An elaborate, bloody and very exciting heist of treasury bonds from a train kicks off White Heat, a movie I had been wanting to see for a long time, and my expectations were met and then some. The heist's mastermind is Cody Jarrett (James Cagney), a leader of a band of thieves who is the strangest, yet most entertaining gangster I've seen in a movie: he's a man prone to random crushing headaches and who is hopelessly devoted to his co-conspiring mother, much to the chagrin of both his second-in-command and his neglected wife. Unfortunately for Cody, he does not get away clean, but he has a card up his sleeve: do time for another, lesser crime he had committed earlier so that he can avoid the severe punishment of this one. While unable to step in, the treasury responds by having an agent assume the alias of Vic Pardo and pose as an inmate and befriend Cody so that the law can bring him and gang to justice. Meanwhile, his wife and his former right-hand man make plans of their own: move the organization forward, and without Cody - literally. Pardo inadvertently foils their assassination attempt, a move which makes his bond with Jarrett even stronger. The two eventually get out of jail, and while Cody quickly regains control and even lines up his next heist, the payroll of a major chemical plant, he remains unaware of Pardo's real intentions. Cody's gang and the law both converge on the plant, which becomes the set piece for a (literally) explosive conclusion.
What surprised me the most about White Heat is its energy and speed. Instead of having the careful, measured pace typical of 40's film noir, it resembles what a feature-length episode of 24 would be like, and given the volatility of the Jarrett character, this is entirely appropriate. Cagney definitely sunk his teeth into the role: his creepy behavior, especially his relationship with his mother, really gets under your skin, and when he's violent, he makes even Joe Pesci in Goodfellas seem tame. The violence in general is very shocking: there are many shootings, and each one hasn't a shred of regret or remorse. As for the movie's two major heists, both are simply thrilling to watch, not to mention interesting in how they reveal how criminals operated during that era. Still, what is even more interesting is how the law uses technology to chase down Jarrett and his gang. There is heavy and seemingly accurate use of car phones, radar detection and other techniques I had no idea were in use at the time. I will admit, however, that the movie did not leave me with a whole lot to think about afterward, which is disappointing given Jarrett's strange quirks which, while unique, only seemed to be there for the plot's sake rather than examine of the burdens of having an Oedipus complex. Still, I will not deny that I was entertained, and I would be hard pressed to find a better example of noir and action done right.
What surprised me the most about White Heat is its energy and speed. Instead of having the careful, measured pace typical of 40's film noir, it resembles what a feature-length episode of 24 would be like, and given the volatility of the Jarrett character, this is entirely appropriate. Cagney definitely sunk his teeth into the role: his creepy behavior, especially his relationship with his mother, really gets under your skin, and when he's violent, he makes even Joe Pesci in Goodfellas seem tame. The violence in general is very shocking: there are many shootings, and each one hasn't a shred of regret or remorse. As for the movie's two major heists, both are simply thrilling to watch, not to mention interesting in how they reveal how criminals operated during that era. Still, what is even more interesting is how the law uses technology to chase down Jarrett and his gang. There is heavy and seemingly accurate use of car phones, radar detection and other techniques I had no idea were in use at the time. I will admit, however, that the movie did not leave me with a whole lot to think about afterward, which is disappointing given Jarrett's strange quirks which, while unique, only seemed to be there for the plot's sake rather than examine of the burdens of having an Oedipus complex. Still, I will not deny that I was entertained, and I would be hard pressed to find a better example of noir and action done right.