At the time of its release, Body Heat possessed minimal star power. A pre- Cheers Ted Danson and early-career Mickey Rourke had supporting parts. Richard Crenna, soon to become known as Rambo's boss, had a small but important role as Matty's wealthy husband. She became one of the most recognizable actresses of the '80s, but never again was she as dangerous and as desirable as she was in Body Heat. Body Heat opened doors for Hurt and Turner. At the time she was cast in Body Heat, Turner was no better known than Hurt, having only the soap opera The Doctors on her resume.
Between 19, Hurt appeared in four Kasdan-directed movies, including 1988's The Accidental Tourist, in which he was again opposite Turner. This was only Hurt's second major role (after Altered States), and represented the beginning of fruitful span of collaboration with Kasdan. The coupling, while perhaps unlikely on paper, works on the screen in part due to the heat generated by the sex scenes. Body Heat would not be the film it is without Barry's contribution.įor the leads, Kasdan pairs the laconic William Hurt and the smoldering Kathleen Turner. Barry's long-time association with the James Bond movies will represent his legacy as a composer, but his fine work outside of the 007 umbrella should not be forgotten. The bluesy music is so evocative of the films of the '40s and '50s that there are times when Body Heat begins to feel like a period piece, even though it is never intended to be. John Barry's lush score is equally critical. The sultry, sweaty atmosphere is part of the film's DNA.
While the Garden State can experience stifling heat, Body Heat radiates it in a way that only a movie shot in the South can accomplish. Watching the final project, it's hard to imagine how Hoboken could have been a better setting.
#Body heat movie cast code
The ending of Body Heat might not have been possible under the Hays Code (when villainy had to be punished), but it's perfect for this production.Īpparently, Body Heat was written and planned for filming in New Jersey, but labor issues forced Kasdan to re-locate the production to Florida. The question is: Once trapped, will he be able to escape? Films of this genre are dark enough and the characters shrouded in enough immorality that anything is possible. And, while we're not positive what impossible situation Ned is going to find himself in, we know it's coming. So, while we're never exactly sure what Matty's game is, we know that she has an ulterior motive. One thing to remember about film noir and its modern-day neo noir offspring is that, while the plots are often twisty, they wind in ways that have a comforting sense of familiarity. Perhaps the sex and the heat have warped his powers of deduction - until, that is, the noose is tightening around his neck. It never occurs to him that, in her traditional role of the femme fatale, Matty may not be what she appears to be. So, with that consideration planted in his fertile mind, Ned begins to plot the best way to accomplish this. A prenuptial agreement guarantees that the only way Matty will get Edmund's money is if he predeceases her. Matty's husband, Edmund (Richard Crenna), is infamous, rich, and jealous. Matty is married, but that doesn't stop them from beginning a torrid affair, then thinking about what might come next. When he encounters Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner) at a bar on a hot Florida night, it's lust at first sight. Ned Racine (William Hurt) isn't a very good lawyer, but he's good enough to make ends meet. This is a sexy film - not pornographic or hard-core, but the kind of movie where there's far more than a "glimpse of stocking."
The subtle eroticism has been taken out of the shadows and placed squarely in the spotlight. What's most impressive about Kasdan's achievement here is that he takes the plot-heavy mystery-thrillers of the '40s and '50s and gives them a distinctively modern spin without losing the elements that made them compulsively watchable. All the elements are present, woven together by a filmmaker who, despite being new to the business, was clearly a quick study. This is Kasdan's homage to film noir (and belongs in a category often dubbed as "neo noir"). And, if both of those films were throwbacks in their own ways ( Empire to serialized space operas and Raiders to serialized action/adventures), so was Body Heat, albeit in a different genre. His role behind the camera was earned in large part because of his writing contributions to The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark, two of the biggest movies of the early '80s. Body Heat is Lawrence Kasdan's directorial debut.
0 kommentar(er)
