Kurosawa has many opportunities to show off his mastery of cinematography and shot composition with plenty of intricate scenes involving large numbers of actors. It's also a real treat to see both Mifune and Nakadai showing off their talents for the great director even if they fewer interactions than an enthusiast might wish. If all you've seen from Kurosawa are his brilliant films set in the samurai era, then you really ought to bump this up your list and expand your horizons.

Heat might seem like a crime drama detailing the efforts of the LAPD to bring a crew of armed robbers to justice. And, sure, it is, but that's not all it is. It's also an examination of how single-minded obsession can lead to professional success at tremendous personal cost.

You don't want to miss this movie; and if you don't want to miss my thoughts on it, you can read what I wrote for it when I did my list of Movies You Might Have Missed.

It's not necessary to sell the story for this film; it is the Bard, after all and one of his most acclaimed plays upon which this is based. Really, with Shakespeare it should only be necessary to sell the particular rendition of the story in question.