Heat (1995) vs L.A. Confidential (1997)
which is better?
shareHeat. Hands down.
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MovieChat Forums > Heat (1995) Discussion > Heat (1995) vs L.A. Confidential (1997)
Incidentally, both were shot by the same DP, Dante Spinotti.
Brilliant man.
Heat wins because it’s more epic in scope, following the criminals as much as the cops, and it brings together the acting titans Pacino and De Niro.
But LA Conf is only one peg down, it’s a punchy little thriller with incredible atmosphere and launched the Hollywood careers of Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce.
Both masterpieces but Heat is the king of modern crime dramas. It’s just tragic that both films were made in the 90’s, among a tidal wave of great films, and these days you’d be lucky to get one cinema movie even half as good.
Heat.
LA Confidential is very good, but Heat is much better. It feels more personal, somehow. LA Confidential is mostly about uncovering sleaze, Heat is about connections.
Heat, while LA confidential is good I didn’t like how despite throughout almost the entire film it’s a murder mystery much like Chinatown, then all of a sudden turns into Rambo at the end
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As much as I loved the Rambo shootout at the end, the fact that there were all these faceless goons for the two heroes to mow down out of nowhere felt like it came from a completely different movie.
It, in a way, seemed to lower the appeal of L.A. Confidential on the scope of its epicness, despite the action sequence at the end being really well done. It just didn't fit tonally with the rest of the film.
Heat meanwhile? Everything fit together pretty much pitch perfect. I'm still not the biggest fan of the ending (I think DeNiro should have got in the car with Amy Brenneman and drove off into the night, leaving Pacino searching the crowd for him. Alternatively, DeNiro should have just walked off into the crowd, disappearing amongst the throng, leaving Pacino and Brenneman behind for that nice bittersweet ending, either way would have worked).
But all that being said, I think constantly about Heat. There is literally just no other movie like it. It's such a visceral, all-encompassing crime saga that hits every note just right in terms of casting, performances, acting, and consequences.
It was a byproduct of trying to shoehorn Ellroy's book into a single motion picture. They did a miraculous job of it, but the scene makes more sense in the book than it does the film because you've gotten so much more context.
Ah, see, that makes a ton of sense and helps broaden the explanation of why it is the way it is. Thanks for that.
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