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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.