White Heat
Composite Score: 87.37
Starring: James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O’Brien, Margaret Wycherly, Steve Cochran, John Archer, Wally Cassell, and Fred Clark
Director: Raoul Walsh
Writers: Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts
Genres: Action, Crime, Drama, Film-Noir, Thriller
MPAA Rating: Approved
Box Office: $3.48 million worldwide
My take on Watching This Film:
White Heat is the crime noir film about psychotic gang leader Cody Jarrett, whose many criminal acts have put him on the radar of the FBI and whose ego and mistreatment have left his crew less than enthused with his leadership. The film that unfolds is a brilliant character study in villainy, self-importance, Oedipus complexes, and megalomania as Cody’s life unravels and he tries to maintain control over it all even in prison and on the run. The film stars James Cagney in what is arguably his best role as Cody Jarrett, joined by Virginia Mayo as his wife Verna, Edmond O’Brien as undercover FBI man Hank Fallon, a.k.a. Vic Pardo, Steve Cochran as Jarrett’s overeager accomplice “Big Ed” Somers, and Margaret Wycherly as Ma Jarrett, Cody’s overly involved mother, and the inspiration for much of his mania. Though the supporting cast provide solid support, the film is really Cagney’s vehicle, and he’s driving the whole thing excellently. Even without his iconic, “Made it, Ma…” climax, Cagney’s portrayal of villainy would be one of the best villain performances ever, but he does have some iconic lines as well, which makes this one of the most iconic turns by any villain ever. In many ways, his psychopathy and self-delusion feels like the blueprint for modern villains and antiheroes like Travis Bickle, the Joker (Ledger or Phoenix iterations in different ways), and Hans Landa. While his successors have made the disillusioned/self-assured/maniacally delusional characters their own, it’s easy to see portions of their origins in the character that Cagney brings to the screen.
Obviously, Cagney also benefits from those iconic lines in the screenplay and story from Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts, and Virginia Kellogg (who received an Oscar nomination for this film for Best Story). It seeks to explore the origins of villainy in the person of Cody Jarrett, examining his relationships with women – his mother and his wife – and with his fellow criminals. It rejects the typical “honor among thieves” trappings of such crime-focused films to give us a personable villain who can turn in to a psychopath at the flip of a switch, ruling his crew not through coolness, but through overinflated confidence and sheer ruthlessness. The script is quick and easy to follow, but it contains multitudes in its characterization of Cody. The twists of his mind are the twists of the plot, and the audience is trapped with him in his delusions, unable to look away from the trainwreck that is his crime-ridden career.
With a strong story and a villainous character that’s way ahead of its time, White Heat strides into a place of greatness worthy of the delusions of its main character, played skillfully by James Cagney. Some might want a bit more from the supporting cast, but I think the character focus of the film works well, even if Jarrett is a bit more familiar in the modern era than he would have been when the film was first released. If you’d like to catch this one, you can currently rent it on most streaming platforms.
