Al Pacino has revealed a cut scene from Heat that will change the way you watch the film. The actor starred in Michael Mann’s 1995 film as detective Vincent Hanna opposite Robert De Niro’s criminal Neil McCauley. Hanna is one of Pacino’s most memorable roles due to the wildly unpredictable delivery of his dialogue.
In the past, Pacino, who previously said he would be willing to use de-ageing techonlogy to appear in a forthcoming adaptation of prequel Heat 2, has shed light on his acting decisions in the crime film, revealing that Hanna was taking cocaine throughout the film – although this is never seen on screen.
However, in a new memoir, Sonny Boy, Pacino, 84, reveals that, originally, a shot of Hanna taking coke appeared in the film but was edited out, which completely altered the actor’s performance.
The Cocaine Scene That Changed Everything
In Sonny Boy, Pacino wrote: “Hanna had problems as a human being, problems in his life. He was volatile and edgy and apt to go crazy. He was also chipping cocaine, and I sort of based my entire character on that.
“We shot a scene where I went into a club, and you actually saw my character taking a hit of coke before he enters. For some reason, Michael kept that scene out of the film.”
According to the actor, the cocaine scene that was cut “did explain a lot of my character’s behaviour, and without that explanation, I can see how it made aspects of my performance seem extravagant”
He mused: “If the audience had seen a moment or two when Hanna took a hit, I think they would have been better prepared to see what I did.
“But even without it, the intensity of his life – how Hanna worked in his profession, the way he dealt with things – allowed him this freedom to apply that kind of energy. It was almost a technique that he used as a detective, and it worked for him.”
The Future of Heat
Mann is currently working on an adaptation of Heat 2, the novel he co-wrote with Meg Gardiner. It is set to star Austin Butler as Hanna and Adam Driver as McCauley.
During an interview with The Independent in 2019, when asked if he’d be up for using the same tech for Heat 2 that he used for Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, Pacino, not realizing the novel was a prequel, said: “You’d have to ask Michael Mann, but we wouldn’t have Bob.”
De Niro, whose character is killed off at the end of the film, interjected, telling Pacino the novel was going to be set before the events of the 1995 film. To this, Pacino replied: “You mean go younger? That I would do for sure.”
Laughing at the prospect, De Niro added: ‘Well, you never know.”
Pacino’s Sonny Boy and the Legacy of Heat
Sonny Boy is available now. The revelation of the cut cocaine scene provides a fascinating new layer to the film Heat, prompting viewers to re-examine Hanna's intensity and the nuances of Pacino's performance. It also adds a new dimension to the anticipation surrounding the upcoming Heat 2, as fans ponder how the prequel will explore the origins of these iconic characters and their complex relationship.
Pacino's revelation raises questions about the creative choices made during the filming of Heat and the impact of those choices on the film's enduring legacy. It underscores the power of a single scene to reshape how a film is perceived and appreciated, and the importance of considering the full context of a character’s actions and motivations.
