Los Angeles was not looking particularly good in 1995. “It captures Los Angeles, modern Los Angeles, in a way no other film does,” director Christopher Nolan said at an Oscars event a few years ago. Mann, in conversation with Nolan, said he had lived in L.A. for years but until “Heat” had rarely explored outside its tonier quarters. There is one scene that takes place at sunset, with two characters taking in a view of downtown L.A. looking west from atop a parking garage. A few weeks ago, when I was using a rush-hour shortcut to get from El Segundo to downtown L.A., the city surprised me again.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 22, 2025 20:19 UTC