…and Sirk is an ersatz version of John Cromwell and John Stahl…it’s a chain…
I only found out about Mann sometime within the last year, probably less and Public Enemies the first film of his I’ve seen. Maybe it’s because of that I enjoyed it so much, though it was flawed but I’d say it’s at least an 8/10. Sometime after that I got Miami Vice on DVD and while I didn’t love it as much I definitely think it’s a superior film. I thought the ending was much stronger as well.
Like alot of people have mentioned, ‘cause his films are about ’men at work’, the characters in his films to me are reminiscient of Howard Hawks. I just got The Insider today which will hopefully secure Mann as another favorite. :)
Welcome. Hit the Notebook section here and read the lengthy discussion of Mann. “Last Of The Mohicans” is waiting for you.
KJ, stupid question but I assume that comment is aimed at me? lol :D Thanks, I’ll take a look.
Josh S – you’re going to love The Insider. And if you liked Public Enemies, you have to see Heat. Not only is it Michael Mann’s best film, it’s one of the best films of the 90s.
MANHUNTER pwnz! LE SAMOURI
Ben – I don’t get it. What does Manhunter have to do with Le Samourai? And what does “pwnz” mean? Sorry, not hip to the ‘net lingo you crazy kids are jiven’ to these days.
pwnz is a horribly corrupted version of ‘owns’.
So wait, Manhunter owns Le Samourai? Now I’m really confused. I enjoy both films, although Le Samourai is infinitely supeior and with The Silence of the Lambs thing, it’s hard to look at Brian Cox as Lecter. I’m sorry but I actually prefer Brett Ratner’s film over Michael Mann’s. It’s blasphemous I know.
‘So wait, Manhunter owns Le Samourai?’
That’s about the size of it. ;)
he’s a product making products for everyone to be there and have popcorn with it…
A series of video essays on the works of Michael Mann by Matt Zoller Seitz
I’m sorry. i loved the beauty of Mohicans, the claustraphoia of Insider, but starting with “Collateral” his idea of fuzzy colors & shakey camera work has put me off his recent work. Public Enemies had great cinematic scenes & had some great, too wierd to be true) historic moments ( small spoiler ahead : his walk around his own FBI team & his escape with fake gun ) but i personally was lost by the cimenatography and OK i get the irony of him watching the last movie he saw, but you dont have to hit me over the head with it.
I personally think THE INSIDER is his best by far. I actually just watched it today and couldn’t believe how much I loved it.
Second would be HEAT, even though I think certain parts are unnecessary or underdeveloped, it’s still really awesome. I wish all of the romantic relationships were developed more or less; there was an awkward balance. I didn’t care about the families or significant others, I never had a reason to attach to them, and there really are a lot of scenes involving them. But the story is great. I have always been a fan of heist films though.
I love the plot to COLLATERAL, but couldn’t get past the fact that I called the end within 15 minutes of the opening credits, and I had a hard time sitting through many of the cliches. I thought it was awesome until Jamie Fox started standing up for himself, then I thought it lost something. I need to watch it again though, I haven’t seen it since 2005.
I have not seen Manhunter, Ali, or Public Enemies yet. I want to. In what order would you recommend I watch those three?
I liked The Insider, but that’s because I like films with characters taking principled stand despite the danger.
My impression of Mann is that he makes soap opera for men (Thief, Heat even Last of the Mohicans). I say that not just because of his films have storylines that would appeal to men, but that his inclusion and treatment of the romantic relationships between men and women. Like relationships in soap operas, I find them cheesy, but with Mann, they’re cheesy from a male point of view (which is pretty interesting).
In any event, I don’t really understand why people think highly of him. I thought Collateral and Heat weren’t that great. But I must say that I never analyzed his films for his use of the camera, editing, etc. I just find the stories and characters to be silly.
noopy pipples
For the record, I never liked Michael Mann until I saw THE INSIDER. I mean, I saw HEAT a few years ago, but it didn’t win me over to his side. I still don’t think he’s God or anything, I just have a new found respect for his art.
Jazzaloha: Do you think Mann’s romantic relationships are cheesy from a male perspective because he himself is a male. Maybe he is trying to add romance to his films and focuses mainly on the male characters because he doesn’t even want to act like he knows how a woman would feel in such situations. I can definitely see that in HEAT.
What do you think?
Austin,
Are you saying that Mann doesn’t want to show that he understands women because he’s insecure about his masculinity? (That’s what it seems like you’re suggesting.) I don’t think I would go that far. I just think the story line in his films and the romantic relationships seem cheesy—partly because they seem over-macho, if you know what I mean.
Heat has 2 of the best action scenes ever directed. It is pretty much the distillation of all his themes.
I also think Miami Vice was pretty good as well. The use of HD and Gong Li alone make it memorable. Miami Vice is like a mimalist action film stripped of all fat. Its almost abstract.
Mann is an amazing director and one of the best living American directors in my opinion.
His use of the camera and music is amazing.
I also feel Heat is pretty sensitive toward women. However it is men and their realtionship to each other and work and the affects thereof that are Mann’s primary comncerns.
Jazzaloha: That is not exactly what I meant. Being a man, I can try to understand women, and many times I’ve been successful, but I can never truly know beyond the shadow of a doubt because I’m a man. I was asking if you think that Mann may have went for more of a male perspective because he himself is a man. If that were the case, that could be why men relate to his films so much as well. I don’t know, I just thought of it when I commented on your post so I am curious what you think. Sorry if I’m still not clear.
Tom Kern: I agree that HEAT has two of the great action scenes (I would only go as far as saying “from the 90’s”, but to each his own). The action scene after the bank robbery when they’re in the streets blows my mind. I can’t even imagine how intense that would be.
But in reply to, “I also feel Heat is pretty sensitive toward women.” I never meant to make it sound like Mann was INSENSITIVE toward women, I was merely saying he focuses more on men. You said, “it is men and their relationship to each other and work…that are Mann’s primary concerns.” with which I agree; his films have a certain balance of relationship and work that are extremely prominent. That is personally one of my least favorite aspects to Mann though, so that is why he is not nearly my favorite.
Again, I will so though, he has gained my respect, thus far.
His recent trilogy of digitally shot films starting w/ Collateral then Miami Vice and now Public Enemies is an interesting view of one director’s transformation in style. He manages to take advantage of many of the faults of the “video look” and in doing so has made himself into a better contemporary director then those of his peers who are still grapling w/ the technology.
Jaspar Lamar Crabb
“There’s a word, “ersatz” — it means a synthetic or artificial substitute for something genuine. That’s what these directors are for me — they’re ersatz. "
So that means Fassbinder is an ersatz version of Sirk? OK, I’m in agreement.