Daily Dialogue — May 25, 2014

Neil: Stay down. We want to hurt no one. We’re here for the bank’s money, not your money. Your money’s insured by the federal government, you’re not going to lose a dime. Think of your families. Don’t risk your life. Don’t try and be a hero. Right now I want you to sit on the floor and put your hands on your head. Anybody feel sick, anybody have heart trouble, go ahead and lean against the wall.

— Heat (1995), written by Michael Mann

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Robbery.

Trivia: Much of the film is based off a real-life confrontation between Chicago cop Chuck Adamson and the real Neil McCauley. Adamson was a retired police officer whom director Michael Mann had been working with off and on since the film Thief (1981) starring James Caan (and based upon the career of famed Chicago burglar Frank Hohimer whom Adamson had arrested). They had later worked together on two shows produced by Mann: Miami Vice (1984) and Crime Story (1986). According to Chuck Adamson (and confirmed by Michael Mann) in the Heat-Special Edition DVD Documentary “Crime Stories”, McCauley was a professional robber whom he had frequently crossed paths with. Events such as the scene between Vincent Hanna and Neil McCauley in the coffee shop where they basically tell each other that the last time they meet will be their last, and the warehouse sting where McCauley got tipped off that the cops were around due to an officer making a noise really happened. In real life, Neil McCauley was killed during a robbery of a grocery store (similar to the bank heist shootout) by Adamson’s team who were tipped off to the robbery.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Interesting dialogue in that Neil appeals to peoples’ logic, then acts kindly toward those who may be feeling sick or have a heart condition. Nice guy, right? Immediately after this side, he totally clocks a bank executive. Nice contrast set up by the dialogue.

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