Existentialism and Social Engagement in the Films of Michael Mann

255 Pages·2011·2.977 MB·English

by  Vincent M. Gaine (auth.)

Existentialism and Social Engagement
in the Films of Michael Mann

Existentialism and
Social Engagement in the
Films of Michael Mann
Vincent M. Gaine
© Vincent M. Gaine 2011
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2011 978-0-230-30105-4
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this
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in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published 2011 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN
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registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills,
Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS.
Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies
and has companies and representatives throughout the world.
Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States,
the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries.
ISBN 978-1-349-33672-2 ISBN 978-0-230-34844-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230348448
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully
managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing
processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the
country of origin.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gaine, Vincent M., 1979–
Existentialism and social engagement in the films of
Michael Mann / Vincent M. Gaine.
p. cm.
Includes filmography.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Mann, Michael (Michael Kenneth) – Criticism and interpretation.
2. Existentialism in motion pictures. 3. Motion pictures – Social aspects –
United States. I. Title.
PN1998.3.M3645G35 2011
791.43(cid:2)684—dc23 2011024163
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
Dedicated to Peter Kramer,
the best mentor a student could hope for

Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction 1
Part I Mann and Movies
1 Michael Mann – Hollywood Auteur? 13
2 Film and Philosophy 28
Part II Crime and Solitude
3 Being theThieff(1981) 53
4 Psychological Resolution inManhunterr (1986) 69
5 Isolation and Desolation in Heatt (1995) 88
6 Indifference and Compassion inCollateral (2004) 108
7 Pretence and Romance in Miami Vice (2006) 128
Part III History and Social Conscience
8 Origins of Evil in The Keep (1983) 149
9 Utopia Lost inThe Last of the Mohicans (1992) 164
10 Hazardous Authenticity inThe Insider(1999) 179
11 Being the People’s Champion in Ali (2001) 199
Conclusion: Ethics, Engagement and Enemies 217
Bibliography 236
Filmography 242
Index 245
vii

Acknowledgements
The genesis of this book occurred in March 1996 when my mother took
her 16-year-old son to a screening of Heatt at a cinema in Bristol. That
single experience set me on the route to becoming the film scholar I am
today, so thanks for taking me, Mum.
I have been ably supported in the preparation of this manuscript
by Catherine Mitchell and Felicity Plester at Palgrave, who guided me
through the publication requirements and made the potentially daunt-
ing task of publication so straightforward.
I have been immensely fortunate in my academic endeavours and
thank everyone in the School of Film and Television Studies and the
School of Philosophy at the University of East Anglia who guided and
supported me during my time there. Specific thanks are due to Rupert
Read, Mark Jancovich, Yvonne Tasker, Rayna Denison and Diane Negra.
Most of all, I thank Peter Kramer, a tireless and relentless supervisor
who ensures that his students are the very best they can be, never set-
tling for less than the perfection and commitment of any Mann Man.
Special thanks also to Amanda Dillon, who read through every
chapter and never stopped loving and supporting me, allowing me the
social engagement the Mann Men tend to lose.
I am grateful to the following for permission to reproduce copyright
material: the editors of Jump Cutt, for reproduction of material from
‘Heat: Genre and Work’, by J. A. Lindstrom, 2000, found at http://www.
ejumpcut.org/archive/onlinessays/JC43folder/Heat.html; Empire and
BauerConsumer Media for reproduction of material from ‘A Fare to
Remember‘, by Ian Nathan,October 2004.
ix