Body Heat [Blu-ray]

EVEN THOUGH I HAD SEEN THIS MOVIE WHEN IT FIRST CSAME OUT MANY YEARS AGO; HOWEVER, IT WAS GREAT SEEING IT AGAIN. THIS MOVIE IS A DRAMA AND INTENSE LOVE ANDDECEPTION MOVIE I WISH THEY MADE MORE OF THESE DAYS.

Film Noir was a visual and thematic style first created in response to the dark times of the Depression and World War II. Posuers, losers, guys and dolls down on their luck, predators and those lost with their hearts and morals still somewhat intact drift hopelessly through a puzzling universe where fate undoes their attempts at escape be they good or evil. It is strong stuff and perennially green for our bewildering world, which explains why these films are not only classics, but gripping even when introduced to a new generation. Doomed (and stupid) passion drives a lot of these plots, at least in part, but the physical side of it had to be implied.Body Heat brings all of the despair, fatalism, appetite and doomed hope of the originals and makes the passion that drives the characters visible in Body Heat and it is heady stuff indeed. Body Heat is one of my all time favorite movies.Ned Racine is a low level lawyer in a small Florida city. He serves the down and out and petty criminals from his two room office during daylight hours and the prettier of the local women at night as his blonde good looks and lost boy charm are a draw, but he is never really engaged in any of his many affairs. Wandering one evening during a heat wave he meets Maddy Walker, the wife of a wealthy local businessman. Racine pursues her and they begin an affair of blistering lust - the body heat of the title. As with all lust, there is an unacknowledged emotional component. Maddy is unhappily married and her husband stands in the way, not only of their happiness, but of their being happy with money. As in Double Indemnity, Body Heat's most direct antecedent, they discuss a plan to murder the husband, at first as a fantasy, but as time goes on with more and more seriousness.I won't spoil the rest of the plot, but Body Heat is amazing in that it manages to keep the beloved elements of the genre and make them seem fresh and new, while adding a different visual style and of course putting the passion between the leads front and center in a way never before possible. The writing is amazing for both structure and dialogue, indeed, I think all of the Star Wars franchise would be classics if Kasdan had been kept on as the screenwriter. The man knows how to turn a phrase and build a puzzle. Turner and Hurt are in their early thirties and at the height of their considerable good looks. Ted Danson brings both lightness and a somber sadness to his role as the best friend and all of the supporting cast are amazing. If you haven't yet seen this movie, do yourself a favor and buy it or stream it as soon as possible. It really does belong on those lists of top movies for its brilliance and is entertaining besides.

This is (so far) the definitive version of this movie to own. The transfer is excellent; it looks like Warner has done some work on the restoration/transfer, as the image has good color and excellent detail; much better than previous incarnations. The sound is 5.1, but won't really put your surround system to the test; however, the fantastic score by John Barry sounds more lush than it ever has on video.The story is of Ned Racine (William Hurt), a less than stellar Florida attorney who has a less than stellar list of clients. He's a good looking romeo who falls for the wrong girl on a hot summer night. Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner, in a stunning film debut) and Ned have instant chemistry, despite the fact that she is a married woman. Her husband is a wealthy, powerful, and corrupt man (Richard Crenna) who stands in the way of Ned & Matty and the money. Blinded by lust, Ned sees murder as the only way he and Matty can have a future together.On paper, this would seem like your standard potboiler murder film from the 40s, rehashed in the 80s. Thanks to Lawrence Kasdan's direction and stellar performances by Hurt & Turner, this movie bears repeated viewings and will keep you on the edge of your seat as it will continually surprise you. Turner is incredible; you can see the layers of her character and never quite know what she is capable of until the end; and then you'll want to watch it all over again with the knowledge of that ending and then you can see the manipulative talents that she uses over Ned in a different light. John Barry's music is a character in itself; it would be hard to image this film without his lush, evocative score. The supporting cast is also excellent; Ted Danson is hard to recognize at first as the dorky attorney/confidant of Ned Racine.The extras are fantastic; Turner, Hurt, and Kasdan are all interviewed in the "Making Of" documentaries, and you learn how this semi-independent film stayed true to its vision and created a tidal wave when it was released. There are two vintage interviews with Turner and Hurt; Turner comes off much better than Hurt, who seems somewhat spaced out. Both are of good length and give slightly different information from the current documentary. There are also a number of deleted scenes, which were correctly removed from the final version, but still interesting to watch. Most interesting is the decision to delete the attempted murder scene and combine it with a later scene to improve the pacing. Of course the theatrical trailer is also included.If you have previous versions of this film, time to upgrade - The Deluxe Edition is the one to own!