What's with the title?


Any explanation on what the rather bizzare title's about is welcome.

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"Heat", of course, is when criminals get under pressure from the law; the "Big Heat" is what presumably happens after the dead cop's confessions, containing incriminating information on the mobsters and their friends, are released as a result of his widow getting shot.

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I think the Big Heat is what the bad guys put on Glenn Ford (or maybe vice versa)--I believe the phrase is mentioned during the film.

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When Bannion is about to kill the Duncan widow he says how "the big heat" is on her and that it's going to get worse when the letters get out. He might even say it twice.

don't read this

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I watched this again last night. Though it seems illogical I think he says "big heap" in the film.



"That's what a gym teacher once told me."

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Dave Bannion, speaking to Bertha Duncan:

If anything happens to you, the evidence comes out.
That's the way you arranged it, didn't you, bright lady?
You got it all put away someplace.
That's how you kept Lagana over a barrel.
But I'm not Lagana.
With you dead, the big heat follows.
The big heat for Lagana, for Stone and for all the rest of the lice.

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It seems to work on a variety of levels to me:

• the aforementioned "heat" of the police putting pressure on the criminals

• the "heat" of the coffee (and its effects)

• the "heat" of what happened to Bannion's car (and its effects)

• perhaps even the "heat" a relatively cool, easygoing guy like Bannion felt when pushed to his limits (the heat of the moment, the heat of passion)

• continuing with this "heat as retribution" angle, there's even the biggest heat of all: Hell

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. . . the "big heat" is on Bannion . . . it certainly is not on Lagana---he runs the police, and lives in a palatial mansion . . . Bannion is the lead, and the heats on him---to go along, co-operate . . .

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[deleted]

It's a direct quote from the film. "heat" as in a lot of activity, pressure, or attention.

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