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Michael Mann Function-Movement
Relationship Chart The date
is 2014. This is the date the data was collected.
■ "THE JERICHO
MILE" (1979) 96 min 4/2
Chimneys are for
emitting smoke. Whistles are for sounding. Walls are for people to lean
against. Desks are for people to sit on. Walls are for people to get stuck in.
Water pipes become iron bars. Cell lights indicate the runner's tendencies.
Ground is for casting shadows. Desks are for resting feet on. Sugar shortages
and pictures of children are for black people to trade with white people and
get killed, and to anger the black group. Black people always being with white
runners on adjacent bars is for making the black group jealous and to make them
suspect the white runner's malice. Fences are for stepping over. Ropes are for
people to sit on. Nets and ceilings are for casting shadows. Trash cans become
trucks. Boards are for throwing. Women run away so they can be caught, anger
the white people, and get them to kill their neighbors. Brooms are for breaking
cell locks. Fences are for corpses to lean against. Helmets and pliers are for
throwing down. The technical room is for smashing. Shelves are for hiding
drugs. Drugs are for burning to anger white people. Cigarettes are for throwing
away. Machines are for people to lean on. Cans are for kicking to scatter
white. Tables are for putting people on and pushing them over. Ladders are for
hitting. The black person next door is killed to create conflict and then
reconciliation between the runner and the black group, and to motivate them to
run in the race. Windowpanes become mirrors. The race is held in prison to have
the prisoners build tracks, create conflict, and then reconcile. Getting beaten
is for becoming a friend. Lunch is for being treated. Cups are for slamming
down. Tables are for slamming down. Committee members step on the white line to
be excluded. Armrests are for people to sit on. They are excluded from the
race. Dumbbells are for throwing down. Stopwatches are for throwing and
smashing.
■ "Thief"
(1981) 119 minutes 10/21
Rain is there to
make a sound. The ground, streetlights, and traffic lights are there to shine
(the city itself can be a light source). Rain is there to create fog. Walls are
there to reflect light. Radios are there to project light. Drills are there to scatter
smoke and debris. Hammers and bags are there to drop and put down. Glasses are
there to throw down. Safes are there to throw things out. Car bodies are there
to reflect light. Headlights are there to shine (as a light source). Car roofs
are there to put luggage on. Puddles are there to splash water. Armpits are
there to hold newspapers. Newspapers are there to hold things. Restaurants are
there to ask women out on dates. Sweaters are there to give compliments.
Envelopes are there to crumple up and throw away. Pants are there to hold guns.
Chairs are there to hang clothes. Large trucks are there to pass by (large
trucks often pass by in Mann's films). Coffee cups and documents are there to
be dropped. Building windows and neon lights shine (as light sources). The
surface of water reflects shimmering light. Cars are there for people to lean
on. Trains are there to pass by. Bumpers are there for people to step on.
Wheels are there to rotate. The ground creaks (squeak!). People and fixtures
are there to block people from the camera. Being late makes women angry. Bar
patrons are there to be chased away. People are there to be moved. Women are there
to be put back in the car. Cars are there to be hit by other cars. Voices are
loud. Chairs are there for people to put their feet on (bad manners). Milk is
there to be replaced. Lighters don't light. Headlights project light (on the
woman's hair). Engines roar. Tears drip. Buildings become mirrors. Burners and
furnaces scatter sparks and flames (burners are amazing). Men in white coats
are there to be rejected. Desks are there for people to sit on. Spelling is
done wrong. Tables are for banging. Officials are for making men angry. Women
can't have children because they're rejected for adoption, or because gangs
arrange for them to be adopted. Telephones are for planting listening devices.
Tap water is for silencing sounds. Listening devices are for banging down.
People are for walking in front of the camera. Toothpicks are for chewing.
Fingers are for snapping. Shopkeepers ask for children's names so that they can
decide on a name. The death of a benefactor is so that the child can inherit
the name. Customers are for signaling phone calls. The ground is for scattering
smoke. Taillights are for kicking and smashing. Phone books and trash cans are
for hitting people. Detectors are for ringing. The ceiling is for cutting and
emitting smoke. Electric saws are for ringing. Wrenches are for throwing down.
Rotary screwdrivers are for ringing. Tables and chairs are for throwing. Tables
are turned upside down. Fire extinguishers are for spreading smoke (very much).
Doors are for cutting down. Masks and gloves are for dropping and leaving.
Waves are for splashing water. Rocks are for people to sit on. Trees are for
casting shadows. Bags are for throwing. Withholding a share is for letting the
man insult the gang and lynch them. Hoods are for mirrors (they reflect beautifully).
Lights are for projecting lines of light (like those at a used car center).
Rifles are for beating people. Guns are for emitting smoke and for glowing.
Cars are for smashing people and making them bleed. Copper mills emit smoke.
Factory containers become coffins. Towels are for beating people down. Mirrors
are for hitting your head on. Armrests are for people to sit on. Trees sway in
the wind and make noise. Houses and bars are for blowing up and scattering
flames, smoke, and debris. Cars are for burning and scattering flames. Buckets
are for throwing things away. Photographs are for rolling up and throwing away.
Knives are for picking locks. Drinking milk is for slamming the refrigerator
door into it and spilling the milk everywhere. Feet are for opening doors.
Dressers are for people to hide in. Lights are for knocking people down by
slamming them into them. Blood is for splashing onto walls. Glass is for
shooting and shattering. Clothes are for tearing.
■ "THE
KEEP" (1983) 92 minutes 8/8
Thunder rumbles.
Fog rolls in (terrifying). The mountain path is guarded to protect against
monster attacks. Glass becomes a mirror. Matches ignite flames. Wheels rotate.
Children are evacuated. ? is stuck into the ground. Dust is kicked up. Wind
roars (thorough). Engines roar. Matches are struck down. The cross is touched
because it shouldn't be touched. Lights sway in the wind. The ground casts
shadows. The Keep emits light. Light forms a streak (amazing). Belts are
lifelines. Holes in the wall release smoke. The torso splits in two. Wind blows
people away. The cross is silver to be dug up and release the monster. Guns and
eyes emit light. Particles scatter. Blinds are to cast shadows. Campfires are
to make flames burn fiercely. Boats are to create spray. Coffee is to exhale
smoke. Glasses are to be shaken. Steps are for people to stand on. Trees are to
sway in the wind. Booklets are to be snatched and slammed down. Arms are to be
untouchable. Walls are for people to lean against. Ancient writing is to summon
the professor and his daughter. There are no checkpoints. The daughter goes to
get food so that she can be raped by German soldiers, rescued by a monster,
rejuvenated by the professor to get his cooperation, and then have the daughter
evacuate to an inn to meet the man. Plates are to be dropped. Monsters are to
roar and emanate smoke. Eyes are to exhale smoke. Fireplace flames are to go
out. Documents and hats are to be blown away by the wind. Light is white
(overexposed). Rocks are for people to sit on. Laundry is to sway in the wind.
People are to be thrown around. Machine guns roar, and emit light and smoke.
Cigarettes are to be smashed. Tables are for people to lean on. People back
away to be startled by monsters behind them. Crosses are useless, and are to be
crushed and dropped. Stone slabs are to be swept away. Rocks are for people to
climb on. Jeeps become morgues. Weapons glow. The ground is for people to sit
on. Amulets are blown away, and emit particles and light. Mist becomes waves.
Amulets are taken out to lead to self-destruction. Hair is to flutter in the
wind.
■
"MANHUNTER" (1986) 113 minutes 8/9
Wind and waves
roar. Driftwood is for people to sit on, and also to hang clothes. Tables
become mirrors, and the water surface shines. They do not accompany you. The
ground and grates project shadows. Bloodstains are to be scattered. Mirrors
split people apart. Documents are for throwing down. Walls are for people to
lean against (frequently). Desks are for people to lean against. Fingerprints
are for detection. The hood is for throwing people onto. Glass is for breaking.
Trains are for passing by. Doors are for not opening. Handrails are for casting
shadows. Shutters are for making noise. Meetings are for taking pictures, then
using reporters to kill, and for the son to read the articles. Cars are for
driving in front of cameras. Silver foil is for tampering with telephones, and
for crumpling up and throwing away. Grilles are for banging. Napping is for
showing pictures to the child next door to surprise them. Seagulls are for
flying. Gum wrappers are for identifying people. Knives are for picking up paper.
Clothes are for throwing down. Trees are for swaying in the wind, and for
people to climb and for people to leave marks on. Desks are for resting feet
on. Cars are for people to lean against and for banging on the ceiling. Toilet
paper becomes a memo. A knife is for tracing letters. A cigarette is for
exhaling smoke. A propeller rotates. Glasses become a mirror. Time spent in
captivity creates suspense. A book becomes a desk. Laughter is not funny. A
pencil is for dropping and setting down. A flash shines. A puddle creates
splashes. A truck is for people to hide in. Undercover operations fail. A car
is for kicking. The floor becomes a mirror. Stockings are for putting over your
head. Objects rotate. Screams resonate. A wheelchair is for putting a man on fire
down a slope. A murderer becomes a police officer. A fish tank blows bubbles.
The ceiling casts shadows. Glass becomes a mirror. You don't go to the beach. A
pier is for people to sit on. Fog rolls in. Talking to yourself elicits a
response. Trash scatters. Faces are not for touching. Tigers are for touching.
8mm film is for shining. A chest is for a pillow. The sun is for shining
brightly. People are for projecting silhouettes. You don't go inside houses.
Cigarette packs and lighters are for dropping and leaving things. Walls are for
stepping on. Desks and armrests are for resting your feet on. Thunder is for
roaring. Eyes and mouths are for shining. Waiting in front of a woman's house
is for killing a man. Picking pollen becomes a kiss. Hedges are for dragging
people in. Dashboards are for tearing apart. Guns are for emitting light.
Documents are for smashing. Film is for getting to the photo lab. Insects are
for chirping. Music is for keeping the blind from hearing. Windows are for
people to lean against. The ground is for rumbling. Mirrors are for smashing
with your fist. Rotating lights are for shining. Broken mirrors become knives.
Sirens are for roaring. The reason the police car crashes and doesn't join the
backup is to allow the psychologist to confront the culprit. The desk is for
people to lie down on. The tree branches are to cast shadows. The windows are
for people to jump into and break. People are for people to throw themselves
into the refrigerator and spill its contents. The light bulbs are for people to
shoot and break to turn them off. The wallpaper is for people to pass through
and tear. The feet are for people to kick open the door. The rifle is for
people to exhale smoke. The stairs are for people to jump down. The windows are
for people to shoot and break. The stones are for people to throw.
■ "MADE IN
L.A." (1989) 92 minutes 8/10
The shower is to
exhale smoke. Because you can't talk. The photo shakes. The armored car is to
crash into the transport vehicle. The explosion is to exhale smoke. The wheels
are to rotate. The wall is for people to lean on (frequently). The punching is
to make them say "sports". The way people are addressed helps
identify them. The iron bar is for dropping and placing. The security guard
laughs so that he will be killed, creating a traitor that will be fatal to the
boss. People cross in front of the camera. The door is for kicking down. The
table is for people to climb on. Breakfast is for eating. The police car is for
letting the traitor escape. The car is for hiding people. The city at night is
for projecting light. The building is a mirror. The hand is for moving it. The
mother is for being restrained. The full moon is for birds to fly across. The
knee is on the chair. The chair is for kicking. Clothes are for banging down.
Prostitutes chase men away so they can be killed. Tabasco is the catalyst for
encounters. Restaurants are where gangsters and women meet. Birds chirp.
Collars are for grabbing. Pots and pans are for spitting out flames. Kitchens
become conference rooms. Restaurant meals are for being monitored. The ground
is for people to lie on. Lights rotate. The police get a call so that in the
meantime, the man can punch the man who hit on his wife, get into a fight with
her, and leave the house. Insects chirp. Bugging devices are for throwing down.
Surveillance is for being monitored. Counters are for banging. Husbands leave
the house so they can run into gangsters on their way back from the dry
cleaners. Phone buttons are for banging. Being chased is for robbing a bank.
Safecracking produces sparks and smoke. Whistling is the signal. Canned beer is
for throwing. Backrests are for resting feet on. Counters are for people to
stand on. Objects on a table are for kicking over. Stockings are for covering
your face. Doors are for pushing open. Hoods are for climbing over. Guns are
for shining, emitting smoke, and banging. Cars, walls, and pillars are for
people to hide behind. Signs are for shooting and smashing, releasing smoke.
Glass is for shooting and shattering. Sunglasses are for throwing away. The
ground rumbles. Cars are for people to lean against. Feet are for opening
doors. Trees are for swaying in the wind and for shooting down. Cars are for
being stolen. Cats are for escaping (and they certainly do). Children are for
shields. Telephone receivers are for slamming down. Doors are for hammering
open. Televisions are for smashing. Fences are for people to climb over. Knives
are for picking locks. Flashlights project light. Headlights shine. Grass sways
in the wind. Windshields reflect streetlights. A basket becomes a chair. Wood
burns. A helicopter projects light. Doors are shot through. Gunfire blows
people away. A tray spills its contents. People are kicked, shattering windows
and falling. A rotating light projects light.
■ "THE LAST OF
THE MOHICANS" (1992) 111 minutes 11/18
Mist rolls in.
Light forms a streak. A river creates splashes. Guns emit smoke. Trees cast
shadows. Chimneys and cigarettes emit smoke. Fireplaces project flickering
shadows and burn fiercely. Candles flicker in the wind. Don't join the militia.
The water surface becomes a mirror. Hats are removed. Laundry sways in the
wind. Drums resound. Wildcats scare women. The traces of a campfire indicate
the time. Footprints to identify people. Slopes for people to tumble down.
Forests for people to hide in. Leaves for shooting down. Horses for people to
fall off. Hats for people to shake off. Branches for people to push aside.
Knives are held in a reverse grip (frequently). Smoke for people to hide.
Swords for people to stab into the ground. Horses for people to escape.
Escorting the daughters to invite Huron to attack and have the Mohicans
accompany them. Waterfalls for splashing water. Fences for people to climb
over. Burnt remains for emitting smoke. The pioneer family is to be massacred.
Not burying them to mislead the sister. Keeping watch to talk to the sister
alone (they are never attacked). The ground for people to crawl on. Trees and
fallen trees for people to hide in. Trees for casting silhouettes and swaying
in the wind. The moon for reflecting light onto faces. Cannons are there to
emit smoke, to scatter light, to roar, and to blow people away. The surface of
the water is there to ripple, and to project shimmering light onto the ground.
Boats are there to be pushed. Torches are there to emit flames and smoke. Going
to a fort is there to get you into danger. Dust is there to fly down. Reports
are not heard. Tables are there for people to sit on. Slopes are there for
people to jump off. Gun barrels are there to shine. Promises are there to be
broken. The sister is sick so that she can leave (a cinematic history of
exits). Marriage is there to be refused. The ground is there for people to sit
on. Campfires are there to emit smoke and to project shimmering light. People
are there to walk in front of the camera. Torches are there to project
shimmering light. Forts are there to make people fall. Flags are there to
flutter in the wind. Reinforcements are not coming. Breaking militiamen out of
prison is so that you will be imprisoned. Peace is so that the Huron men can
attack the British, free the White Son, and escape by boat. The roars are so
that they can be heard. The British soldiers are killed so that the handcuffs
can be unlocked. The rifles are for beating people. The hearts are for taking
out. The surface of the water is so that it can shine. The waterfalls are for
boats to fall through, for people to hide behind, for the shimmering light to
be projected, for water droplets to fall from top to bottom, and for people to
jump into. People are so that they can be projected as silhouettes. The
sister's suicide is so that she can be embraced by the man who tried to stop
her. The waterfalls are so that the silhouettes of light can be projected. The
sister is separated from the women so that she can become Huron's wife and fall
off the cliff, and for the major to be burned at the stake. The rifles are
lifelines. The stems of the leaves are broken to be used as markers. The words
are not to be translated. The rifles are for throwing things. The smoke from
the guns is so that people can be covered. The village is on top of a mountain
so that people can fall into the valley below. Rocks are for people to hide in,
and for shots to be fired through and make a loud noise. Gunshots are meant to
ring out. The wind is meant to ring out. The grass is meant to fall. Hair is
meant to flutter in the wind, and to shine in the backlight.
■ "HEAT"
(1995) 165 min 4/1
Chimneys and
showers are for emitting smoke. Hair ties are so they can't be found.
Newspapers are for brushing off. Windows become mirrors. Borrowed juice is so
it can't be drunk. Armored vehicles are for crashing into. Cars at the used car
center are for causing a chain reaction, and for the blast to shatter their
windows all at once. Cars are used as stepping stones. Transport vehicles are
for blowing up and emitting smoke. Flags are for fluttering in the wind.
Ambulances are for getting away with cars, and for blowing up. Shooting and
killing security guards makes you a traitor. The way people are addressed helps
identify them. Tables are for hitting faces against. Police cars passing by
allow traitors to escape and seek revenge. Cars are for hiding people. Tables
become mirrors. Water makes light shimmer. Bundles of cash are for throwing
down. Keys are for throwing away. Foreheads are for smashing. Restaurants are
for setting up gangsters and women to meet. The ground is for scattering smoke.
Things on tables are for brushing off. Public telephones are used to witness
infidelity. Hangers are for brushing off. Handrails are for people to sit on.
Paper bags are for throwing. Car bodies are mirrors. Glass is for shooting
through. People are run over by cars. Guns are for emitting smoke. Restaurants
are for surveillance. Nets are for casting shadows on people's faces.
Prostitutes are killed so that they can call the police at a party and worsen
their relationship with their wives. Helicopters are for scattering light.
Mothers are for being restrained. Hair is for being illuminated by backlights.
Doors are for kicking down. Puddles are for dropping water droplets. Containers
are for keeping watch from inside. Police officers make noise while on guard to
alert gangs of the detective's presence. Walkie-talkies are for slamming down
and throwing. Cars are for people to lean on. Tables are for resting feet on.
Ties are for pulling. Headlights are for shining brightly. Faucets are for
slamming shut. Police car lights flash. Desks are for people to sit on.
Concrete blocks are for knocking over. Documents are for throwing down. A
driver's betrayal is for hiring and killing a Black driver. Refrigerators are
for people to lean on. Hats, cloths, and aprons are for throwing down. Desks
are for people to stand on. Bags are for sliding down. Walls, lampposts, and
cars are for people to hide behind. Windows are for shooting and smashing. Cars
are for making holes. Carts are for scattering things. Fountains are for people
to trip over. Children are for shields. Bartenders ask for orders so you don't
have to answer. Medical equipment is for mirrors. Shirts are for changing.
Shooting is for flashing. Doors are for shooting and kicking down. Window
frames are for people to hit and break. Chairs are for smashing glass doors.
Desks and vases are for knocking over and breaking. Window frames are for
people to lean on. Grass sways in the wind. Televisions are for smashing and
kicking out of cars. Hair is for being backlit and blowing in the wind. A
gangster's wife is made to cheat so she won't betray her husband. A detective's
wife cheats so the detective stays in a hotel and cuts his daughter's wrists
there. Being shaken off by a tail is for robbing a bank. The detective suddenly
gives up the chase so he can go back to the hotel and find his daughter. Floors
are for making stains. Bathtubs are for cutting wrists. Towels are for tearing.
Streetlights are for shining. Tunnels are for being bathed in white light.
Gangsters are for room service. Ashtrays are for getting stuck in doors. Doors
are for slamming people in. Flashlights are for hitting people. Guns are for
kicking. Helicopters are for scattering dust. Ties are for throwing away. Fire
alarms are for causing confusion and for the fire trucks to block the gap
between the gangsters and the detective. People are for pushing aside. Hedges
are for people to climb over. Containers are for people to hide in. The plane
flies across and roars. The shotgun is thrown away. The plane lands and its lights
are turned on to project the gang's shadow onto the ground. The objects are for
people to lean on. The airfield becomes a morgue.
■ "THE
INSIDER" (1999) 153 min 10/15
The engine roars.
The blindfold exposes the fibers. Passing objects cast shadows. The bells sway.
The flags flutter in the wind. The stalls emit smoke. The wall is for people to
sit on. The questions are to not inform. The wall casts shadows. The curtains
are for opening. The steering wheel is for hitting with the thumb. The trees
sway in the wind (very much). The TV cartoon is turned off. The doll inhales
dust and causes seizures. First aid for seizures is to instruct the father's
abilities. People lick in front of the camera. There isn't enough rice. She goes
to the car to look for the mug to find out her husband is retiring. Medical
expenses, house and car loans to cause conflict for her husband. Her hair is
backlit. She argues with the bodyguard to show the newscaster's nature. Glass
becomes a mirror. The box to trigger the incident. The public telephone is for
placing a plate on. The phone is hung up on. The pen is for dropping and
setting down. The desk is for tapping with a finger. The glasses are for
throwing down. She gives up so that the fax arrives. The fax shows the text.
The paper is for throwing down. The newspaper is for identifying a person. The
clothes are for throwing down. The documents are for dropping and setting down.
The projector projects grainy light onto her face. The ground projects shadows.
The way she's addressed is for correcting. The additional clause is for
angering the scientist. The golf driving range is for surveillance. The promise
is kept. The newspaper becomes an umbrella. The daughter's ballet class and the
rain are there to allow the journalist and scientist to have a secret meeting
in the car. The trees are there to cast shadows. The wipers are there to move
back and forth. The rain is there to drip raindrops on the windows. The thunder
is there to rumble. The fingers are there to snap. The people are there to
cross in front of the camera (frequently). The pants are there to hold a gun.
The flowerbeds are there to leave footprints. The raccoons are there to be
intruders. The mailbox is there to drop bullets into, call the FBI, and make
the scientist suspicious. The flashing lights are there to scatter light. The
trees are there to make people bump into and fall. The slopes are there to make
people tumble down. The wife is there because she doesn't know about the
interview. The walls are there for people to lean against. The bodyguards are
there to intimidate the scientist and make the wife angry. The gardening is
there to make him wash his hands in the sink and get into a fight with his
wife. The stairs are there for people to sit on. The grates are there to cast
shadows. The street vendors are there to be driven away. The documents are
there to be thrown. The car is there for people to lean against. Because he
won't be interviewed. Because the surface of the sea is rippling. Because his
glasses become a mirror. Because people sit on the hood. Because objections are
repeated. Because he's not laughing. Because the waves create spray. Because
cars on the side of the road burn and spew smoke (for no reason). Because his
testimony makes his wife and children run away from home. Because he holds his
glasses in his mouth. Because people lean on the table. Because it won't be
broadcast. Because the blinds cast shadows. Because the table is banged on.
Because documents are thrown down. Because he continues interviewing in order
to get a vacation. Because he edits to make the newscaster angry. Because the
curtains sway in the wind. Because the waves roar. Because communication
failures make him go into the sea. Because the wallpaper becomes an image.
Because he doesn't answer the phone so that people will say "shitty
phone". Because the pillars block people from the camera. Because he
drinks coffee so that his hands are visible. Because the trash flies around.
Because the revolving door fades out.
■ "ALI"
(2001) 159 minutes 10/14
People are there to
project silhouettes. Spotlights, streetlights, and rotating lights are there to
project light. Punching balls are there to be hit and shaken. People get on
buses so they can be shown newspapers. Tables are there for people to sit on. Jump
ropes are there so the rope can be spun. Hats are there to be taken off.
Flashes are there to emit light. Ears are there to hold cotton swabs? Fists,
feet, and people are there to block people from the camera. The lights in the
venue are there to shine (like stars). Chairs are there to be kicked. Feet are
there to jump (fluttering like butterflies). Mouthpieces are there to spit out.
The ground is there for people to sit on. Lines are there to be stolen. Names
are there to be called by the wrong names. Sects and names are there to be
changed. Cloth is there to be waved. Flags and flames are there to flutter in
the wind. The reunion in front of the hotel is there so it will be the last
conversation. Headlights are there so they can shine. Mouths are there to hold
things in. Guns are used to emit smoke and to glow. Chairs are used to knock
people over. Churches are used for assassinations. Cars are driven to be
informed of a friend's death. The ground rumbles. Glasses are used to reflect
light. Tears are used to fall. White clothes are worn to separate from one's
husband. Interviews are refused. Keys are dropped and left behind. Clothes are
used to smell. Wigs are used to play with. Too much sugar is added. Draft is
refused, preventing the game from being played and then resulting in an
acquittal (a life like the one written in the script). No apologies are made.
Names are made to be told. Security guards are used for handshakes. Glass
becomes a mirror. Bakers are used to reunite with women. Rotating music boxes
are used to spin. Tables are used to rest feet on. Gunshots roar. Trains pass
by shining brightly. Fires emit smoke. Messages are not delivered. Bankruptcy
is used to ban one's faith and then have the ban lifted. Curtains are open to
let in light. Liquor bottles are thrown and smashed. Train tracks are to
scatter sparks. No answers are given. Stairs are for people to sit on. Lights
shine (in the stadium). Cars are for people to lean on. Jackets are for people
to be mocked. No aid is accepted. Jews are fired so they can be rehired. Large
meals are to announce an acquittal. Arms are not raised (after the game). Ears
are for tickling. Side roads are for getting lost. Trees sway in the wind.
Heads are for things to rest on (is it functional?). Radios are for carrying.
Trees cast shadows. Walls become canvases. Curtains sway in the wind. A
daughter's illness is to keep the wife away and cheat. Language is for
mispronunciation. For correcting speech. Injuries prevent people from returning
home. Walls and people are to lick the foreground of the screen. No one
listens. Ropes are for carrying. Cheers are there to resound. Round girls wink
back. Thunder is there to resound. Rain is there to pour down.
■
"COLLATERAL" (2004) 113 minutes 10/17
Engines and the
ground are there to resound. People bump into each other and drop their bags to
exchange them. Car bodies are there to lick the screen. Cars are polished and
their lights are checked. Windows become mirrors. Customers complain so the
driver can see the photos. Trucks pass by. Buildings become mirrors. Pens are
used to indicate direction. Headlights, streetlights, and building windows
shine (the city itself is a light source). Bets with customers demonstrate the
driver's skill. Guessing a woman's occupation is so she can receive the photos.
A woman gets into a taxi so the driver can help her. Leaving is so she can turn
back. A woman's business card is to show to a hitman. Escalators are used so
people can pass each other. Not noticing a customer is so they can call them
back and pick them up. Because there are no photos. The body falls onto the
roof of the car and emits smoke, and the windshield is broken to attract
attention. The taxi is parked on a back street to prevent witnesses. The trunk is
for putting the body in. The plastic bottle and tie are for throwing things
down. The car cannot be abandoned. The water surface is like a mirror. The car
is washed with water to create stains on the ground. The car does not depart on
a green light. The flashing light projects light (Michael Mann often uses the
flashing light). The sandwich is for spilling. The checkpoint does not open the
trunk. The steering wheel is for tying hands. The dispatcher is for being
verbally abused. Someone sits on the chair. The horn is for calling for help.
Calling for help attracts robbers and allows hitmen to kill them. The gun emits
light and makes a loud noise. The bag is for throwing things down. Fingers are
for snapping. Shell casings are for throwing and handing over. Witnesses are
nearsighted to prevent identification of individuals. There are few passengers
so that no one is seen. People are placed in front of the camera to lick it.
Corpses are placed on drunkards. Cars are placed to push people against.
Elevators are used for conversations with detectives. Visiting his mother
exposes the driver's lies, and also to have the driver steal and destroy the
bag, so that the driver can meet the client in place of the hitman and be
mistaken for the hitman by the police. The janitor is placed to avoid (janitors
appear frequently in Mann's films). The wings of the pedestrian bridge are
covered with netting so that the bag can be thrown into the air. The bag will
be hit by a truck and run over. Bullet holes are used to identify people.
Aircraft are placed to flash lights. Factories are placed to emit smoke. People
are placed to project silhouettes. Dialogue is placed to be repeated (Darwin's
law). Glasses are placed to be taken off and put on. People are placed to block
other people from the camera. The ground is placed to reflect light. The
helicopter's body is placed to reflect light. Toothpicks are placed in the
mouth. The car body is placed on a mirror. Coyotes are placed to cross the
road. Trees are there to project silhouettes and to sway in the wind. People
are there to push through and to use as shields. Discos become gunfights.
Glasses are there to break. Guns are there to make targets emit smoke. People
are there to cross in front of the camera. Knives are held in a reverse grip.
Chairs are there for people to stand on. Cars are there to crash into other
cars. Helicopters are there to emit streaks of light and to flash. Red lights
are there to be ignored. Detectives are killed to anger the driver, causing the
taxi to overturn and emit smoke, allowing the hitman to steal the gun from the
officer who discovers the body, and to separate the hitman. Construction work
is there to crash into and overturn cars. Doors are there to be kicked open.
Window frames are there to tie handcuffs to. The computers in taxis are there
to act as a substitute for the hitman's computer (the MacGuffins here are
intricately intertwined) and to alert the driver of the target. Passersby are
there to have their cell phones stolen. Chairs are there to be kicked. The
photo is to identify the desk's owner. The battery will run out. The axe will
destroy the generator and scatter light. The frosted glass will project
silhouettes. The ashtray will not break when thrown at the glass door. The
glass will be shot and shattered. The building will become a maze. The walls
will be for people to hide on. The floor will be for people to crawl on. The
walls will be for people to lean on. The chair will break the glass door. The
platform will become a long jump. The subway will be for people to cling on to.
The stations will be for people not to get off. The fluorescent lights will
flicker so the driver will kill the assassin. The cartridge will be dropped.
The subway will become a morgue.
■ "Miami
Vice" (2006) 124 minutes 11/4
People are there to
project silhouettes. Bills are there to be dropped. People are there to be
pushed aside. Prostitutes are there to be beaten. Bodyguards are there to be
repelled. The disco investigation is done so that incoming phones can be
answered on the roof (the prostitution ring is overlooked because the
investigation is for that purpose). The city lights up (the light of Los
Angeles itself is the light source). The prostitution investigation is
overlooked. Hair is there to flutter in the wind. Bags are there to be thrown.
Caps are there to be taken off with the mouth. Cars are there to be riddled
with bullets and emit smoke. Investigators are there to be shot and killed.
Searchlights are there to project light. Trees are there to cast shadows. Cars
stop on the highway so that trucks can jump in front of them. Rotating lights
are there to flash. Windowpanes are like mirrors. The ground is there to
rumble. Thunder is there to rumble and flash. The informant's death is there to
allow the detective to infiltrate the organization. Locks are for shooting
down. Guns are for shining (guns don't emit smoke). Trucks are for smashing
through doors. Resistance is for suppressing. Speedboats are for exploding and
spewing sparks, flames, and smoke. Fingers are for snapping. Backrests are for
people to sit on. Walls are for people to lean against. Ejaculation doesn't
happen. Tips are for passing on. Roulette wheels are for spinning. Stacks of
bills are for machines to count. Passing objects cast shadows. Roofs are for
people to climb on. Trees sway in the wind. Guns and grenades face off so that
a woman's voice can stop them (to make Gong Li's entrance shot more dramatic).
Murals are for metaphors. Rifles are for pushing open doors. Being stood up is
so that people go out and sneak into the house. Cell phones don't work. Cars
are for people to lean against. Glass is for banging. The woman sits in the
seat opposite the direction of travel in the limousine so she can make eye
contact with the detective outside. The airplane casts a shadow and merges with
the scene. Clouds and fog are there because they fill the air. The water
surface becomes a mirror. The windows are dirty because they are dirty. The
enemy's drugs are stolen in order to be returned. The engine roars because it
is loud. The boat creates a spray of water. Clothes are removed so that the
person can hold the steering wheel. Relationships are made to be misunderstood.
Blinds cast shadows. Curtains sway in the wind and project human silhouettes.
The shower creates a spray of water. Pillars are for people to lean against.
The water surface reflects light. Waterfalls create a spray of water. The car
body becomes a mirror because it is scattered. Styrofoam is scattered because
people walk in front of the camera. Cargo becomes a chair. Clothes sway in the
wind because they are windy. Headlights shine because they are bright. Shopping
bags are left behind. Luggage is hung and slid and thrown. Chairs are used to
tie people down. Dynamite as a collar. Jet planes for passing by. Whistling as
a signal. Television news for reporting the present. Threatening phone calls
for revealing one's location. Mouths for chewing food. Boats for jumping onto.
Walls, trees, and telephone poles for people to hide behind. Rifles for strangling.
Under the floor for people to crawl. Raising and lowering a rifle as a signal.
Walls for casting shadows. Trash cans for turning the detective into a pizza
delivery guy. Knives held in a reverse grip. Rifles for throwing. The wife
stays on the trailer so she gets severely burned in the explosion and recovers
in the final scene. The trailer explodes, scattering sparks and smoke. Tables
for people to lean on. Dance to bring down the woman and trade her for drugs.
The wife is imprisoned so the deal can be made if the exchange fails.
Bloodstains on the wall. Guns for maintenance. People, cars, and tires as
shields. Glass for shooting and shattering. The ground is for shooting and
creating smoke. Gunshots are for the sound of the gunshots. Taking out a walkie-talkie
from his pocket is to reveal his identity to the woman by showing her his badge
and making it light up (the walkie-talkie communication is meaningless). The
ground is for casting shadows and scattering smoke. The trees are for casting
silhouettes. Because there is no boss. The wind and waves are for the sound of
the wind and waves. His shoulders are for the pillow, his knees are for the
bed. He dozes off to be surprised by his recovery.
■ "Public
Enemies" (2009) 132 min 4/1
Toilet paper is for
holding guns. Nets are for casting shadows. Guns are for hitting people. The
staring guards are for angering prisoners and getting beaten up. Bullets are
for shooting holes in windows and walls. The ground is for scattering smoke.
People are for dragging and for pushing out of cars. Laundry is for swaying in
the wind. The apple orchard is for hunting humans. Guns are for kicking.
Refrigerators are for people to lean on. Marble is for mirrors. Counters are
for jumping over and standing on. Bags are for sliding. Bank customers take out
their money to avoid having it stolen. Guns are for emitting smoke. People and
cars are used as shields. Cars are for people to cling to. Trees are for tying
people up. Kidnapping offers are for refusing. Restaurants are for meeting
women and dancing to memorable songs. Women run into gangsters in restaurants
in a distraction. Men who come to get their coats are for getting beaten. Coats
are for throwing. Chairs are for hanging clothes. Trees are for casting
shadows. Forks are for spearing people. Gun barrels are for shining. Counters
are for smashing people over. Trains are for emitting smoke. Men keep getting
beaten by gangsters to draw in veteran detectives. Shoeshine men don't shine
shoes. Getting arrested is for facing the detectives. Flares are for lighting
and to scatter smoke. Flashes are for shining. Car bodies are for mirrors.
Janitors are for being used. Clay sculptures become handguns. Doors are for
slamming into people's faces. Stairs are for falling down. Plugs are for
unplugging. Red lights are for suspense. Trains are for passing by. Passengers
are for being kicked out. Movie theaters are for showing wanted posters. Shooting
at the ceiling is for making smoke fall. Bags are for throwing things. Forests
are for flashing headlights. Bundles of cash are for throwing things. Machine
guns are for roaring, for breaking windows, and for scattering sparks. Trees
are for shields. Windows are for people to go in and out. Roofs are for people
to walk on. Houses are for beehives. Hats are for throwing away. Fog is for
rolling in. Investigators are for having their cars and machine guns stolen and
for dying in front of their superiors. Cars are for overturning. Machine guns
to spray fire on the ground. Breath to exhale white mist. Woman to man. Doors
to kick open, and to shoot down. Woman goes to apartment alone to be arrested
and separated from man. Phone books to hit with. Walls to press people against.
Woman is tortured to prevent her from informing. Booklets become fans. Tables
for people to sit on. Woman goes to get her waitress license to let the
gangsters see the Chicago police. Investigation headquarters becomes a museum.
A lit cigar signals the arrival of gangsters. People to push aside, and to
shove through. Hats to take off. Song lyrics become a code known only to the
two of them.