder if it’s worth recalibrating what it means to call a movie “realistic,” particularly when we’re discussing guns. Because if “Heat” did have a realistic depiction of a massive gunfight in Downtown LA, I think it would be disorienting, if not downright horrifying, to watch. Instead, I think we should appreciate what Michael Mann made for what it is: An exhilirating fantasy.
"movie" - Google News
January 15, 2021 at 05:43AM
https://ift.tt/3bKegtd
I rewatched 'Heat' and the 'realistic' gunfight doesn't seem realistic anymore - mySanAntonio.com
"movie" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35pMQUg
https://ift.tt/3fb7bBl
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "I rewatched 'Heat' and the 'realistic' gunfight doesn't seem realistic anymore - mySanAntonio.com"
Post a Comment