Posted on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 by ian driscoll
Zen Pulp
In August (7-9, 12&13 to be exact), the Mayfair is screening Michael Mann’s latest, Public Enemies.
Which makes this the perfect time to take a look at Matt Zoller Seitz‘s excellent five-part video essay, Zen Pulp. It explores Mann’s concerns, themes and aesthetic, and you can view all five parts at the Museum of the Moving Image’s Moving Image Source. Do you see?
Men, guns and steely blue colour palettes: Michael Mann
Bonus question: what’s your favourite Michael Mann film?
FIN
that’s easy. Heat. Not contest.
“The Keep”…just kidding!
It’s a tough call but I would say “Thief” would be my favorite, with “Manhunter” running a very close second. “Thief” is not only notable as Michael Mann’s best effort at balancing between style and realism but also because of James Caan’s performance (not to mention Willie Nelson’s in the mix too which is always a bonus). Mann paid particular attention to details in “Thief” which created a better counter-balance to his particular brand of minimalism. This balance is lacking in many of his other films where style often triumphs over substance. “Manhunter”, a film that explores Mann’s themes more starkly, just isn’t as well rounded as Thief was.
Heat is pretty hard to dislike.
I just watched Manhunter again this week, and I’d have to put that pretty high on my list.