As a filmmaker, Michael Mann swears by authenticity — in a recent interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the writer/director explained, “To me, the challenge is to get so deep into the specific regional culture, because the deeper I do that, the more universal it becomes.”
Speaking recently to /Film, Deborah Lynn Scott echoed that ethos, especially when it came to putting together costumes for “Heat” and its street-level leading men. As Scott elaborated:
“Well, you know it’s a suit world, right? You accept that. It’s going to be a suit. Michael Mann really wanted to exemplify the differences, even though they’re both wearing shirts and suits, and it’s quite like that.”
In a way, both Vincent Hanna and Neil McCauley’s outfits function as uniforms for their characters, the clothes properly inhabiting the men’s respective worlds while revealing some secrets about themselves. “Heat” may involve an element of cat-and-mouse, but Scott’s costumes make sure the characters emerge while engaging in the hunt.