Heat is a 1995 American epic crime drama film written and directed by Michael Mann. It stars
Al Pacino and
Robert De Niro. The film was released on December 15, 1995.
De Niro plays a professional robber who is a calm and methodical introvert, while
Pacino plays a veteran LAPD homicide detective whose devotion to his job causes him to neglect his personal problems. The central conflict of the film was based on the experiences of former Chicago police officer Chuck Adamson and his pursuit of a criminal named McCauley in the 1960s, from which the name of
De Niro's character, Neil McCauley, was derived.
Heat marked the first time that
Pacino and
De Niro appeared together onscreen. Although both actors had already starred in
The Godfather Part II 21 years earlier, they had not appeared in any scenes together.
The film is technically a remake of L.A. Takedown, a 1989 made-for-television film also written and directed by Mann; Mann had been trying to get the film made for over a decade, and created this simplified version after his efforts were unsuccessful. Heat was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $185 million worldwide.
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