Quote:
Originally Posted by
boogaboogabooga 
Heat's subtext is existentialism. The film also has content regarding subcultural and individualistic ethics. Pacino and DeNiro's characters don't do what they do for any other reason then that they feel it personally validates themselves. This existential arc is stated overtly, in the diner scene if I'm remembering right, and displayed in a subtle manner as well. DeNiro's character has no furniture and Pacino only owns a television, which he destroys later in the film (this makes me wonder if Mann has ever seen Le Samourai as it is almost perfectly aligned with some his sensibilities, mainly the aforementioned thematic arc and impeccably dressed criminals directed and scored with great style) The subcultural ethics I would think are fairly obvious, cops & robbers and their similarities & differences. I'll get to the individualist bit later and also explain how it has categorical overlap with what I believe is the main theme(hint: it's about the womenz in the fizilm). I just got back from running errands and want to work out before I get hungry and have to eat and then wait 45 minutes before I can work out and then prepare and eat something again and then clean it all up. Should have my conclusion in an hour or some.
To continue, the love interests in the film of the 2 main characters are representative of the costs of being true individualists or outsiders who have different ethical sensibilities from the rest of society. Despite both wanting to be in relationships, in this case particularly intimate and nearly universally (i.e. socially pervasive) highly valued ones, when faced with the decision between their livelihoods or their love life, they'll opt for the former. The fact that they share these similarities and understand that they are on opposite ends of the same continuum and may be the only people who understand one another is what makes the tragedy so affecting. It's basically that old samurai scenario of facing a friend in battle.
Also, for the record I thought The Town was okay. It was sort of formulaic and it descended into thematic and dramatic looseness at the end. Also, the FBI agents part was written poorly. Hamm should have realized he was playing a cartoon and had fun with it. I'd sum it up this way: What Rocky is to jocks is what Good Will Hunting is to nerds is what The Town is to criminals.
