How Films Affected My Life

Throughout my life, there have been few films that has affected my life. Films have shaped how I view people and the world around me. There are few films that I believe have not only profoundly affected me as a director, but as a person. Heat is one of those films. Heat is about the duel between an angsty LAPD detective, Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and methodical career criminal, Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) as try to thwart each other's plans. Everything about the film ranging from the extravagant cinematography by Dante Spinotti to its’ heavy themes dealing with masculinity, obsession, and loneliness makes it more than just a crime film, it’s a drama. I’ve watched this film a total of four times, and I believe I learn more about myself and filmmaking each viewing. The first time I …show more content…
I think that walking away from certain things in life means we’re willing to grow and follow a better version of ourselves. That is what I learned from my third viewing. Furthermore, Neil is the more human of the two. He’s a killer and he’s a criminal, but in the end he’s the one that ends up having more “heart” and something to lose while Hanna is cold, a man married to his job. Mann’s screenplay is a window into thought and emotion. He shows that there isn’t much of a difference between cop and criminal, and he accentuates that they need each other, and no one else, in order to truly survive. Heat spends a good deal of force focusing, on its supporting characters, especially children (Natalie Portman) and women (Ashley Judd, Amy Brenneman and Diane Venora). In the long run, the characters receives equal screen time, the audience empathizes and roots for both sides equally (except Waingro), something rarely seen in crime