Michael Mann

Michael Mann (b. 1943) ranks among Hollywood’s last great “auteur” filmmakers. He is best known for exceptional crime films such as “Heat” (1996), through which he established himself as a distinctive storyteller and an outstanding stylist. In today’s commercial cinema, Mann occupies a singular, maverick position—much like Stanley Kubrick or Robert Aldrich did in the past. We pay focused tribute to Mann with five films from our collection: all of them star-studded, epic works that revitalized the crime genre. “Heat” is a monumental take on the classic duel between cop and criminal, tailored to legendary actors Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. The whistleblower thriller “The Insider” (1999) deals with the machinations of the tobacco industry and the nature of moral integrity. His films from the 2000s also showcase Mann’s pioneering use of digital aesthetics: “Collateral” (2004) becomes a unique nocturnal symphony of the big city; “Miami Vice” (2006) serves as a visually dazzling reinterpretation of the hit 1980s series he helped create; and “Public Enemies” (2009) acts as a radically contemporary overhaul of the gangster movie tradition.