I mean besides the period clothing and tube televisions, this film simply does not age. Everytime i watched it it looks as if it was shot just yesterday, amazing cinematography! Only other film that has similar effect for me is True Lies (1994).
shareIt's a very well shot movie... The lighting is excellent as is the art direction...
I agree, there is something timeless about the way it's shot...
Dante Spinotti is a genius.
He should have earned an Oscar nomination--at least--for his work on this film.
Then again, the Oscars are a joke.
It doesn't age if you ignore:
the clothes
the hairstyles
the cars
the TVs
The VCRs
And ignore:
the lack of cellphones and all the technology on them like messenger apps.
Yup, it could be made today (just gotta ignore basically everything you look at.)
He's talking about how some movies have cinematography that stick them to an era. For instance, I just watched The Conversation and that film has a lot of "vintage '70s" camera moves and techniques. A lot of '80s action movies have aged badly, not (just) because of the hairstyles and shoulderpads (or other "fashion" elements) but because the camera moves and the way the action is shot now look hokey to us.
Heat, to OP, is a film that remains perennially fresh because the way it's shot doesn't interfere with the viewing experience. I think that's what he was getting at. I mean, he mentioned stuff like ignoring tube TVs.
I think it is just as fresh as it was 25 years ago on its release.
shareMann always did pay a lot of attention to photography and set design in his movies, so even the lesser of the always looked good.
I agree that this one still looks extraordinary even today. Just the opening shot of the railway station looks alien at first, until you realise what it is.
I maintain that Heat is basically a forgotten all-time classic, strangely ignored, yet deserving of top-tier status amongst the elite films. I personally think it's far superior to the far-better-known Scarface. When people are talking about best-ever crime movies like Goodfellas and The Maltese Falcon, they should also be talking about Heat.
shareSure it does, and you just cited two examples (Tube TVs and period clothing).
You also can't ignore the absence of mobile phones and smartphone culture that pervades today's world across all classes and age groups. The behavior of grown men in this movie is a stark contrast to today's big budget action dramas where we keep seeing similarly aged men who are still trying to look like they're in their late 20s. Pacino and DeNiro both looked like their respective ages and their supporting cast members as well.
That being said, so what? It's the story, photography and flow of the movie itself that makes this a rewatchable movie.
Filmmaking peaked in the 90’s and it’s only declined since. Heat looks better than all modern films. The audio is lightyears ahead of modern movies - that gunfire is still revolutionary, and the music is incredible.
Yes, there are a few technological aspects that date it but barely. Hard to believe it’s 30 years old.
And you appreciate it even more knowing there was probably very little use of CGI, if any (this is only 2 years after Jurassic Park).
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