Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are mostly known for their gangster films. The two have appeared together in four films, the latest one being The Irishman. But in as much as the Netflix film received plenty of praise, there are those who prefer their rivalry in another movie that the two actors did together in the 90s.
That movie is Heat. In it, Al Pacino played a lieutenant hunting a gangster played by Robert De Niro. Heat, which was directed by Michael Mann. received plenty of good reviews and also did well at the box office. But did it have a better “Al Pacino Vs De Niro” contest? Here is why it did, and why it didn’t.
Heat: The Declaration Of War
It’s hard to identify other movie scenes that emphasize a rivalry more than the scene in Heat where Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) and Lt. Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) declare war on each other in a diner. Both vow to never back down and to not let the other get in the way of their individual missions.
The tension in this scene is almost similar to when Michael Corleone met Solozzo and McCluskey in The Godfather. During a recent interview, Robert De Niro explained that the scene was never rehearsed. Director Michael Mann gave them creative freedom with the dialogue.
The Irishman: The Genesis Of The Feud
In both movies, the characters that end up losing in the feud are largely responsible for their own downfall. In Heat, McCauley gets greedy and plans more robberies, despite being under police surveillance. By doing this, he attracts the attention of LAPD Major Crimes Unit, Lieutenant Vincent Hanna, even more.
However, in The Irishman, the genesis of the feud plays out better. Hoffa (Al Pacino) becomes reckless after getting out of prison. He wants his old position as the leader of the Teamsters Union back even though it’s not in the best interests of the mob. And when he is warned, he threatens to rat the mob bosses out. As a result, his murder is sanctioned.
Heat: The Final Showdown
The problem with The Irishman is that Hoffa (Al Pacino), who was the hunted, never had a chance to defend himself. But in Heat, McCauley (Robert De Niro) has the opportunity to get the better of his rival but he fails. In the final moments, McCauley is planning to flee to New Zealand so he heads to the airport.
When he learns of Waingro’s whereabouts, he makes a move that will lead to his downfall. He decides to pause his escape plan temporarily and goes after Waingro. He kills Waingro but before he can escape again, Hann spots him and pursues him. All this time, you have the feeling that either of the two men can take each other out. However, Hanna comes out victorious and kills McCauley at the Los Angeles International Aiport.
The Irishman: The Buildup And The Betrayal
Both films have great buildups to the eventual moments when the two men will face each other. In Heat, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro don’t even cross paths until 90 minutes into the movie when they meet at the diner. This kind of patient buildup is quite commendable because it’s rarely seen in an action film.
In The Irishman, the buildup is longer—thanks to the lengthy running time—and even better. Sheeran (De Niro) and Hoffa (Al Pacino) start out as friends after being linked with Northeastern Pennsylvania crime boss Russel Buffalino (Joe Pesci). Sheeran even becomes Hoffa’s chief bodyguard. But when Sheeran is given an order to execute Hoffa, he doesn’t choose his friend over the mob. He goes on to execute Hoffa without any remorse.
Heat: A Boisterous Al Pacino
In The Irishman, both Hoffa and Frank seem pretty level-headed for most of the film. As a result, the journey to their eventual clash seems like a slow (and at times boring) burn. However, in Heat, Hanna is always a bit extra. He’s always shouting, describing things with his hands and stretching his eyelids to their elastic limit.
This emphasizes the fact that he’s a crazy cop and no matter how tough McCauley thinks he is, he’ll have a hard time dealing with this one. Al Pacino recently explained that his character was boisterous because he was on cocaine though he isn’t shown taking cocaine in the film.
The Irishman: The Heartbreaking Death
In The Irishman, Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) ends up shooting Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino) in the back after tricking him to enter a house where a fake meeting is supposed to take place. Hoffa becomes suspicious when he notices there is nobody in the house and so he tells Frank that they should get out. But before he can turn, Frank “paints the house” with his blood.
This kill is iconic because Hoffa never saw it coming. All along, he believed Frank was his friend and that he’ll never do him any harm. It’s a twist to the viewer too because there is a little hope that despite being given an order by his bosses to take out Hoffa, there is a feeling that Jimmy might spare him. He doesn’t.
Heat: Golden Dialogue
Heat is full of interesting conversations and one-liners. The best ones come out of Hanna’s unusual and occasional calmness. When the crazy cop meets the man his wife is sleeping with, he doesn’t even get angry about the affair. The only thing that angers him is that the man is watching his TV. “You do not get to watch my f**g television!”, he shouts
And when he meets McCauley for the first time, Hanna doesn’t shout “You are under arrest.” He simply says “What’d ya say I buy you a cup of coffee?” McCauley agrees, even though he doesn’t keep his hand so far away from the pocket where his gun is.
The Irishman: Different Sides Of The Same Coin
What makes The Irishman‘s feud better is that both men are actually gangsters. It isn’t the overplayed ”Super Cop Vs Ruthless Criminal” drama. Neither is it an endless cat and mouse game. Despite being the nationally respected head of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Hoffa has close ties with the Northeastern Pennsylvania crime family.
Frank Sheeran isn’t good either. As a war veteran, he starts out as a truck driver and petty criminal before being absorbed by the mob and becoming a hitman. The Irishman is thus a clash of bad guys and this makes every evil scheme feel more justified.
Heat: The Third Party
The major third party in Heat is more instrumental to the plot. McCauley’s problems mostly stem from Waingro (Kevin Gage) who the gang leader had hired to help rob $1.6 million from an armored vehicle. It’s Waingro’s reckless move of killing a guard that puts the gang in trouble. It’s also McCauley’s decision to go kill Waingro first instead of just fleeing that leads to his downfall.
In The Irishman, Russel Buffalino (Joe Pesci) is more laid back as a third party. Apart from linking Sheeran with Hoffa, he isn’t quite as involved in the interactions between the two characters. He only utters a few cool lines and that’s it.
The Irishman: Effect On Immediate Family
In Heat, McCauley’s girlfriend Eady eventually realizes he is a gangster but she still plans to accompany him when he agrees to flee the country and move to New Zealand. However, in The Irishman, Peggy Sheeran (Anna Paquin) immediately becomes hostile towards her father when she realizes he was responsible for a murder.
The latter is more realistic, given that very few people are unlikely to just act normally after realizing the kind of person their loved one is. Peggy thus comes off as a woman who has a mind of her own. A woman who doesn’t mind standing up against evil.
