The film Michael Mann calls “extraordinary”
Michael Mann is a director whose name is synonymous with quality, high-octane action cinema. Carving a name for himself as an esteemed filmmaker in the 1980s and ’90s, his filmography boasts a staggering list of iconic films such as Heat, The Last of the Mohicans and Ali. Mann’s ability to blend artistic integrity with blood-pumping and kinetic thrillers has cemented his reputation in the film industry.
As the cinematic landscape evolved into the 21st century, so did Mann’s style of filmmaking. Curious about what new developments technology could bring to his craft, Mann embraced digital cameras and pioneered the new medium to Hollywood, demonstrating its capabilities in 2004’s Collateral and Public Enemies in 2009. His last film, Blackhat, focused on the world of hacking and digital espionage, further demonstrating the director’s openness to working with ultra-modern concepts.
In 2012, the British Film Institute (BFI) conducted its decennial poll of the ‘Greatest Movies Ever Made’, bringing together over 800 critics, programmers, academics, and distributors from around the globe to cast their votes. Notably, Mann was among the esteemed directors who participated in the poll, and he seized the opportunity to single out one film that he dubbed “extraordinary”.
The film in question is, perhaps unsurprisingly, none other than Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull – the seminal piece of cinema from 1980 that famously redefined what film editing could achieve whilst also bringing the director back from the brink of a drug-fuelled early demise. An epic boxing film that follows the riveting journey of fighter Jake LaMotta, Scorsese took the Italian American boxer’s memoir and turned it into a luminescent and monochromatic study of a fatally flawed man.
It’s a film that consistently appears on favourite film lists and is regularly discussed as one of the finest works of cinema ever. Mann eloquently summarised his admiration for the film in his own words: “Raging Bull immerses us into the failing and besotted life of La Motta, his violent quest for affirmation and his pursuit of redemption. The humanity of this picture is extraordinary, as is Scorsese’s execution”. Coming from a director of Mann’s stature, this only serves to underline the enduring relevance and brilliance of the 1980 film. Nearly 50 years on, even the top contemporary filmmakers still regard it as a classic.
As a director, Mann’s authority on cinematic excellence derives from his impressive filmography and his nuanced understanding of the medium. His ability to critically analyse, appreciate and balance the aesthetic and thematic depths of a film, coupled with his keen awareness of the ever-evolving cinema landscape, position him as a more-than-respected voice in the world of film. Mann has always understood that for a movie to be both critically and commercially successful, it needs to hit on two levels; the deeper sub-text and the full-frontal surface level. In other words, if the director of Heat says a film is extraordinary, you damn well better believe him.
Asides from the ambitious follow-up to Heat, which is in the works, Mann’s next project released will be Ferrari, slated to premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival. Penned and directed by Mann, the car manufacturer biopic is set to explore the life of Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the eponymous Italian motor brand. If Mann’s past work is anything to go by, Ferrari promises to be an arresting cinematic experience that equally balances introspective character study with electrifying and kinetic storytelling.
