Body Heat (1981) The Ladd Company/Suspense-Thriller RT: 113 minutes Rated (language, nudity, strong sexual content, violence) Director: Lawrence Kasdan Screenplay: Lawrence Kasdan Music: John Barry Cinematography: Richard H. Kline Release date: September 18, 1981 (US) Cast: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, J.A. Preston, Mickey Rourke, Kim Zimmer, Lanna Saunders, Carola McGuinness. Box Office: $24 million (US)
Rating: ****
1981 was an exceptionally good year for movies especially with two top-tier directors making solid debuts. First, it was Michael Mann with Thief. A few months later, Lawrence Kasdan emerged into the spotlight with Body Heat, an erotic neo-noir piece that’s essentially an update of Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice, two classics of the genre.
Previously known as the screenwriter of The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of The Lost Ark, Kasdan instantly made a name for himself with this stylish, jaw-dropping thriller. I didn’t get to see it at the movies and my dad made me change the channel when I tried to watch it on HBO in summer ’83. I finally got to see Body Heat in its entirety in summer ’85 and I was blown away. Even at 17, I realized that it was (and still is) an exceptional piece of filmmaking. It not only marks Kasdan’s debut, but also that of the Kathleen Turner in a sexy, sultry turn as the femme fatale. Back in the day, she was HOT! She could lead any man astray especially one that isn’t particularly bright like the character played by William Hurt, still a relative newcomer with a single movie (the previous year’s Altered States) to his credit. Body Heat is one of those all-too-rare instances where all of the elements come together just right. This movie is outstanding.
Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but when it comes to murder, it’s always best served steaming hot. So it is that the events of Body Heat go down during a particularly intense Florida heat wave. Ned Racine (Hurt) is a lawyer, slightly sleazy and not very good at his job. One night while strolling on the boardwalk in the fictitious small town of Miranda Beach, he encounters Matty Walker (Turner) leaving a concert and is instantly attracted to her. She lets him know right away that she’s a married woman BUT her husband, wealthy businessman Edmund (Crenna, First Blood), only comes home on weekends. They begin a clandestine affair that consists of a lot of hot, sweaty sex. Matty reveals that she wants to leave her husband, but would receive very little of his fortune due to the pre-nup she signed. Ned, very much in love at this point, suggests murdering him so she can inherit his wealth. Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men, right? Uh huh, poor dumb Ned soon finds himself in deep you-know-what.
Okay, I’ll say it. Body Heat is one hot movie! And I’m not just talking about the stifling heat wave in which the plot unfolds. I don’t often make a big deal about sex in movies, but this one has a few very steamy scenes which work exceedingly well in the context of film noir. Basically we get to see what was merely suggested in the noir films of the 40s. Turner is a perfect femme fatale, on the same level as Barbara Stanwyck and Lana Turner. I love how she lures Ned in with her sex appeal and easily manipulates him into doing her dirty work. Her whole MO is easily summed up by one of her first lines, “You aren’t too smart, are you? I like that in a man.” Hurt makes a great dupe because he’s handsome without being overly attractive. His Ned isn’t especially bright, but he isn’t a complete idiot either. He just thinks with the wrong head.
Body Heat has a great supporting cast including a pre-Cheers Ted Danson as the county prosecutor, J.A. Preston (Remo Williams) as the local cop investigating the murder and Mickey Rourke (9 ½ Weeks) as a criminal associate of Ned’s. Everything about Body Heat– writing, score, cinematography, the use of light and shadow, etc.- is first-rate stuff. It definitely evokes the feeling of the old noirs. In fact, it transcends the genre by freshening it up with its overt sexuality. I love the dialogue as well. It’s a very well-written adult movie. Body Heat is the kind of movie you see at night. I don’t like to throw around the term, but it’s perfect. What a way to spend the evening.
