One of my all time favorites.

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

One thing that 'White Heat (1949)' could never be accused of, like it's unhinged and off-type killer protagonist, is being predictable. It's constantly surprising as it powers through its relatively unconventional plot which - though sometimes a little unfocused - does a fantastic job of painting a clear picture of a violent criminal at its heart and keeping you on your toes throughout. The flick is entertaining and maintains a tight grip on its narrative, which is violent and exciting as it follows the deadly lifestyle of its central criminal character. It ends with a literal bang during a fantastic, frenetic shootout. 7/10

This a portrait of a psychotic. James Cagney plays an ugly, amoral gangster, who is fixated on his mother. She is his foundation, his go to, but their relationship is sick. It is a classic Oedipus complex. Cagney's Jody is about as dangerous as one gets because when cornered, he will attack. When crossed, he will kill. The movie involves the infiltration of his gang by someone with his own agenda. When Jody's mother dies, he seems to embrace a death wish. This movie has one of the most famous final scenes in cinema history. Watch the film for that very reason. This is probably the performance of a lifetime by one of America's greatest actors. While type cast as a gangster, he was a man of incredible talents.

It's hard to say what the best acting performance (captured on film) by James Cagney was. Initially typecast as a tough little "bad" guy from the streets of New York (e.g. Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)) with something to prove, he exhibited terrific range, particularly later in his career, from his Best Actor Oscar winning portrayal of George M. Cohan in Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) to another biographical performance as Lon Chaney in Man of a Thousand Faces (1957), and even in more sophisticated comedies like Billy Wilder's One, Two, Three (1961).But I believe two of Cagney's best performances were captured in films released after he'd turned 50, even though both were roles in which he returned to that original type, because he showed us something more each time. One was opposite Doris Day's portrayal of Ruth Etting in Love Me or Leave Me (1955), and the other was in this picture.Cagney's portrayal of 'Cody' Jarrett allows him to play a particularly nasty gang leader, utilizing his many physical gifts, whose character is actually a "Momma's boy" who's mentally unbalanced. Given an Oscar nominated story (by Virginia Kellogg, her first of two Academy Award nominations) to work with, the actor gives us a convincing psychopath in his best of four collaborations with action director Raoul Walsh. Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts wrote the screenplay.Margaret Wycherly plays Ma Jarrett while Virginia Mayo plays his beautiful dumb blonde wife. Edmond O'Brien is given the only other meaty role, as a government agent who's put in the same prison as Jarrett, in on a minor charge, to befriend Cody and catch him doing something that would mean "the chair". Once O'Brien's character earns Cody's trust, they're able to escape together.Besides the famous "top of the world" ending, two other memorable scenes occur when Jarrett learns of his mother's death while in prison, and the act (once they've escaped) which gives O'Brien's character what he needs.This movie was added to the National Film Registry in 2003. "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!" is #18 on AFI's 100 Greatest Movie Quotes list.

Great gangster-drama - an absolute classic. Solid, tight plot. Good direction by Raoul Walsh. Though there are many twists and turns, it never feels contrived or overstays its welcome.Undoubtedly the highlight of the movie, and what makes it a classic, is the performance of James Cagney. Starring as the psychotic head- gangster, Cody Jarrett, Cagney delivers an acting tour de force: powerful, searing, intense, layered, believable, brilliant.Good support from Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Steve Cochran, Margaret Wycherly and John ArcherSurely a movie which inspired generations of film-makers to come. A must-see.