Criminal action films are good because they can be mixed with any genre, and it will always be something watchable. In one of the previous texts, we analyzed Martin Scorsese’s Casino and admired his ability to shoot big crime dramas. For this tape, you can use similar epithets, only with an eye to the fact that we have the best representative of the action genre. And there are more elements of this kind than drama, although it is also there and shines quite brightly. A new acquaintance with the tape of Michael Mann was carried out a little earlier. Today we will share our impressions of what we saw and some thoughts on this picture.
A narrative criterion or narrative. The story tells about the confrontation between the criminal and the bandit, focusing on this game of cat and mouse the main vector of the narrative. But in order to somehow involve the viewer in the process and make them worry, the writers reveal the characters of both main characters. Neil McCauley and Vincent Hanna. Criminal and detective. Both are good at what they do, true professionals. But one is married to work and can not find a passion among people because of constant employment. The second keeps on the verge of divorce from his wife and tries not to lose sight of the stepdaughter. And, as always, relationships and family dramas are a little more interesting than the inner kitchen of crime planning. In this respect, Mann inherits Scorsese. At the same time, conversational scenes are filled with strong dialogues, evidence of this can be the meeting of the main characters in a cafe one on one. In terms of the script and twisting of the plot turned out to be fascinating and the literature of the tape is strong.
Visual criterion or technical support of the tape. There's a great action scene in the tape. The cameraman Dante Spinotti twists the focus so that we see shootings and bank robbery from all possible angles, and the ratio of conversational scenes with dynamic ones is quite smooth, since even calm scenes have internal dynamics. It is amazing how each visual delight is sustained in a single style and contributes to maintaining an atmosphere of intense confrontation. Also, the composer Goldenthal brings his contribution to this business, whose musical compositions not only emphasize the emotional intonation of key scenes, but also can settle in your head for a long time. Many melodies deserve to be guests of your music collection.
The acting is beyond praise. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino play such different characters, but both are equally capable of falling in love. Every muscle, every emotion is controlled by them. Both have a certain amount of prudence and restraint, which characterizes both the characters and the actors themselves as reliable people. And in other circumstances, they could cooperate. The voices were presented to them by Vitaly Doroshenko (Al Pacino) and Eugene Paperny (De Niro). Perfectly fit in those images that are on the screen. Val Kilmer plays the impulsive character in this film, and she is suffering greatly. John Voight and Ashley Judd are in secondary roles, but are also memorable as they are involved in the film's brightest scenes. Natalie Portman plays a character here, rather, condemned by our mentality, but it is impossible not to fall in love, because she is charming here. The very case when, rather than hearing a hundred positive epithets, it is better to see once.
As a conclusion. The best representative of the genre of action film. Every action scene proves that. Plus a strong criminal drama coupled with the psychology of relationships within the family. I recommend acquaintance to connoisseurs of genre and good cinema. All health, peace and pleasant viewing.
Criminal action films are good because they can be mixed with any genre, and it will always be something watchable. In one of the previous texts, we analyzed Martin Scorsese’s Casino and admired his ability to shoot big crime dramas. For this tape, you can use similar epithets, only with an eye to the fact that we have the best representative of the action genre. And there are more elements of this kind than drama, although it is also there and shines quite brightly. A new acquaintance with the tape of Michael Mann was carried out a little earlier. Today we will share our impressions of what we saw and some thoughts on this.
A narrative criterion or narrative. The story tells about the confrontation between the criminal and the bandit, focusing on this game of cat and mouse the main vector of the narrative. But in order to somehow involve the viewer in the process and make them worry, the writers reveal the characters of both main characters. Neil McCauley and Vincent Hanna. Criminal and detective. Both are good at what they do, true professionals. But one is married to work and can not find a passion among people because of constant employment. The second keeps on the verge of divorce from his wife and tries not to lose sight of the stepdaughter. And, as always, relationships and family dramas are a little more interesting than the inner kitchen of crime planning. In this respect, Mann inherits Scorsese. At the same time, conversational scenes are filled with strong dialogues, evidence of this can be the meeting of the main characters in a cafe one on one. In terms of the script and twisting of the plot turned out to be fascinating and the literature of the tape is strong.
Visual criterion or technical support of the tape. There's a great action scene in the tape. The cameraman Dante Spinotti twists the focus so that we see shootings and bank robbery from all possible angles, and the ratio of conversational scenes with dynamic ones is quite smooth, since even calm scenes have internal dynamics. It is amazing how each visual delight is sustained in a single style and contributes to maintaining an atmosphere of intense confrontation. Also, the composer Goldenthal brings his contribution to this business, whose musical compositions not only emphasize the emotional intonation of key scenes, but also can settle in your head for a long time. Many melodies deserve to be guests of your playlist.
The acting is beyond praise. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino play such different characters, but both are equally capable of falling in love. Every muscle, every emotion is controlled by them. Both have a certain amount of prudence and restraint, which characterizes both the characters and the actors themselves as reliable people. And in other circumstances, they could cooperate. The voices were presented to them by Vitaly Doroshenko (Al Pacino) and Eugene Paperny (De Niro). Perfectly fit in those images that are on the screen. Val Kilmer plays the impulsive character in this film, and she is suffering greatly. John Voight and Ashley Judd are in secondary roles, but are also memorable as they are involved in the film's brightest scenes. Natalie Portman plays a character here, rather, condemned by our mentality, but it is impossible not to fall in love, because she is charming here. The very case when, rather than hearing a hundred positive epithets, it is better to see once.
As a verdict. The best representative of the genre of action film. Every action scene proves that. Plus a strong criminal drama coupled with the psychology of relationships within the family. I recommend acquaintance to connoisseurs of genre and good cinema. Good to you all and enjoy watching!
Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo, Natalie Portman, Ashley Judd, Hank Azaria, William Fichtner and John Voight.
. . The presence of such names (one of the first two blocks of world cinema would be enough for a loud poster, and what can we say about all the others combined...) already appeals to pleasant goosebumps... And the exceptionally positive reviews about the film lead to an obsessive question in your head: why haven’t I seen this movie before? We need to see it now!! And you watch it... Then you look again, after about a year. And you realize that there is no genius in the film or something incredibly magical here. However, nevertheless, the film does not cease to be a high-quality action movie from the best time for films of this genre, from the native “nineties”, a real criminal saga on the streets of Los Angeles, and just a cool gangster-police movie, with charismatic and colorful characters, two superstars: a super cop and a superbandit as the main characters, a movie where almost three hours of timekeeping fly by unnoticed, and EVERY one of the star heroes remains in memory, and some scenes are simply shot in the streets!
After the first viewing, remembering about the amazing Al Pacino and the events immediately after the bank robbery, I periodically climbed into the Kinopoisk and read this or that review, the impact of virtually each of them on me was the same – the perfect movie, the perfect detective / action movie for all time! Nevertheless, after watching the movie for the second time, and trying to find those vaunted grains of gold in the golden stream, I understand that the film, perhaps, just quality, good, good, cool and so on and so on, but not virtuoso, as it is extolled by virtually all reviewers, or ... or I do not understand something.
Al Pacino is, of course, incomparable. For me - the most spectacular and excellent cop in the history of Hollywood, De Niro with a beard and seriousness in his eyes - dangerous, Kilmer - memorable, Trejo is not superfluous, Voight - invoice, Portman is good, Sizemore is important, Fichtner in his favorite costumes ... Here, everyone plays his role, like a piece of a big puzzle, each important and carries something different. The film is beautiful not only by the views of natural Los Angeles, but also by its characters, their actions, deeds and emotionality, devotion to the cause, which: good / criminal - does not play a role here. Everyone is in their place!
Shootout after bank... After the first look, I just lost my speech. This is something like Spielberg’s famous large-scale scene in Saving Private Ryan. Aerobatics!
The tape affects not only shooting and chase, but also stops on virtually every important character (there are about a dozen of them), a little more, for obvious reasons, stopping at the main characters. There are love lines of virtually everyone, and “family” gatherings, and local conflicts, and leadership (even beyond the limits of crime) McCauley in his gang, and children, and betrayal, and the danger of dangerous work and other things that our ordinary life in the absolutely real world can boast of. At the same time, in addition to the beauty and quality, there are certain moments that I do not understand, such as the desire of the forever free and lonely Neil McCauley to escape from everything around with the first encounter, and questionable appearance. The cut veins of the heroine Portman ...
. . It would be interesting to know what drives McCauley away from prison so much that he prefers death. How pure is John Voight's character? And what happened to Val Kilmer's hero? How does Vincent live after all the events? There are a lot of questions, but these are not questions of the slack of directing, but a sign that the film is fascinating, you are imbued with characters and want to continue this first-class story! And she, I must say, really succeeded in fame!
True BRAVO to the two most important actors-Italians of Hollywood (Sly, sorry, you are the third on the list...) and all those who were involved in this unforgettable project!
8 out of 10
A powerful criminal action movie that perfectly pits Al Pacino and Robert De Niro against each other. The film perfectly conveys a dangerous situation on the increased level of crime, and also blurs the line between good evil. De Niro is a cold, calculating man who sublimates his personal life to achieve his goals. He's the brain of all operations. The first shots immediately throw us at the collection convoy. The last Guy Ritchie movie came to mind. Beautiful, dangerous, command violation of the law.
Pacino is a cold, calculating person who sublimates his personal life to achieve his goals. He catches people like De Niro. He is a policeman, devoid of moral principles, uses the most cunning methods of obtaining information. The parallel between the two Titans is visible to the naked eye. So director Michael Mann develops two lines, playing cat-and-mouse with the titans in the big city. What does Pacino have, that De Niro has his own teams, which are woven into various troubles, breaking the law and doing their own thing.
The more we immerse ourselves in the lives of a cop and a criminal, the more similar details are revealed to us. Thanks to the production of the team, the film brightens up Bruce Wayne of that time – Val Kilmer. Despite the powerful composition of teams that can not settle scores, each of the teams has its own “weak links”, which interferes with the overall plan. The personal qualities of gang leaders are excellent. Only you are aware of the villain’s negative turn as a hero acts in this way. Extreme measures of obtaining information and interrogation of suspects blur the line between law and truth, and the emotional Al Pacino with all his appearance shows that he is not a very good person.
The director sticks out the heroes in a way that erases everyone else on the battlefield. Fighting teams is like fighting a pack of wolves, where everyone rushes to capture the enemy, regardless of the consequences. Adjacent scenes of cultural gatherings in a restaurant with friends in chronological episodes are a beautiful parallel. Just that De Niro was vacationing with friends and went to his girlfriend, now Pacino drinks with colleagues and goes to his girlfriend. Reality betrays the problems of one or the other, which are associated with “normal, civilized life.”
The most beautiful moment of the tape is a meeting on neutral territory of our guys. This is a great psychological game based on mutual respect and value of each other. They’re like Batman and Christopher Nolan’s Joker (sorry, Val Kilmer): everyone understands that only one will survive, but solving the problem now (the policeman has no proof, the criminal has no reason) is a lost cause.
The film saturates with secondary shots. Betrayal, leaking information, "mole" among the guardians of order. Each pack leader is looking for any way to achieve results, and any identification of defectors is punishable by a one-way ticket. Shootings and casualties show that we are no longer hunting, but mania. As a result, the film brings out a great confrontation, when underground methods and open actions create the result of criminal action, and pride and the cause of honor make you go to crazy acts.
"The fight" is absorbed in one breath. The plot is diluted with heartfelt conversations and crime mania, and the adjacent perception of Pacino and De Niro perfectly emphasize the symmetry in actions, up to the end of the narrative.
Michael Mann’s film with not all the simple title 'Heat' (which will most accurately be translated as persecution, which will be discussed later) over the past quarter of a century has become not just a cult, but a canonical, textbook criminal work. He is revered by critics, adored by audiences, legends go about him and the further, the more he is worshipped. And the most interesting thing is that there really is. And what exactly can be explained in order now.
The plot of the picture is extremely unusual and can even be said to be complex. Nominally, we see here a kind of confrontation between a brilliant policeman and an equally brilliant criminal. Both are so good and incomparable in their business that they eventually begin to respect each other and feel something closely related in the opponent. Now the whole external world ceases to exist for them, narrowing to a straight red line, a line of attack, at the other end of which your best friend and most terrible enemy awaits you, in which you will find a lot of yourself. There is no direct contact between De Niro and Pacino in the film. The culmination of their relationship is a scene in a cafe where they peacefully talk over a cup of coffee about life, destiny and their destiny. Meanwhile, almost ninety percent of the rest of the time is devoted to their personal life... which is not. Mann persistently and tirelessly builds around the characters a kind of world filled with emptiness, vacuum. It is very important for him to show that for such characters who run on the very edge of being, every second risking falling on the other side of it, the universe is absolutely empty. Moreover, he builds this concept with such tenacity that it is not a mistake to say that the Combat is not more a criminal action movie, but an existential drama of human existence in principle. On this, the first ideological background and should dwell in more detail.
So, two heroes who exist in the same conditions and circumstances represent two different approaches to them. De Niro is a lone wolf, a stoic who adheres to the firm and immutable principles of complete isolation. He understands that any wrong decision, accidental mistake, whether made out of carelessness or fatigue will lead to the fact that the open abyss will drag into itself not only him, but also all those who are dear to him and to whom he is attached. He is aware that his illegal activities are a fate that imposes a number of obligations, one of which is unconditional loneliness. In fact, history itself begins at the moment when he breaks this rule and begins to want something different (here, of course, lies his fatal mistake, because his being and happy co-existence with someone can not intersect a priori as two parallel).
Pacino, on the other hand, repeatedly makes unsuccessful attempts to start a family. After all, he serves on the side of the law and formally belongs to the so-called ordinary people. But at the same time, of course, his animal instincts of the hunter do not allow him to forget the sweet dream of philistine existence. The main thing for him was and remains one single occupation - ' Persecution ' for which all the others are only fake sets. Therefore, Pacino, one can say, is even more disconnected from society, because he does not receive large profits like those he is chasing, he does not see himself as a genius who deceived the system. But on the contrary, his heroism lies in the fact that he is a simple artisan, performing his duty and at the same time holding to the boundaries of decency and the boundaries of typical social existence. Roughly speaking, the load on his existence is several times higher than those that fall to the lot of de Niro, so even on the poster of the film he is symbolically larger and higher than his opponent, although formally this is a fight between two equal principles.
The second most important point of the ideology of the film is that the confrontation itself is not just a concomitant circumstance for the characters in relation to the main activity, but, on the contrary, this struggle is the final goal of this very activity and in general, of their entire life. This deadly game, in which all intelligence, all determination, ingenuity, dexterity, cunning are manifested, is the very event for which their very existence lasts. This is an event with a capital letter C, a lumen in the impenetrable darkness of being, a circumstance that allows both heroes to understand that only at this very moment of supreme risk & #39; on the crest of the wave & #39; their life acquires fullness, wholeness and completeness. Roughly speaking, only then is their hidden self completely exhausted and realized. Therefore, the hero de Niro even feels the inner need to go to work, having on the tail of the coolest bloodhound of America. He unconsciously feels that he has finally found a mirror for his own existence and that it is through him that he can find the way either to real life or, more likely and worthy, to real death.
However, the ideological component of these two attributes is not exhausted. Considering a number of superb secondary heroes, Mann creates a real cosmogony of intertwined destinies, each of which has its own trajectory of a unique lonely path. But it is not necessary to dwell on the presentation of first-class second roles of Kilmore or Sizemore, since it is simply necessary to note the main advantage of the film - its unique naturalistic style.
The whole film is a finished almost documentary film about robberies and murders. Everything here looks exactly what it should look like in real time. Bullets fired at a moving target from a machine gun hit the target with a frequency of no more than five percent, police operations are strangled by bureaucracy, robbers act as thoughtfully and accurately as possible, moreover, not at all ' in cinema' But what strikes most is De Niro’s built-up, solid, monolithic character of the robber antagonist. His speech, movements, facial expressions - literally everything is subject to the single will of the mind, standing on the illegal service. He does not utter one unnecessary phrase, his plasticity as if the brilliant dancer, saving energy in every action. He sees and understands everything except himself and his soul. It seems that his own feelings, which he always alienated, became for him the last and most tricky mystery, under which the entire castle of airy existence collapsed.
As for the manner of presentation and style, it is incredible, especially by modern standards. 'Fight' is one of those great films irrevocably going back in time, in which the brilliantly built, meditative rhythm of the narrative, the very heart of the picture, could afford to break through exceptional, skillfully built, aesthetically and technically flawless action scenes that organically woven into the fabric of the narrative, creating a catharsis that the modern viewer can not even dream of. And of course, from an ideological point of view, the film comes to the layer of problems and philosophical questions that concern everyone, the main of which is what it means to live ' Right'
I have been writing this film for three years. But every time I was convinced that from the first view of all the subtleties do not catch. This year, the film is twenty-six years old, so I did not postpone a new acquaintance, because it already quite delayed. Next, I will share with you impressions of acquaintance and some thoughts on this.
A narrative criterion or narrative. We are offered a criminal drama about the confrontation between a criminal and a policeman. Neil McCauley is one of the best criminals in Los Angeles. He is confronted by the best detective Vincent Hanna. The two strongest teams converge against each other in a deadly battle. This film also has elements of detective investigation and competition. But for the viewer to be involved, you need to show the characters so that there is something to cling to. Neil is a man of the breed that prefers loneliness, so that unnecessary people do not participate in the case. Otherwise, things may not go according to plan. Detective Vincent Hana is a pedant, he has close people, but he is married to work and often gives her preference. The most important success of the writers is to correctly place accents in the narrative, so that crime and drama do not interfere with each other. In my opinion, the tape was successful in this regard.
Visual criterion or technical equipment of the tape. It is worth saying that the pace of the movie is slow. Therefore, you will have almost three hours of screen time to enjoy the camera work, setting the shot and filling it with details. Also worth noting is the way dynamic scenes are orchestrated, from handing over goods to shootings. The opening robbery will be quoted by Nolan in one of his films. In this respect, the picture looks like a greeting from the past, when the movie could still be called intelligent. There was great attention to detail in appearance, and the content did not lag behind. As in the best representatives of the sagas, in this film, in addition to the external attributes of the action movie, there is a deep psychology, relationships within the families of the heroes and the difficult decisions that circumstances lead to. There is also a musical accompaniment in the tape. Each melody not only accompanies, but also allows you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of what is happening on the screen. Introductory and final tunes can take a place in your playlist.
Acting jobs. Al Pacino is great! As always, though. His Vincent is a real fanatic policeman: smart, fearless, very impulsive, but also cruel, because in such a job it is impossible to do without it. Robert De Niro was delighted that he didn’t play as usual. Almost did not use his famous grimaces, and was largely restrained, which gave the image the necessary depth. Val Kilmer is very good as Chris - Neil's closest assistant, who showed a good feeling of love. The role was very sincere and very memorable. John Voight in ' Combat' plays a small episodic role of the gunner Neil, but this wonderful actor and Oscar winner (' Runaway Train', ' Homecoming', ' Turn', ' Enemy of the State') is nice to see even in a very small role.
As a verdict. This film will appeal to both connoisseurs of militants and serious films with subtle psychological overtones. The format of the full-length sled allows the picture to unfold in all aspects. I recommend it! All health, good and good movie!
10 out of 10
Double movie. It seems like a good criminal action, although not without stereotypes. But the creators wanted to originalize and added melodramatic lines to the characters, which sometimes go up to the level of daytime series for housewives. In the end, it doesn't all come together. De Niro and Brenneman got a part with meaning and they played it perfectly. In the primitive line of Kilmer, the writers were able to bring intrigue. And for Al Pacino, they could not come up with anything but endless jamb. The problems of his hero are presented so dull and drooling that there is only a desire to jump up and shout “stop at last!” Plus, he has to play some kind of neurotic. Yes, the film is unreasonably long, many scenes are drawn out. There are just those in which the portrait of Stanislavsky should hang in the background. Especially the meeting of the policeman with the leader, during which the policeman lays out all his family problems, and the leader confesses to crimes. Too much. So it was with the prototypes. But such a conversation. . There are just jambs. An unreliable partner escapes in complete silence while trying to get rid of him, and none of the four people hear which way he is running, and then they do not try to find him. In another scene, a police officer explains to another police officer that robbers who decide to flee the crime scene without prey can only be jailed for six months for hooliganism. Alas, the writer didn't even lift a finger to review California's laws. In reality, the heroes scored a decent list of crimes, including violation of the boundaries of private property, destruction of property, hacking ... for 5 years would be enough. But the main thing - conspiracy to rob and attempted robbery - two separate crimes. It would take another 15 years. So in a pictured situation, the police would take the robbers without hesitation. But then it wouldn't have been a movie. And yet the film has colorful characters, the acting is great, the camera work is good, especially in the representation of the backyards of Los Angeles. Perhaps, deciding whether to watch or not, viewing can be justified only by the phrase “why not”. Or love for one of the actors.
The original title of the film "Heat" is translated as "heat", which in the jargon of the American underworld means "persecution by the police". The main roles involve such venerable actors as Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Thanks to their duet, as well as much more, the almost three-hour crime drama Michael Mann looks in one breath and makes a lasting impression.
The development of the plot constantly keeps in suspense, creating an extensive panorama of the criminal activities of the gang and the privacy of all its members. The bank robbery comes to the fore, which will be marked by a brutal shootout on the streets of the metropolis. The atmosphere of the film is emotionally charged by the blue cold of night Los Angeles and luxurious musical accompaniment from Elliot Goldental.
“There should be nothing in life that can hold you back longer than half a minute if you see the police around the corner.”
In addition to the main action, attention is drawn to the story of Neil’s acquaintance with the melancholy girl Edie. She opens her heart to a violent gangster, and he succumbs to temptation. His journey from the cynical “I am alone, but I am not alone” to the sentimental “without you everything is meaningless” has turned everything inside me so many times! To love, these two have only a moment, but they will fill it with a feeling for a lifetime.
The visual solution Dante Spinotti is fascinating. In a wild delight lead the footage when Vincent Hannah receives data on the location of Neil McCauley. The night flight by helicopter over the sparkling lights of the city, the elegant stroke of a car wheel on the highway, the expressiveness of the face Al Pacino and the penetrating track New Dawn Fades performed by Moby forever made this scene of persecution one of the most spectacular in the history of world cinema.
"I told you I'd never come back"
Vincent Hannah vs Neil McCauley. Both are used to always winning. Equally strong individuals who treat each other with respect. Even during the last skirmish at the airport, when the atmosphere is heating up to the limit, there is still no hatred between them. These men are most sensitive in the sphere of personal honor, which is demonstrated by the trembling finale.
10 out of 10
Okay. What are we? A story with three main characters. The first is a poor detective, all in the job, whom his wife nags for clicheness and shouting 'Yabadabadu!' and 'guoaaaaaaaaaa!' at night (who doesn't understand, he will understand). The second character is a poor criminal, all in robberies, whose wife also nags for cliché. The third character is a veteran gang leader who laughs off these two heels and their weaknesses, and then finds himself a girlfriend and becomes a heel. All three characters are true husbands, all so social, quick-tempered, illogical in many of their actions, convinced of their principles and going to the end. I just told you the whole point of a three-hour movie.
Now to the theory. What does an ordinary moviegoer think when watching a movie? Well, first of all, he compares it to what he saw next. Somewhere unconsciously and just catching myself thinking “I’ve seen it already”, somewhere on the contrary – to analyze the film, which is also in the TOP 250 search.
Fortunately, during the time of watching “The Fight”, I did not treat either of them. I realized that most likely this movie contains a couple of clichéd scenes and phrases. I understood that this is primarily a 90s action movie, that is, a quarter of the film will be shootings, and the other quarter will be chases. And at the same time, I saw a gorgeous cast - Al Pacino, De Niro, Val Kilmer and ... no one else, except that Natalie Herschlag is somewhere in the background playing (very mediocre, but as always).
Were the expectations met? Well, imagine you turned on a low-budget series from NTV. And now imagine that he in English and in the lead roles put famous foreign actors with the preservation of the script. If you are over 50 and you are delighted with the "deaf" and "sea devils" - you will like it. Most likely, you will not understand anything from what you see, but there is a strong male friendship, shooting and women guilty of everything - what else do you need for a good evening? If you are about 35 and you and a company of classmates want to watch a shooter under a beer - look. Again, you won’t remember a single name, turn the movie down after half an hour of viewing and chat peacefully with friends. Naturally, closer to the end, you will return to viewing and say “beautiful” to the final scene. And if you are 20-35 years old and you watch such a movie purely out of respect for the cinema, even if you are fed with clichés and stupidities, and in your century fell Wes Anderson, Nolan and other directors with the desire to invest at least something in your creation - then half the film you can not stand and say to yourself "well, it's okay if I speed up a little." After a while, you’ll be thinking, “Maybe I’ll check it out later?” But you will decide to be patient, sometimes you will look at your smartphone, inadvertently break through the search for “fight review / theory / meaning” in the hope of a deeply hidden subtext.
What do I mean? If directly and briefly - to the fact that this is an overrated low-grade action movie of the level of Russian series about cops and bandits. All assessments are made either by nostalgic fanatics or by self-deceived comrades who saw “the best shootout in the history of cinema,” as everyone calls it on your Internet.
The movie is not for everyone. A movie for no one.
A wonderful, very moving film! Involuntarily you wonder why this remake, once a mediocre action movie, caused a lot of admiration and enjoyed such a stunning success. Director and screenwriter Michael Mann, apparently, not in vain for years gestated his characters before beating them in the right dramatic way, or rather, and it is clearly striking, to bring everyone under a certain worldview thesis, apparently borrowed somewhere - no matter where - one way or another, his story, despite some false theatrics, received a decent design.
What exactly is his idea, which allowed so closely identify and sympathize with the key characters, is not important, but it is quite obvious that it is beyond good and evil and resembles, rather, a remote feeling than something that can be formulated and is expressed solely thanks to the true emotional equivalents of life situations, against which the heroes played their, so to speak, spiritually - moral life within the released set of value options. In fact, it is not so great here - a house, a family - a family - work, just work or just family, money, however, as it is all touchingly shown! And criminals, like, not criminals, but almost noble knights. At least that was the impression.
However, such masters as Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, always sympathize willingly, however, plot conflicts, as well as the criminal plot, IMHO, are no more than an eloquent facade where the main characters played the old, true idea - ' The whole world is a theater, and the people in it are actorsGod #39, which Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) twice demonstratively emphasized - first in a private conversation over a cup of coffee, where both, like old friends, climaxed in the waters, and then he did not return to one of his blood, but from the bottom, "39, where he did not find something from above" ("; #39, which he did not return to his own blood, but from above, "abouts, from above, but from the blood; ' / # # # # 39; / # # # # # # # # # # # 39; / # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # If we consider the picture in this context as well, everything looks very good, at least much more beautiful compared to some other Prodigal Sons & #39;
In my opinion, the climax can be safely considered the apogee of the stage career of Al Pacino, but if you describe his acting in a nutshell, it is confidence and anger and, oddly enough, it was enough to express the spirituality and morality of his film hero.
The film is wonderful and in general is a sad but eloquent palette of life, where ideas are layered on top of each other, in a very remarkable way. It is also noteworthy that the film was shot just at the sunset of wire telephony, when the criminal world still had its own identity and could freely feed its criminal illusions.
Cult actor Al Pacino 25.04.2020 was eighty years old.
They say that the actor is the most talented, who manages to convincingly play in different films and positive and negative. Al Pacino brilliantly, brightly and with exact hit in the image played and negative characters (' Dog Noon', ' Way Carlito', ' Scarface') and police officers, guardians of law, order ('Serpico', 'Sea of Love', 'Insomnia')
But one of the vivid images of the policeman, embodied by Al Pacino, is Vincent Hannah in 'Fight'. Vincent Hannah is one of the best in his field, to which he devoted his life.
He investigates a case involving a robbery in which everything went wrong because of the shedding of human blood, which should not have been.
All the threads lead to Neil McCauley, played by Robert De Niro. Neil is a criminal who has achieved skill, professionalism in his business.
Vincent and Neil are the main characters of the film, who are the best of the best, but each in his own business. They're the same in that. If one defends the law, the other breaks it. In this they are the opposite. And their relationship is the key to understanding the film.
Vincent's married for the third time. His relationship with his wife is getting weaker and weaker. What could change anything in their relationship? Maybe a strong psychological shake-up? Will it be joy or misery? Why no understanding? Because Vincent gives a lot of time to work, but it made him a professional. He was lucky to find the work of his life. And he gives his all to this case. So was Sherlock Holmes, for example. A brilliant detective, but he did not have a family close. All your strength is given to your favorite business. As a detective, he has endurance, composure, will, excellent thinking, endurance, and most importantly decency. It gives Vincent charm, charm. What is achieved thanks to the charisma of actor Al Pacino.
Neil works on a team consisting of Chris (Val Kilmer), Trejo (D. Tehoe). Neil is distinguished by composure, concentration, lack of emotions, cunning. This has contributed to his rise in the criminal world. This is thanks to the charisma of actor Robert De Niro. In 1995, Robert de Niro played a player for M. Scorsese in 'Casino'. There he is in luxury, bright costumes, chic. Here are gray, ascetic costumes.
Neil lives with a woman who thinks he is a merchant.
At first, both collect information about each other. But one of the most important scenes is their conversation in a restaurant. It's open, eye to eye, honestly. They understand each other. But if they stand in each other's way, there should be only one left.
The film involves cars, helicopters. And the night city looks beautiful under the arches of night lights. The action takes place mainly at night, which gives a special atmosphere to the film. Robberies happen during the day. The shootout is one of the film's tense moments. The film also conveys the atmosphere of the mid-nineties.
Both Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are great in this film. The interaction of these two actors was previously brilliant in 'The Godfather' and in the recently released 'The Irishman'
I’ve often come across a piece of gunfight that teaches police students in the United States how to fight in urban areas, and I’ve also come across small pieces of the episode in cafes. My view of this painting was extremely superficial. I even thought it was a movie, ala, 'Point Break'. To say I was shocked is to say nothing. .
To begin with, it is worth noting the technical part, everything is in order. The film is almost outdated, I can not believe that he is 25 years old. The sounds of shooting, directing, not twitched, as is customary in militants, editing. The musical accompaniment from Elliot Goldenthal is magnificent and unusual, I even recalled the music from ' Blade Runner' which in itself is a huge plus.
Speaking of actors, it is impossible not to say that the film would not have been possible without Robert De Niro and, especially, Al Pacino. These two actually made the whole movie. Their powerful play and their endless charisma do something incredible with already vivid images, but more on that later. It is worth noting that the actors of the second plan in no case failed. Everyone in their place, everyone looks organic in the frame. It was nice to see the young Val Kilmer, Danny Trejo and Natalie Portman (I didn’t particularly expect to see her).
Now, the script. I tried to put the whole essence of the film in the title, because it is about the fight of two elements that Michael Mann tells. Robert De Niro is a tough robber who is always one step ahead, he is a professional in his field, he is not adapted to another craft and to another life, and he does not want anything else. Al Pacino is an experienced lawyer who has seen many crimes, sitting at home with his wife is not for him, catching criminals all his life. And then we have two characters on opposite sides of the barricades. Both are experienced, both are principled and both are willing to do anything to achieve their goal. Everyone has their pros and cons, they are people, you can empathize with any of them. There is a classic division into the protagonist and antagonist, but only the viewer decides who is the hero for him and who is the villain. This is the genius of the script.
Bottom line:
A timeless thriller, with one of the most powerful acting duets in the history of cinema.
9 out of 10
Revisited again 'Fight' Michael Mann and made sure that each time the film gets better, on the principle of aging wine. It is difficult to say what it is connected with, perhaps in the genre of action movie modern Hollywood has turned into a faceless conveyor, where the originality and quality of the material have faded into the background and every next product of the genre turns into fir-pahs with cheap special effects and happy ending. And perhaps in modern action films there is no place for a well-written drama, correct if I am wrong, but nothing comes to mind. Or it creates a contrast to the stupid 'fighters of the nineties' having logic and a minimal amount of cliches. Anyway, once in five years, I can not refuse to see this picture and every time to enjoy.
' Fight' composing genres of action movie and drama. The backbone of the plot is simple, in it there is a confrontation between two stunningly written characters. Vincent Hanna is a homicide detective who sacrifices his personal life to catch criminals, he will go to the end and sacrifice everything to achieve his goal. Opposing him Neil McCauley - a criminal, in many ways similar to his counterpart. They have a lot in common, but they are on different sides of the barricades. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro burned to the full program, revealing their heroes to a hundred. In other reviews, he often found that De Niro was even more empathetic than his opponent, a police officer. De Niro has revealed his character, he has his own motivation, code and principles, but that doesn’t change the fact that if necessary, he will kill innocent people in cold blood. De Niro, as I think, the role was a little more difficult than Pacino, so many of the audience he had a little more. From his role, I think Pacino squeezed the maximum.
The dialogue component is amazing. I think it is wrong to spoil phrases before watching, as many people like to do, but believe me, a few quotes you will definitely leave in your head.
The action scenes are filmed with attention to detail, as realistic as possible. The shooting scene in the city will give a light to the second ' Terminator' (for me, the militant standard). Personally, it is realism that gives me pleasure from viewing, not drawn special effects. The cries of passers-by, the believable rumble of shots as much as possible immerse you in all this chaos. It's getting a little uncomfortable to watch because of this credibility, but it's definitely a plus for me. It is this approach to creating films that allows you to maintain quality and relevance for many years to come. ' Fight' does not age, but looks good to this day. A lot of movies from those years were made on a different principle and what happened to them? You can't watch them.
Good day, dear friends! Today I would like to share with you my impressions of watching the crime drama directed by Michael Mann, released in 1995. Once again I am convinced that at that time they simply did not know how to shoot poorly, and every film was a masterpiece.
Special attention in the film is given to the two main characters performed by Al Pacino and Robert de Niro, although in addition to them in the film there are other star actors such as Val Kilmer, John Voight, Amy Brenneman, but the palm tree, the whole plot is built on the confrontation of the two main characters. We see two heroes: Lieutenant Vincent Hann and criminal Nick McCauley - these are two absolutely opposite from the point of view of the law of people who, if you understand, have much more in common than even themselves can admit. The hero of Al Pacino, Vincent, torn by a whole range of contradictions, he personally caused me just a whole scatter of contradictory emotions from simple human empathy to admiration for his endurance and determination. Throughout the film, he is under the strong pressure of circumstances, in the grip that does not let him go for a second, but this does not prevent him from finding and making the right and right decisions, while doing it on time and taking responsibility for his actions. On the one hand, he suffers greatly because of the turmoil in his personal life, and I can tell you how hard it is to be a companion of a man like Vincent Hanna. No, he is not a careerist and does not pursue titles and regalia at all, but rather a workaholic whose work will always come first, a person who lives his favorite business. ' I can’t do anything anymore' he will tell his opponent, sitting opposite him in a posh restaurant during their only informal meeting. He will hear exactly the same words from his opponent Nick McCauley.
Both heroes are professionals in their field, equal opponents - neat, diligent, strong masters who do not allow mistakes and falsehoods. Despite the fact that they are on different sides of the law, the narrative is structured so that it is not yet absolutely obvious who is bad and who is good, because in addition to formal legal assessments, there are also moral and purely human assessments along with them, and perhaps even more important than them. And here is another big question, which of our heroes is more right, who is fairer, who in general looks more like a man?! After all, all his life engaged in the hunt for criminals, you can not notice how he turned into one of them. Personally for me in this film is not traditionally 'bad' or 'good' a person, may be from the point of view of the law of Vincent Hann and can be called such, but this is only a superficial judgment.
Yes, the law, of course, is on the side of the law enforcement officer, because he performs a noble mission, defends the rights of murdered colleagues, performs his duty, does what he considers necessary to do, but at what cost? This is the case when the hero believes that his noble goal is above all else and does not choose the means to achieve this goal. I was very impressed with this film also because the chases, fights, shootouts that are in it and in general all the blood shed is not the goal and even the main idea of the film, but only serves as a background on which very difficult psychological events unfold.
We see in the image of Nick McCauley not a soulless bandit swearing and shooting people to the right and left, but a real, living person with his living and understandable desires. A secretive, closed person who has no family, and even furniture, he also did not find time to acquire, because he lives on the principle ' when there is time ' He deliberately and diligently avoids any attachment, any close contact with anyone, because for Nick, any attachment is a weakness. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t at least sometimes want something simple, understandable and human. What he does, he does not because he likes it, but because he could not find another way to find himself, could not find another way to achieve his goal, not related to crime. Of course, all this does not make Nick a positive hero, does not romanticize everything he does, but paints an image of a real, real person, drawn into difficult circumstances, from which he can no longer get out. He can convince himself as much as he wants that he does not need anyone in this world, that any attachment will only interfere with him, but every person needs that someone close to him, someone loved him. For Neil, that woman was Edie (Amy Branneman). She knew nothing about him, almost everything he said to her when meeting her was a lie, except emotions, only they were real.
After this film, I became a big fan of the early works of Robert De Niro! Personally, I began to admire De Niro as a dramatic actor after the film Sleeping & #39; although he got the role of the righteous & #39; Father Bobby & #39; but the role is very important and strong. He can play, speak without words, with one eye. And here in 'Fight' we see that too.
The film has a very strong musical accompaniment, it is not intrusive, but catches and emphasizes the drama of events and at the same time does not interfere with the perception of events. For me, the composition of the film is very important and often reflects the emotions I need.
The ending of the story was very dramatic, I would even say tragic, not in the sense that it made me cry, but touched my soul and deeply. The finale of the fight between the two main characters was expected and to some extent obvious. From the very beginning of the story, it was clear that there was a confrontation between two heroes who could never agree.
I recommend this film to everyone who has not yet seen - fans of action-packed action films and thrillers, where the center of events is not blood and gunfights, but decisive and complex people, their relationships and motives for their actions. I am sure that most of those who watch will not regret the time spent. This work is not in vain received such an impressive list of awards and firmly settled in the list of the best films in the world according to Kinopoisk.
Thank you for listening to my review!
If you remember the best fighters of the end of the last century, it will be mostly reckless shootouts with naive main characters, a simple plot and buckets of shot shells. Michael Mann's film is out of line. The director seemed to be looking into the future, creating a real drama, a detective, and sometimes even a thriller from a worn-out crime story about robberies. Perhaps that’s why, more than twenty years later, “Fight” is interesting to watch. The picture perfectly falls on the modern realities of cinema, where even the actors of the comedy series “Brooklyn 9-9” undergo special training so as not to look like clowns with guns in the frame.
The plot of the film is simple. There are burglars - as usual, somewhat romanticized - who gather on their last case before retiring; and there are cops, detectives, who try to thwart them. Mann decided not to change this established and many times ground by militants of various kinds of history. But the director decided to push away the main storyline and hide it behind the relationships of numerous actors. However, the abundance of secondary characters does not harm the film. Each hero has a specific role in the story. And that role is often commensurate with each character's significance for the film, so the script doesn't look overloaded. Especially since the relationship between the characters is revealed very vividly and dynamically.
In general, the word “dynamically” is the best fit for a capacious description of “Battle”. It's the montage. It is truly striking and at times reminiscent of Edgar Wright's best films (long before Wright's career). The editing saves the picture where other representatives of the genre usually stumble: in interruptions between action scenes, in revealing the personal lives of the heroes, in staging shootouts. The brisk rhythm also supports excellent, memorable music, which invariably immerses the viewer in the action taking place on the screen.
Dialogues deserve special mention. Strong dialogue. Powerful dialogue. Stunning dialogue! Some characters are given a minimum of screen time, but thanks to carefully prescribed replicas, we can form an opinion about them, understand their fates and spiritual vicissitudes. The only gray spot in all the variety of relationships is the romantic line of Neil McCauley (Robert de Niro). His story arc with a sudden mistress looks too naive. And Ida (Amy Brenneman) is a very boring, useless, unnecessary character, and very, very banal. Perhaps the only piece of the film that smells like a blatant hack.
But all the other pros and cons overlap with just one small episode in the middle of the film. We are talking, of course, about the joint scene of Al Pacino and de Niro. I do not name the characters, because in the foreground here are not heroes, but actors. It is clear that these mastodons of cinema are good throughout the picture, but their face-to-face stake is definitely the best moment of the film. Watching the actors, listening to their lines in this legendary scene is a real pleasure. Somebody had to shoot these guys in one shot, and Mann did!
In conclusion, it is worth talking about the technical side of the film. In the crime film, in the action movie about robberies, there are only three action scenes: at the very beginning, at the climax, and at the end. This is reminiscent of Jurassic Park, in which, on a two-hour timeline, the dinosaurs themselves are given only 15 minutes of screen time. And in both films, this is achieved by painstakingly working on key scenes that stick in the memory for a long time (think forever). In general, all this means that the scenes of shootouts in the “Fight” were filmed at the highest level. Combined with the above advantages of the picture, we can conclude that Michael Mann shot, perhaps, one of the best crime films of the 90s along with “Good Guys” and “Pulp Fiction”.
9 out of 10
"Fight" is the perfect example of a proper criminal drama. The smarter the criminal, the more exciting and tense the confrontation between him and the servant of the law.
This is not a case of morons being caught by bigger idiot cops, this is a chess game, a game to the death. The heroes of this action movie Neil McCauley and Vincent Hann are on opposite sides of the law. Neal's criminal talent is known in the Los Angeles underworld and many dream of working with him, but his gang is only a select few. Everything is built on trust, friendly support and impeccable discipline. But opposite him is Hannah, a detective, one of the best in Los Angeles, and maybe all of America. Attracting a recidivist Wengrow becomes the main mistake of the leader of the group. A well-planned operation is completely disrupted due to the intemperance of Wengrow, who killed one of the collectors. After interrupting the remaining guards, the gang becomes the object of close attention of the police.
When viewing the picture, the cast instantly reinforces its masterpiece. Neela played the charismatic Robert De Niro, and Hannah the stern Al Pacino, in their best years. They did a great job and created voluminous, deep characters with their own characters - Hannah is ardent, assertive and incredibly intelligent, and Neill is restrained, intelligent and also has an equally sharp mind. Watching the confrontation between two legends of gangster fighters is a pleasure. For an exciting plot and a confident script, the film immediately received the status of a classic of the genre.
Also, it is worth noting the magnificent staging and camera work in action scenes - this is what all figures of the militant genre should equal. And I think that’s what inspired the video game developers to create the legendary GTA and PayDay. “Fight” can be safely put in the top 10 best fighters in the history of cinema, this is a role model, all representatives of the genre should be equal to this film.
Everything you do is for the best. We’ve all heard this phrase many times in our lives. If earlier this phrase seemed quite controversial to me, then years later, I only strengthened my faith in its relevance and authenticity. One of the illustrative examples and reasons for me personally is “The Fight” directed by Michael Mann. It is difficult to imagine what would have happened to the “Fight”, if not for some failure of the television film directed by Michael Mann “Made in Los Angeles”, which “shot” on small screens 6 years earlier. After all, if it wasn’t for Mann’s love for his material and unwillingness to put up with failure, we would not have received one of the best crime dramas in the history of cinema.
The plot of the film is a kind of repetition of the events of the television film directed by Michael Mann, but with significant and tangible work to correct his own mistakes. Which leads to a truly magnificent story, which in my opinion is one of the main advantages of this tape.
Throughout the history of cinema, there have been many films about daring robbers with perfectly planned robberies and selfless policemen who sacrifice their personal lives for the sake of their work. At first glance, this film directed by Michael Mann is nothing significantly new. But in this case, occupying a winning position with a huge number of acting characters and a magnificent disclosure of their characters on the screen. When almost immediately the director of the picture Michael Mann not only "introduces to the asset", but also simultaneously develops on the screen an abundance of storylines, each of which is designed to reveal the character of a certain character. Not only does it handle its task with the highest precision, but it also gives the impression of a very rich, multi-layered, deep and really strong human drama. Where the main foundation is the confrontation between the policeman and the criminal, which is complicated by the spiritual closeness and respect of both characters for each other.
The director of the film Michael Mann managed to shoot a really strong and powerful film in every sense, which with filigree accuracy reproduces on the screen elements of several genres at once. Like a dashing action movie and thriller, or the deepest drama and neo-romantic melodrama. Thus, sublimating everything into a material in which you immerse yourself with your head. Los Angeles itself is shown by Mann as no ordinary city and place of action, but a real living organism and perhaps the main character of the whole story. Which he would later repeat in "Accomplice" and "Cyber." Especially under the luxurious ambient soundtrack of composer Elliot Goldenthal.
One of the main keys to the success of the picture is the luxurious duo Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, who for the first time united the two greatest actors of his time in one frame. At the same time, achieving the same result as it was with Travolta and Cage in Faceless. When, regardless of who is the hero and who is the villain, both actors created characters on the screen so vivid, deep and strong that you feel the same sympathy for each of them. Not allowing anyone to be better or stronger than the other.
A real delight for the eyes is the rest of the cast, which has gathered an impressive number of eminent and talented artists in the person of Val Kilmer, John Voight, Tom Sizemore, Ashley Judd, Michelty Williamson, Ted Levine, William Fichtner, Danny Trejo, Jeremy Piven, Xander Berkeley, Diane Venor and many others. Especially still very young Natalie Portman, for which "Fight" became the next springboard after the debut "Leon".
10 out of 10
The fight is definitely one of the greatest paintings in the history of mankind. A stunning picture that breathed new life and gave some depth to the genre of crime drama. Naturally, not without the influence of the most powerful cast, led by an unprecedented duet of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, who almost drags the entire film on their shoulders.
Michael Mann's 1995 feature film The Fight (originally Heat), directed by him from his own script, is now a cult example of crime drama and high-quality action movie. The literal translation of the film “Heat”, meaning in American criminal jargon “persecution by law enforcement”.
The first 10 to 15 minutes, from the opening scene, you're curious -- what's going on, who are these people, what are the goals of the characters? Everything remains a mystery. Instead of explanations, the film shows a “drive-filled” professional theft of securities from a collection machine. The viewer, along with the police and Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino), arrived at the scene of the crime, is puzzled and surprised.
The next part of the film is exposition and acquaintance with the characters and their motives. We are watching both camps. On one side is Neil McCauley played by De Niro and his gang of robbers. Al Pacino is behind the cops. The fight takes place both between these poles and the main characters McCauley and Hannah. Disclosure of characters proceeds slowly and consistently, but this only gives beauty and clear causality to the next action. Mann, as if sowing seeds on the field, places here and there “Chekhov’s weapons” in the composition of the film. Each of them will shoot at the right time.
It is worth referring to the description of the main characters. Robert De Niro plays a cold-blooded and disciplined burglar with strict life principles. He's the leader and brain of the gang. The main thing for him is freedom. “The basic rule is never to have anything in your life that you can’t quit for thirty seconds if the cops show up around the corner.” He's alone, but not alone. She tries not to get attached to women. De Niro played him calm and quick in the actions of a man without human morality.
Al Pacino, in contrast to the hero De Niro, played an expressive (with his trademark intonation) and tough policeman, always achieving his goals. He lives his job, so he is married for the third time, does not appear at home for a long time and does not devote time to his wife (who, by the way, was an irresponsible mother herself, who almost did not pay attention to her teenage daughter; the role of the daughter was played by young Natalie Portman). Lieutenant Vincent Hanna uses his charm and audacity to communicate with criminals, which helps him. “I say what I think and do what I say!” is the worldview of the lieutenant.
In the police investigation and surveillance of the gang there is a further plot. The LAPD is eager to get criminals red-handed, but their attempts are always in vain thanks to the cunning and intuition of Neil McCauley. Meanwhile, the gang is preparing for another bank robbery. For all participants, this is a chance to part with their criminal past, live a calm, family life with a “barbecue and ball game”. Such motives and their use help empathize with each of the characters.
Before important events, the lieutenant finds his enemy - the police determined the location of Neil McCauley, who has not yet tainted himself. Vincent Hanna begins to chase him down the highway at night, accompanied by an instrumental cover of Joy Division's "New Dawn Fades", performed by Moby. The scene of the persecution, the accent on the faces of the characters and the subsequent heart-to-heart conversation convey the whole fundamental idea of the “fight” and collision of the two main characters of the film.
Watching what is happening, the viewer feels that the film is approaching its point of no return: all ends are cut off, the goals set by the author are fulfilled. After a successful robbery on the peaceful streets of Los Angeles ensues a bloody shootout between criminals and the police. This episode still remains one of the few truly memorable shootouts in film history. General human panic and fear with a special degree of involvement make the viewer perceive what is happening on the screen. Here it is worth noting the close-up moment of Al Pacino's face in the climax of the shootout. The emotional component, coupled with the fact that the lieutenant “can not miss”, creates the desired effect. This technique will be used again at the end of the film.
The ending of the film is perfectly constructed by Mann, both logically and organically. But you still have no doubt that another outcome is possible. When analyzing the hero Al Pacino everything is clear - this is a man who stands guard of order and avenges innocent victims, who saw a lot of nasty at work by the police (the story of the deceased filmed by him). However, he did not sink to the bottom and did not change his principles. Robert De Niro's character is a controversial figure. Man has inner principles that only help him. The way he quickly and without hesitation dealt with his enemies as well as friends gives food for thought. He is in the dark, in the dark. Only once could he crawl out of there. He had hope and a woman who loved him. It would seem that life has regained meaning, you can move on. But the moment his car drives from a dark highway into a brightly lit tunnel lasts only a few seconds. It hints at hopelessness. Even such a small detail as a shadow played a cruel joke with him. The dream he dreams becomes a thing. De Niro's character is, of course, an antagonist, but he has nothing to do with the "villain" position. This role went to a fifth, former gang member, the rapist and traitor Waingro, whose “villainous” traits were introduced by Mann, in my opinion, artificially and clumsily. This is required for the story.
It is worth noting the visual side of the film. The picture uses many panoramic views and long-range plans. Especially the nighttime Los Angeles, which no doubt fascinates everyone. "The city is always in lights." The surrounding beauty of the metropolis, close to the Pacific Ocean, clothes history in an aesthetically verified “wrapper”. This film owes the efforts of the talented cameraman Dante Spinotti, who has already filmed this city in the neo-noir film “Secrets of Los Angeles”. The musical accompaniment of composer Elliot Goldenthal fits perfectly and complements the atmosphere of the film. Among the supporting actors should pay tribute to Val Kilmer, William Fichtner, Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo.
The resulting emotions and aesthetic pleasure after watching the film are at the highest level. The well-written story of Michael Mann, it is the story, without any moral and moral lessons, allows you to plunge into the world of this film and fall out of reality for 3 hours. The length of the picture in no way diminishes its advantages. On the contrary, a slow and slow narrative prepares the viewer and perfectly accelerates the plot by the middle of the film. Attention and enthusiasm for the picture does not escape. Then come the strong and, as I have said, “drive” impulses necessary to complete this beautiful story of “fight”. After watching, you want to shake hands with Michael Mann in gratitude, just as Neil McCauley and Vincent Hanna shake hands at the end of the film.
10 out of 10
Michael Mann is like a ship laden with treasure and floating through the film industry. His talent is not limited to directing. Mann is a successful producer and, most importantly, a writer. It is thanks to his ability to come up with twisted plots that the world has received one of the most exciting police fighters.
First of all, the film is interesting by the simultaneous presence on the screen of two powerful figures - Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. This effect is impressive in itself, because we are not someone, but the kings of charisma and temperament. The company of the star couple is a very impressive team. Of particular note are Tom Sizemore, Diane Venorou and veteran John Voight. A fascinating and believable story creates ideal conditions for the full dedication of all actors.
Another important detail gives the film a special elegance – beautiful camera work. There was someone to follow the process - Michael Mann himself is an experienced professional in this field.
The ship Elliot Goldenthal worked on the musical accompaniment of the “Fight”. The music turned out to be subtle, unobtrusive, but perfectly emphasizing the serious style of cinema.
1995 is unique in its own way. This year, three gorgeous films were released at once, which forever entered the history of the world film industry as one of the best in their genre. "Seven" by David Fincher, "Suspicious Faces" by Brian Singer, and "The Combat" by Michael Mann. Each of the films is a story about the criminal world and bandits specializing in various crimes.
“Fight” is a magnificent crime saga (as indicated in the slogan of the film) of Los Angeles, which feels not only the skill of the creator – Michael Mann, known for the previously released “The Last of the Mohicans” and “Human Hunter”, but also a responsible approach to the case of each member of the film crew.
The film tells about a gang of robbers, led by Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), which is characterized by high professionalism and the ability to calculate any possible moves of the police. Only when things don’t go according to plan because of a temporary gang member, it becomes clear that the ring of justice around McCauley and his associates begins to shrink inexorably.
Almost three hours of an excellent detective with intersperses of a criminal thriller and an action movie is what awaits the viewer when watching “Battle”. Some may think the movie is too long, but no! Not at all! This time is just enough to tell in detail, and not a “gallop through Europe” to tell about the life of modern gangsters (and not one, but several), and about the everyday work of the police, simultaneously immersed in the personal affairs of the main, played (Al Pacino).
Due to the fact that the viewer sees on the screen, when he knows the robbers better, even taking into account their bloody deeds, there is not that pity for them, but a certain sympathy, because these guys live by their code of honor (this is clearly demonstrated by the characters De Niro and Denny Trejo) and are ready to take risks. At the same time, they can be called fools and treated as people who are not worthy of regret, because the threat to which they let their loved ones, does not deserve forgiveness.
The "fight" partly makes it clear why criminals take the next case, and therefore take risks, not trying to stop at a certain point. Yes, because planning and robbing is what they do best and a new looming jackpot on the horizon is comparable to another dose of the drug, without which there is a feeling of doom and emptiness. The film explains why cops, in turn, also risk a lot in their lives to protect civilians from danger. Because the more scum on the streets, the more chaos on the streets, and when there is chaos, there is no certainty that your loved ones will be safe.
As I wrote above, “Fight” is perfectly staged and naturally, the legendary shootout on the city streets stands out here, filmed not in the pavilion, but in nature, when the entire quarter of the city of Angelov turned into a full-scale battlefield. One big scenery is the city itself, because the whole film was shot without scenery in real conditions, which is very valuable, and most importantly looks realistic on the screen.
Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Tom Sizemore, Amy Brenneman, John Voight, Diane Venora, Ashley Judd, Wes Steudie, Ted Levine, William Fichtner, Tom Noonen, Natalie Portman, Denny Trejo, Hank Azaria, Jeremy Piven - the presence in the film of famous actors just goes off the charts and the whole group, led by the first two, plays a great performance. Bloody, dramatic, cruel, genuinely realistic performance.
And of course, it is impossible not to mention the gray-haired Dennis Farina, known for his roles in “At Strike Distance”, “Big jackpot” and “Games of Gambling”. Now the late actor acted as a consultant during the filming of “Battle”, because he himself for 18 years served in the police and knew a lot about justice.
But look at you. I do not impose my opinion on anyone.
I tried watching this movie when I was a kid, but I probably did it for about half an hour. It seemed boring and I didn’t look any further. Now I realize I was too young for this movie.
The film is almost three hours long, it’s not a joke. Therefore, in places to watch it was a little tiring, but this does not detract from its merits. The film is harsh, stylish, realistically shot, with a strong dramatic component. The central place in it is occupied by the confrontation of two giants of cinema, playing not stupid, courageous, devoted each to his occupation, characters standing on opposite sides of the law. Charisma De Niro and Al Pacino here just goes off the scale and over the edge. One hunts for the other, eager to bring him to justice for his crimes, but for the time being it does not work. Not because Al Pacino's character is stupid, but vice versa, De Niro is too cunning. But neither can be called a positive or negative hero. There is a completely negative character here, but he has a secondary role.
In parallel with this confrontation, the film shows the personal life of each character, which contributes to their fuller disclosure, adding new character traits to each. Someone has a family, someone has a girlfriend, someone is single, but in the course of the picture finds a girlfriend. By the way, perhaps the appearance of a love relationship and destroys the main character.
The episode of the chase through the streets of the city after a bank robbery deserves the most flattering words. Although the chase was short, it was very substantive and realistic and can give a head start to many modern films where similar scenes are present. In my subjective opinion, this is a sample that should be put as an example of how to film a chase and shootout on the street.
Well, I liked the film, despite the big timekeeping, you don’t get tired of watching it, although it’s a little bit boring in some places, but it quickly passes when the scene changes. You can recommend it to those who love actors who play leading roles, fans of gangster movies, a movie about bank robberies, and everyone who has not watched it for any reason. This is a classic, and the classic is immortal. That's just the younger generation, this picture is unlikely to go, because it is used to another movie and the Fight will not appreciate.
7 out of 10
This week I decided to watch this film because my relatives were very enthusiastic and open about the merits of this film. From 10-15 minutes, shootings, robberies, and everything inherent in the militant began. From the very first minutes, this film begins to drag on, and I want to quickly finish watching to watch again and again. Absolutely all fans of dynamic action movies and crime just strongly recommend this masterpiece, more this film can not be called. The combination of the best actors – Al Pacino, De Niro and Val Kilmer is simply stunning.
I want to point out that Neil (De Niro) and Vincent (Al Pacino) have no personal lives. Yes, Vincent has a personal life and a wife, but his relationship with her and his adopted daughter is not even normal. Neil also has no personal life, because he is a criminal, it is unlikely that even the most desperate young lady will want to have a criminal in her “boys”. It is clear that a person understands that if he sincerely becomes attached to a girl, (well, or a man, if gay), then in order to influence further crimes, some mobsters can easily kill the love of his life, and most likely, our bandit will fall into depression, but perhaps he can go through it if he is a psychopath. And if an ordinary person can't. I was surprised by what Neil said to Ida, because he is a psychopathic criminal, but he is capable of sincere affection for a person.
It’s one of the few crime movies I’ve liked. I used to think of crime movies as just a stabbing without any sense, but after watching the 2013 film Prisoners, my convictions began to fade, and completely left after watching Concussion. The film is not suitable for spectators, the film is very dynamic, but at the same time it needs to be watched very carefully, sitting on a needle. It is noteworthy that the plot of the film is not unambiguous. At first, it is not clear what kind of fight, what kind of Los Angeles. At first I didn’t understand anything, because apparently I wasn’t mature enough for the film, and my fierce positive assessments may be blind, but you’ll agree, the film is a masterpiece, there are no more than a hundred of them in the world. Now let’s talk about the characters:
Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) is the best criminal in Los Angeles who works with professionals. There is almost no data on Neil in the police database, so when “they” were preparing for a robbery, no one knew what this cool dude with cool glasses was. Neil is a quiet, calm bandit, as evidenced by the fact that during the film he never threw a TV out the window, did not shoot a gun at people, and did not destroy the phone box (as he did in “Good Guys”). But the scene at the restaurant with Waingroe still showed Neal's character. Even when Trejo (Danny Trejo) told him the bad news, he did not shoot people and turn on a nuclear missile, but restrained his anger.
Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) – Hannah is an excellent detective, with a pronounced vanity, as well as a slight pofigism. He works well, but his pride and vanity makes itself felt in the family. Apparently, the “best” people have their drawbacks that prevent them from living and working in other areas, so apart from working as a detective, he does not know anything. At the end of the day, I just got stuck. Hannah still showed a piece of character that was hidden in the very depths of his soul and character. I was always amused that he always chews gum and shows his coolness. I was very surprised and pleased with the improvisation of Al Pacino about the “great ass”. A very good actor, I will mention, also played well in the Third Godfather.
Chris (Val Kilmer) is Neal’s best friend to me, and he has personal problems like the other main characters. Judging from some points, you can understand that Chris is high on shooting at police, almost from the middle of the film it is clear that Chris loves shootings, and Neil, on the contrary, tries to do everything quietly.
Waingro (Kevin Gage) is a flawed, self-asserting killer, an individual who helps Neil and his gang in the beginning. But he got kicked out of the gang because of a stupid thing he did during the robbery. It is not uncommon to meet such flawed people as Waingro, who try to assert themselves and show their strength by the fact that they can kill someone, and they will “rise” one centimeter. He is similar in character to Tommy DeVito from Nice Guys, but more secretive and cunning. Like any flawed, beloved hero, he dies. Killed because he betrayed the gang (this is not a spoiler)
In general, the film is very well shot, I have never seen such a shooting of shootings, robberies and other things! The film is amazing, I advise all fans of action movies, especially those who have watched The Godfather and Nice Guys. I can’t put an exact estimate, because there is no figure that can indicate the coolness of the film.
The film is 50/10, the best crime film I've seen, on par with Leon, or even higher!
- The basic rule: never have anything in your life that you can not quit for thirty seconds if it smells fried.
I watched this movie for the first time. And as I expected, it turned out to be just an incredibly complex and wildly overloaded movie.
The plot tells about the confrontation of the best detective in the country and the most cunning criminal. At the same time, the film tells about the personal lives of “policemen” and “thieves”.
Crime dramas are far from my favorite genre. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are the flagships of such films, and after seeing their names in the cast, I try to avoid such projects. Now I haven’t seen anything interesting for myself.
I had to watch the film in three approaches in order not to lose the thread of the narrative, and in general it is quite complex to perceive at the first viewing. The picture turned out in itself ambiguous, on the part of an ordinary film lover. There are a couple of things I want to mention.
The plot component is chaotic and very twisted. I'd even say it's very twisted. The narrative is constantly intertwined with elements that confuse viewers and press on the main storyline. It's lumpy and confused. Many moments you have to think up yourself, because often explanations on the plot do not come.
What a picture can really be proud of is its caste. The film gathered under one roof a huge number of stars of the first magnitude. It is clear that attention is focused on the main actors Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, but the secondary characters are also well represented. Val Kilmer, John Voight, Natalie Portman and others, made a great screen team and chicly fit into their roles.
Also, the pluses can be attributed to the good dynamics of the film, and the denouement. But otherwise, this is an incredibly long and rather boring film.
3 out of 10
First of all, what is striking about the film is the depth. Not only an exciting plot, an amazing cast, that’s all, of course. But the main thing is that there is an invisible and all-encompassing depth and meaning in the film. I, after watching, kind of rediscovered the genre of police action movie. Uncut dialogue, seemingly long conversations, but for whom how. The main thing is that two Hollywood celestials: Robert De Niro and Al Pacino for the first time since The Godfather (where they do not have joint scenes) were in front of each other on the set. So let them talk, let them have a dialogue, I know that this will not happen. Their work together is a gift to all moviegoers. This fact alone causes a furious resonance among millions of fans. Extremely high temperature in the film is due to the very name "Heat". Although the film is better known as “Fight”. A fight between a cop and a criminal. This is a confrontation between the hero Al Pacino, lieutenant of the police department and gangster Neil McCauley, the hero of Robert De Niro. I really liked it: Ashley Judd and Val Kilmer, I was most worried about this couple. A very beautiful couple, but their mutual existence rather interferes with both of them than helps. In general, the film is also about how difficult it is to coexist with criminals and police officers to combine work and family life. It was not without a certain maxim: not to get attached to anything, not to let a person even close to you, so as not to have anything that you can not throw in 30 seconds. But no matter what he does with his life, everyone decides for himself. everyone, even the most avid criminal has a heart and feelings. The film is quite melodramatic, therefore. For living in complete isolation is not only difficult - impossible!
Professional deformation leads to such situations. The hero of Al Pacino, Lieutenant Vincent Hanna, considers the eradication of crime his main task and makes every effort to this end. His hero commands respect. Without sparing any effort or time, his charismatic baritone with signature hoarseness sometimes exceeds the average values. Another great thing about the movie is the details. It seems that Manna before the shooting was consulted by real gangsters, gentlemen of good luck from the high road. Scenes in the style of action between the mafia and the guardians of order were filmed simply canonically, as if filmed in conditions as close to reality as possible. Seems bigger than her, I've seen nothing, shots like sledgehammers. Very, very impressive and realistic. The film is a kind of wolf hunt in Los Angeles not for life, but for death. And there are many deaths in this film, the story itself is convex, and it is also based on real events. The cast is very powerful, there is no enthusiastic epithets. In addition to the above, here are Tom Sizemore, Danny Trejo, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, William Fichtner, John Voight, Tom Noonan, Frank Azaria, And certainly Kevin Gage as Waingro, a real scoundrel, the most vile in the film, who you literally despise. Surprisingly accurate hit in the image. The rating of the film is the highest possible. To create a truly exciting and at the same time loaded with meaning, close to reality action movie, is not so simple and not so often successful. I think this is the perfect combination.
What a wonderful movie this is! Here everything is at its best: plot, actors, music, effects, camera work! Everything in order:
Plot. I’ve always loved movies where there are battles of the mind. In this regard, the “fight” did not let me down. The whole picture is built on the fact that one smart guy (Vincent Hannah) pursues another smart guy (Neil McCauley), who repeatedly breaks off one step. They both use all their best skills and all their wit to achieve their goals. Except they have different goals. One wants to live for his own pleasure, and the other wants not to let him live like this.
Actors. If you ask me about my favorite actors, there are only two of them, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. I grew up on crime sagas with their participation and always dreamed of seeing them in one movie. My dream came true three times (at least I only know three movies where they play together). And if De Niro has already been seen as a bad guy, then Al Pacino as a principled guardian of order is something new. And then both actors played at the level. At a high level. At the highest level! Their beauty, charisma and their actions make both heroes feel at the same time. By the middle of the movie, you realize you don’t want any of them to lose in this fight. Of course, in addition to them in the film was a lot of great characters, but the whole picture is based on the acting of Pacino and De Niro.
Music It was a pleasure to listen to all the melodies and compositions in the “Fight”. All the music was right. It was in those moments when it was necessary for the story. This music conveyed the mood of those moments. I still have Moby songs on my phone that I heard in this movie.
Effects Oh, what a good job that has been done in this regard, given the year this picture was released. All these shootings, chases, robberies. It was so amazing!
Operational work. The shooting of the robbery, shootings and views of the night city made this film unforgettable!
10 out of 10
The film, which for many years ahead laid in the genre of a criminal action movie with robberies, a lot of what is still used in films and games with great success.
In what care the director Michael Mann worked and showed the work of a group of robbers. How well-functioning schemes for choosing a crime scene, acting, disassembling with competitors are clearly executed. It is pleasant to look at this and in many ways a good tutorial - how to plan your personal affairs (just how to make sense of solving daily tasks). The film holds that fully conveys and preserves the effect of presence and empathy to all participants. The real city of Los Angeles takes on its asphalt a huge number of cartridges. A well-trained group of criminals acts, and their opponents the police try to keep up and take steps ahead. Complements all the magnificent Sandtrack, conveying the urgency of what is happening at a new level. You can make a separate paragraph about each scene, but I want to focus on the characters.
All actors are very colorful - not verbose, the images are readable. The two main characters, played by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, preside over the ball at this celebration of determination and performance. Each of them knows how to do their job – policeman Vincent (Al Pacino) catch criminals, and the head of the group Neil (Roberta De Niro) conduct brilliant robberies. They are on different sides, but only obsessed with what they know best. Are they happy? Vincent’s third marriage is bursting at the seams, and Neil has nothing to stop him from quitting everything in more than 30 seconds. Although the director shows that in fact everyone is trying to create that "real" family life that could try to stop them a little in their running. Unfortunately, it does not come out and the run only increases.
The finale presented by the director is saturated with fear of slowing down. It is fear that causes one of the characters to become less effective and make mistakes. He believed that he could try to change his life and trust a new story. The director clearly defines what the final is necessary and perfectly implements it.
In general, the film is an interesting feature that all the main and secondary characters talk about love and do things only based on it, although the film is completely different. There are no female characters who would not admit this to others. It turns out a drama in which some love and wait, and the second run and lose everything.
10 out of 10
This is already a distant past, looming us with the glimpses of a stuffy city on the Pacific coast and the aged faces of the heroes of that time. Like a picture, erased by a new layer: hardly appears, even if you look carefully through the veil of time and generations. The notorious pagers, huge mobile phones, angular Ford Crown or Cadillac, street gangs and the sunset of the analog era.
Before the painted explosions, faces and superhumans, but after naive action movies, where everything is divided into good and bad, Mann creates the best cinema to date in his repertoire. Linking all the developments, and perhaps the best actors of the turn of the century, decorating all this with an organic picture and soundtrack, the director developed a very voluminous, colorful and meaningful puzzle. This is a complete immersion: every detail, and the rush here is absolutely useless. There is no need for hyperbole, like exploding cars, dizzying chases and Tony Montana with M134 at the top. On the screen face two stories, two professionals, two paradigms and two legendary actors, they are able to carve such a spark to create a real fire just sitting at the same table, in one of the most emotional action films.
As befits the criminal saga, in the Combat many characters and storylines: memorable and semantic. But, from the moment De Niro and Al Pacino appear on the screen, the rest, of course, fades slightly into the shadows. The expressive, passionate Vincent Hanna, racing for his prey through the night of Los Angeles to the composition of Moby, setting his cunning traps, against the cold-blooded and disciplined Neil McCauley, living by clear directives and principles, soaring like an angel over the ocean and the city, touching nothing and stopping, because a second of procrastination, weakness - and the inevitable fall.
The reference robbery scene, layered and beautifully revealed characters and intelligent dialogue are shrouded in the magic of cinema. The endless urban landscape, where three hundred sunny days a year, smog and the largest ocean on Earth sway slightly on the edge of the fault, becoming the backdrop for one of the most grandiose confrontations in the history of cinema.
There are several key moments in the film, purely romantic, where a person is asked questions that are always contradictory and you need to answer them by making one or another choice. In one of the first scenes, the daughter can not find a clip or clip and falls into hysteria. The mother is not particularly eager to help her, she has to wrest help from her. The point, of course, is not that her father did not come to pick her up, and her stepfather (V. Hannah) can not fully meet with his 3rd wife. Of course, his woman does not feel the fullness of her life with him and, feeling flawed with Vincent, can hardly comfort her daughter or force her father back. So we settled on the fact that Vincent Hanna, a police officer, he doesn't want to be with his wife for real, she says "we fuck, but we don't talk," and he at a party, returning late because of a call, was forced to justify himself to his wife - why always when she tries to fix their relationship, he gets a call and he disappears. Why does he never talk about work? And then there's the crowning reception that the whole adult world is built on, but which the child and the woman are not led to (if they don't want to) - reinforced concrete excuse, some good goal or necessity - Hannah says, "What should I tell you about?" About how a drug addict roasted a baby in the microwave because he cried too loudly? The wife doesn’t care, she bends her line – “you don’t live with me, but among your corpses, drug addicts, criminals”, and he in turn opens the veil of his hearts – “Yes, I need a sense of anxiety inside, so I know where I need to be at the moment”, that is, a sense of incompleteness, the sacrifice of family values – this is what helps him find the criminal, track him down. Does he care about the baby, the drug addict, or justice? No, and this is very beautifully shown in the film by the scene, the very possibility of a police officer and a criminal meeting outside the context of arrest or flight.
Another key point. When Chris' wife got caught in some kind of machination. Her husband is also a player, a big kid, and she wants more. She needs to turn him in, or her child, Dominic, will end up in boarding school. The sergeant explains to her that she will go under the article and Dominic will not have a chance to become a person, first he will steal a car, then another, then get involved in crime and so on. Now she has to think about him, not herself. Who invented such a deceitful morality, according to which an educated and successful person will be good, and a poor person will be a criminal and will necessarily disappear? Why is there such dependence on the external and why is there no place for free will in such a simple philosophy?
Another line, Edie and Neal. The actress did not like the script, they say, immoral, immoral, then Mann offered her the role of Edie. Neil fell in love with her outside the context of what he does as a "thing-in-itself" and no one is surprised that he is not afraid that she will turn him in. She stays with him, and oddly enough, she and he, they believe they're going to go far, far away and he won't break the law anymore. But let's slow down a bit here, because while the point is, Hannah comes back to herself, and there's a teenage girl who cut her veins and lies in the bathtub. He takes her to the hospital where her mother is waiting. We've all forgotten about this kid, who's the most innocent of all and should be the most important character in Leone, but the city doesn't think so, it has to be accepted. Meanwhile, Neil and Edie drive down the highway to the airport. They go, he gets a call about that snitch who ruined his life that killed two of his gang. They are driving down the freeway, through a tunnel full of light, the scene is amazing, nothing is happening in it, but if you already understand Neil, you feel anxious, you feel that something is actually happening.
Here he turns to the hotel to deal with the snitch. One minute! You have to wait. He says, "Don't turn off the engine." The striking moment, and then again Mann enchants and writes a novel, but in the language of cinema - there is silence on the street, no one, nothing, absolute silence. And Edie's hands are frozen, she's folding her palms, she's looking at something, and nothing escapes this movie if she can read. It is difficult to understand the love of Edie - yes, she loves a certain "thing in itself", she did not know who he was and what he was, but how to separate a person from his affairs. It is a sacrifice and its success is doubtful. It's really hard for her, because Edie is not violent. She's in the car. Here he is not, maybe 5-10 minutes, and around begins the turmoil, noise, some hell pitched — everywhere hustling people in alarm, firefighters, police, another woman loves for something, for crime, it delivers to her, and Edie cries, she is afraid, she understands that it is all him, but nothing can be done. At this time, a song of rage sounds, the essence of Neil comes out and the question arises - whether he cares about this snitch or his soul sings a song of rage and death. Darkness and cruelty seem unbearable at this very moment, not when a girl is lying in the bathtub or when that snitch killed a girl, but precisely now, because now this cold and merciless rage of Neil is most harmonious in itself, most complete and just, and the whole chain of murder fills you with a sense of hopelessness and predestination, the inability to escape from all this, and only remains that in the darkness of despair, fury, singing about despair and fury and burning and burning everything that surrounds you. It is difficult to remember another film in which the bad is so truthfully shown, apolitically absolutely and outside the context of morality, when the immoral becomes outrageous. It remains a mystery to me how such ordinary situations, but in the form of a criminal narrative, reached the big screen undistorted from the cauldron of human life without any posters and slogans in the most burdened country with false posters and slogans.
10 out of 10
A good cop obsessed with work, gangsters, bank robbers and women who bring some charm and drama to it all.
In principle, the plot is not bad. But I would not call the film a masterpiece and a classic of the genre. In fact, I don’t know why the film has such a high rating. I have no choice but to blame the godfathers for this. Although without them in the film was enough eminent actors.
In principle, probably mainly thanks to these actors, I was able to enjoy the film at least some. Because, frankly, 3 hours for a not-so-sharp action/detective is too much. I watched this movie for a few days because it didn’t catch me. Although there were exciting moments, they were very discharged, scattered over unreasonably long timekeeping.
If all this were taken and crammed into 1.5 hours, or even 2 hours, the concentration of action, tension and atmosphericity would be much higher. It would be more interesting to watch.
I really liked the game of De Niro and Kilmer, I really liked the saturated masculinity and, I can’t find another word, the coolness of the dynamics of the relationship between the characters De Niro and Pacino, I really liked the story of Neil and Edie – a man who does not know and does not welcome love, and an ordinary woman who does not mind being happy and loved. The ending came out twice strong - the love and crime lines came to a logical end, although I wondered until the very last minute how it would end.
As a result, we have an ordinary but good action movie / detective with great actors and acting, which was godlessly spoiled by its duration.
We both need to do something else. — I can't do anything else. — Me too. — And I don't want to do the same. — Me too.
Modern militants are different from those who filmed 15, 20, 30 years ago. You can't say they've gotten worse! No, absolutely not! But over the years, that dramaturgy disappeared from them, the meaning that hides behind fights, wetness and shootouts. The plots have become simpler, and the main place is occupied by violence.
Plot: Los Angeles. A criminal gang led by Neil McCauley is running serious criminal cases. Everything's going well until Detective Vincent Hanna intervenes. The confrontation goes far and is no longer just a battle between law and anarchy. This is a personal fight between Neil and Vincent.
Heroes: In this story, two main characters, two lives that are very similar, but are on opposite sides of the law.
Vincent Hanna is a police lieutenant, a detective. He has two marriages behind him and a third, which is currently cracking at the seams. He has an adopted daughter, in whom he does not revere his soul. But none of that matters. The first place in Vincent's life is always a job. Very dangerous work. It’s a kind of drug he can’t give up. He understands that it is high time to stop all this. But no! He's a hunter! He follows the trail and always finds his victim. It's his obsession. Hanna himself said, “I am what I hunt.”
On the opposite side of Vincent is Neil McCauley, a criminal. He gathers a team around him, with whom they create chaos in the city. Neil has no relationship, he's not attached to anyone. McCauley lives by the rule: “Never have anything in your life that you can’t give up for 30 seconds if the chase starts!” He never wanted a normal human life. And only one question arises from the viewer when watching: “Will something or someone change it?”
Surprisingly, these two opposite people with different lives are very similar. Fate brings them together. Everything becomes obvious at their first face-to-face meeting. They are similar, but they cannot coexist together. They are like two tigers that cannot live in the same cage. Each of them feels a worthy rival. They pay tribute to each other. And none of them knows how this fight will end.
All three hours the viewer is at the mercy of the film. The last half an hour of excitement breaks to shivering and the question “Who?” does not give rest. But the climax awaits everyone at the end. Staging of hostilities, fights and chase at the highest level. Each of the actors is involved in the process, dragging the viewer behind him. There is very little musical accompaniment. But it highlights the most important points. Unpredictable developments of actions are impressive and at the same time drive crazy.
The film is very intense. After watching it, it will make you immerse yourself in his understanding of his characters, their life path and the situation that happened before our eyes. Such work in the genres Fighter, Drama, Criminal will please anyone.
10 out of 10