Flawless, really.

A masterclass in gangster cinema. Only thing more on fire than the breakneck pace is Cagney himself. Explosive performance, one of the best gangster portrayals.

THE quintessential Warner Bros gangster flick.

voice in car trunk: "It's stuffy in here. I need some air."

Cagney: "Oh, stuffy, huh? Here, I'll give ya a little air."

{*bang bang bang bang*}
{*smile*}

Almost as horrifying a scene as Kit (Martin Sheen) blindly shooting at his underground victims in BADLANDS.

White Heat is one of the greatest noir/gangster films ever made. James Cagney is nothing short of greatness.

The script is wonderful to the point of being unpredictable. Everything seemed to throw me off and then try to help me get back on course. I love when films can sort of stay a couple steps ahead of me; it's fun to be outsmarted sometimes, in terms of watching films. And the ending was fabulously done. There's a great last line, too.

I wish I could write more but you just have to experience this film for yourself to truly understand it's greatness. White Heat is a masterpiece in it's own right and is essential viewing for any film noir/gangster picture fan. I highly recommend it.

"Made it, Ma, top of the world!" - Arthur "Cody" Jarrett.

Well, then. Was certainly not expecting that. This movie was such an adrenaline rush. James Cagney is so badass in the lead role! A scintillating performance that will stick with me forever. He reminded me a lot of the similarly small-statured, but very dominating psychopathic character Joe Pesci played in Goodfellas. Yeah, he's that good. Everything else about the film was fine, I suppose, but nothing else really stood out... and honestly, it didn't have to. The only reason you need to see this film is James Cagney. He surely does make White Heat deserving of its status for being called one of the best gangster films ever made. Highly recommended.

If there is one Cagney film to see this is it. His portrayal was snubbed for an Oscar nod and is a shame because he was amazing in this. To have such a bad guy be the main focus, and carry the film is simply amazing.

Quite the script, this. Cagney with the tour-de-force performance.

RE-watch late night TCM

Flawless, really.

Made it, Ma! Top of the world!
Fun fun fun.

voice in car trunk: "It's stuffy in here. I need some air."

Cagney: "Oh, stuffy, huh? Here, I'll give ya a little air."

{*bang bang bang bang*}
{*smile*}

Almost as horrifying a scene as Kit (Martin Sheen) blindly shooting at his underground victims in BADLANDS.

james cagney was a fucking monster in the best possible way.

One of the most consistently engaging crime movies I have maybe ever seen. Not a lot of complicated crime syndicate politics, just an interesting story. James Cagney plays a chilling bad guy, with his calm approach to violence. The final scene is fantastic, leading to one of the most notable quotes in film history (according to the AFI, anyway). Fascinating to watch. I really liked it.

How it entered my Flickchart:
White Heat > Let the Right One In
White Heat < Mr. Brooks
White Heat > Fast Times at Ridgemont High
White Heat > The Birds
White Heat > Drive
White Heat < The Goodbye Girl (2004)
White Heat > Notes on a Scandal
White Heat < Say Anything...
White Heat < Mary and Max
Final spot: #512 out of 1875.