A career in three acts: The movies that define Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer was once described by Roger Ebert as the “unsung leading man of his generation”, with the actor starring in everything from superhero stories to action flicks and experimental independent films. Over the years, Kilmer became known for his work in cult classic films, with supporting roles in Heat, Top Gun and True Romance, rising to global fame through his reprisal of Bruce Wayne in Batman Forever and his dazzling performance of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s 1991 film, The Doors.
Since then, he has worked with directors and auteurs from all corners of Hollywood, collaborating with the likes of Terrence Malick, Gia Coppola, Quentin Tarantino and Ron Howard, building a particular reputation through his stark commitment to his craft and occasional creative clashes that this would spur, notably falling out with Joel Schumacher and Marlon Brando while shooting Batman Forever and The Island of Dr Moreau.
However, Kilmer often demonstrated a rare sensitivity that perhaps wasn’t common amongst the leading men of high-stakes action flicks and thrillers, with the actor adopting an intensive philosophy towards his craft when playing Jim Morrison that perhaps paved the way for the later success of the biopic genre as a whole, becoming so absorbed by the authentically portraying the singer that members of The Doors later said they couldn’t distinguish between Kilmer’s voice and Morrison’s. In addition, he channelled his creativity into other outlets, writing a book of poems entitled My Edens After Burns, which is nearly impossible to find today.
Whether it be his portrayal of Batman, Ice or Madmartigan, Kilmer is without a doubt one of the most commercially successful actors of the ’90s, with a sensitivity that shines underneath the brute force of some of his most unruly and unforgiving characters. It might seem trivial to forget such mammoth commercial success, whether they include a killer soundtrack for supersonic jets or, more simply, see Kilmer as the Caped Crusader; these are the roles that truly define Val Kilmer: the actor.
Three films that define Val Kilmer:
The Doors (Jim Morrison, 1991)
Within a media landscape that is inundated with stories of renowned musicians and public figures, audiences have perhaps grown a little tired of being told who is worthy of greatness, with biopics becoming a repeat offender on our screens.
As a result, alternative additions to this brand of storytelling stick out in our minds, with Oliver Stone’s stab at the genre with his 1991 film The Doors remaining as a fascinating iteration of the biopic, largely due to Kilmer’s unwavering commitment to portraying the legendary singer, Jim Morrison.
The casting of Kilmer was initially met with confusion and trepidation, with Stone being unsure about Kilmer’s audition tape in which he simply sings a song by Morrison. However, one of the The Doors’ close collaborators, producer Paul Rothchild, was shaken by the tone of his performance and encouraged Stone to cast him, with the actor immersing himself in the singer’s old routines and outfits to prepare for the part.
While Stone was criticised for fabricating certain elements of the story, Kilmer brought a touching level of youthful innocence and spirit to the character, with the final image of him sitting in the bathtub — Morrison’s own final resting place — complete with an effervescent and enigmatic quality that we rarely saw from him in the same way.
Heat (Michael Mann, 1995)
There is perhaps no film more emblematic of the ‘90’s than Michael Mann’s infectious crime thriller, Heat, starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Kilmer. Together, they became an unstoppable trio, coalescing in one of the most suspenseful cat-and-mouse chases in cinematic history.
It’s a story that continues to leave our hearts racing and pounding, with each actor working at their prime and joining forces to create a once-in-a-generational masterpiece. At its core, it is a masculine melodrama that would not work without the stoic intensity and destructive psychology of the main trio, with the influence of Kilmer’s role in such a beloved cult classic burning bright forever.
Kilmer is electric, bringing a raw, almost hypnotic intensity to the role of Chris Shiherlis. While the film is built around the heavyweight clash of De Niro and Pacino, Kilmer ensures that every second he’s on screen is utterly captivating.
There’s something restless about him—his body language, the way he grips a rifle, the barely contained rage behind his eyes. It’s a performance that doesn’t need grandstanding moments to land; instead, it thrives in the way he moves and the way he reacts. There’s no doubt that Heat is one of the greatest crime films ever made, but Kilmer’s presence elevates it even further, making Chris Shiherlis one of cinema’s most compelling criminals.
Val (Leo Scott, Ting Poo, 2021)
Towards the end of his career, Kilmer’s rarely appreciated sensitivity became the focus of his surprising and deeply moving documentary, in which the actor shares the unknown side of his experiences in Hollywood and the man beneath the celebrity. It is raw, vulnerable and poignant, touching on the extremes of life in the spotlight and the corrosive effect of fame, swinging between being heartwarming and devastating as he explores the extremes of what it means to be an artist and often misunderstand man.
While some stories pointed to the fact that Kilmer was a conflicted and sometimes abrasive character, the documentary opened our eyes to the limiting lens with which we view celebrities and his struggle to be truly seen. He battles against the limiting perception of himself and the way Hollywood attempts to flatten people into boxes.
Through this film, audiences saw a lesser-seen side to Kilmer and the stark truth behind his off-screen story, revealing a soft and interior man who was intent on creating truth in his work while forces outside of his control were fracturing his personhood.
