According to Michael Mann, the thing that made Val Kilmer’s iconic shootout scene inHeatso great, was the fact that “95% of you won’t be able to fire this well.” Written and directed by Mann, the crime drama movieHeatwas released in 1995 and was based on his television filmL.A. Takedown, an unsuccessful TV pilot.Heatfollows the conflict between Los Angeles police detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and professional thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), while exploring its effect on their relationships at a personal and professional level. Val Kilmer also featured inHeat’scast.
Heatbecame a really memorable filmfor its critical and commercial success, with many citing the movie as being one of the most influential films in its genre.Grossing $187 million at the box office worldwide, the movie stands out as being a key part of both Pacino and De Niro’s careers, marking their first ever on-screen appearance togetherafter a slew of critically acclaimed performances. However, one of the most iconic parts of the film was actually focused on someone else entirely, andHeateasily became one ofVal Kilmer’s best movie performances that everyone remembersas a result.
The Point Of Heat’s Shootout Scene Is That The Police Weren’t Ready For Someone That Good
Kilmer’s Skills Demonstrate Something More
Heatis arguably most notably known for its shootout scene, for a number of different reasons.The scene depicts Val Kilmer’s Chris Shiherlis shooting against the LA police after a bank heist, laying down fire in order to escape. In an interview with Michael Mann forEl Ray’sTheDirector Chair, the director noted, “they use some of the film of Val Kilmer firing forward, turning firing back, and doing a reload - they use that in Fort Bragg,” demonstrating just how iconic the shootout scene has become, having real-world applications. Yet, the real point of the scene shows something more.
The police are used to overwhelming power and overwhelming force. They’re not used to being assaulted by people who know what to do
In the interview,Mann says that “95% of you won’t be able to fire this well,”in reference to Kilmer. While this has been backed up by others, as evengun experts praised Val Kilmer’sHeatbank heist scenefor technique and accuracy, the point of the shootout scene was not to prove Kilmer’s skills. Mann explains that “The police are used to overwhelming power and overwhelming force. They’re not used to being assaulted by people who know what to do.”Therefore, the scene shows how the police were not ready for someone to be as good as Chris Shiherlis.
Michael Mann Put The Actors Through Intensive Training
As a professional thief,Val Kilmer’s Chris Shiherlisneeded to be shown as being the best at what he does inHeat. Therefore, Michael Mann actually subjected all the actors to intensive training for the movie.Gun training enabled Val Kilmer to become familiar with guns, allowing him the freedom and expertise to pull off a believable performancein the bank heist scene that has been commended by many. However, the reload scene in particular has been the subject of praise over the years by numerous experts, due to how quickly and fluidly the actor was able to do it.
WhileHeat’sRobert De Niro and Al Pacinowere also subject to intensive training, according to a behind-the-scenes featurette, Kilmer states he once heard a Marine trainer tell recruits, “If you can’t change a clip as fast as this actor, get out of my army!” in reference to his shootout scene. The entire movie demonstrates a sense of realism, from the visuals to the on-set live gunfire. Yet, after three months of training, it was the notable fluidity of Val Kilmer’s reload technique which gave authenticity to his character inHeat, demonstrating that Chris Shiherlis really is an expert thief.
