Anyone who loves action movies knows that heist scenes are some of the most memorable and dramatic.
A perfectly executed heist provides a mix of risk-taking, planning, skill, and tension that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. For a moment, you forget that you’re watching a theft, and you find yourself rooting for the thieves, being mesmerized by their craft.
Here are some of the most iconic heist scenes in action films and why they are so amazing:
1. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
In Ocean’s Eleven, George Clooney’s character, Danny Ocean, leads a formidable group of thieves, two of which are played by Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. Their plan is to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.
It’s hard enough robbing one casino. But three of them at the same time?… Needless to say, the audience was both charmed and eager to see how the group would pull this off, convinced, of course, that they couldn’t fail, because it’s Hollywood.
Steven Soderbergh’s film redefined the genre and is a masterclass in execution, much like the famous heist scene in it.
2. Heat (1995)
Heat was one of the best action-thriller films of the ‘90s. Starring Al Pacino, Robert de Niro, and Val Kilmer, this film impressed a wide range of audiences and is currently in the IMDB Top 250, having a score of 8.3.
Michael Mann, who both wrote and directed the movie, did a phenomenal job. The pacing of the film is a bit slow but the action is thoroughly enjoyable for the entire 170-minute duration.
The heist in this movie revolves around a Los Angeles bank. The robbery is executed by Robert de Niro’s crew and it doesn’t go according to plan. LAPD, led by Al Pacino’s character, engages the thieves in a spectacular shootout, which makes the entire heist scene unforgettable.
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight was Heath Ledger’s most memorable movie. He completely stole the show in that film with his Joker, for which he received an Oscar post-mortem. The tragic death of the actor further amplified the role in the public’s imagination and made the move an even bigger success than it would have been.
In The Dark Knight, the Joker performs a bank robbery and then proceeds to rob his team as well. The way in which the heist is executed and the dialogue between the Joker and the other thieves makes this scene a true masterpiece.
Another thing that makes The Dark Knight’s heist scene so memorable is the fact that the Joker doesn’t really care about the money.
He just wants to create as much chaos as possible and delights in other people’s suffering. That’s what makes him difficult to deal with. He’s not motivated by worldly things. He wants to see the world burn and, as Lord Varys from Game of Thrones says, become “the king of the ashes”.
4. Inception
Inception’s heist is unlike anything you’ve ever seen in cinema. This scene isn’t just a brief moment of pure action and drama. It’s almost as long as the film itself. That’s because what’s being stolen isn’t a physical object. It’s an idea. And it’s not actually stolen. Rather, it is implanted in someone’s mind.
Inception also has a heist in which Leonardo di Caprio’s character attempts to steal an idea from someone’s mind, but that scene is relatively minor compared to the other one.
The preparation for the big heist and its execution happen at multiple levels, inside a person’s mind. The characters go from one dream to an even deeper one, and then a deeper one still. The journey is breathtaking and it takes a genius like Nolan to pull off something of this complexity and not leave the audience wondering what the hell happened.
Iception’s heist scene is, in my view, the most spectacular one we’ve seen so far. It involves so many layers that you’ll find yourself watching the movies at least three times in an attempt to fully comprehend its depth and all the hidden meanings.
Conclusion
Heist scenes are the centerpiece of many action-thrillers. When performed well, they make us gasp and sympathize with the characters, even though they might be the bad guys.
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