I Recently Realized Heat's Best Scene Isn't The One Everyone Talks About

Often considered one of the best heist films ever made, Michael Mann’s Heat is an absolute crime epic with everything you want in a movie: intense action sequences, a cast of Hollywood heavyweights, and so much style. Clocking in at nearly three hours in length, this all-time great ‘90s movie has become one of the most influential films since its release 30 years ago. And a lot of that love comes because of one scene in particular: the downtown Los Angeles shootout.

However, I recently realized that the best scene from Heat doesn’t involve high-caliber shootouts after an epic bank robbery, or any action at all. Instead, the best scene, the most consequential in the movie in my eyes, is a much more mellow yet poignant conversation. Let me explain…

For The Longest Time, Heat's Shootout Scene Was My Favorite Part Of The Movie

Make no mistake, the big shootout scene in Heat is one of the greatest action sequences ever caught on film. The intensity, drama, and deafening sound of gunfire in the middle of downtown Los Angeles create an unforgettable moment, and I totally see why it’s everyone’s favorite scene (and mine as well, for a very long time). Hell, for a lot of us, we saw this sequence multiple times before we ever sat through Michael Mann’s full epic.

There are shootouts before Heat, and there are those after. Everything from movies like The Town and The Dark Knight to cinematic video games like Grand Theft Auto and Max Payne has taken inspiration from this epic scene. When the movie is brought up, this is the sequence people are going to talk about nine times out of 10.

But On A Recent Watch, I Realized That The Movie's Best Scene Isn't About The Action

There’s a scene about 40 minutes into Heat where Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) finds Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer) sleeping on the floor of his oceanfront condo after going through some “husband and wife shit” with Charlene Shiherlis (Ashley Judd). Unlike the doomed heist that starts the film, or the major shootout that follows about an hour later, this relatively short scene has no shooting, no robbing, and no action. Instead, it’s all emotion, especially from the late actor.

Despondent, tired, confused, and caught between being a bank robber and a family man, Chris is going through it in this moment. After Neil tries to give him a speech about having no attachments and nothing he can’t drop in 30 seconds, his partner-in-crime responds with the movie’s best line: “For me, the sun rises and sets with her, man.”

Rewatching this scene, and fully taking in Kilmer’s understated performance, really resonated with me recently, and it completely changed the way I see his character, and the movie as a whole.

Chris Shiherlis' 'The Sun Rises And Sets With Her' Line Sets Up The Rest Of The Movie Perfectly

On its own, this little scene is a masterclass in acting, but when you look at it as part of the bigger picture the film is painting, it’s the stuff of wonder. See, Chris’ “The sun rises and sets with her” line perfectly sets up the rest of the film and is the initial spark that leads to Neil McCauley undergoing a massive change by the time the credits roll.

For years, I went back to Michael Cheritto’s (Tom Sizemore) “The action is the juice” quote as the defining line from the film. That rationale about the thrill and adrenaline rush of the heist being better than the reward is still great, but Chris’ more heartfelt explanation of his motivations is the real kicker. Shortly after this early-morning conversation, there’s a change in Neil, and he becomes less of a lone wolf as he starts a relationship with Eady (Amy Brenneman). Sure, this ultimately leads to Neil going against his code and getting killed, but the point still stands.

Honestly, this is the best part about rewatching one of your all-time favorite films for, like, the umpteenth time, as you start to notice little things that make it even better. And that was the case with Heat.