Name: The Big Heat
Director: Fritz Lang
Genre: Crime, Drama, Film-Noir, Thriller
Duration: 89 min

Vice… dice… and corruption!

The Big Heat (1953) portrays a homicide detective investigating a fellow officer’s apparent suicide in a city controlled by organized crime. When his superiors order him to close the case, he pursues evidence linking the death to a crime boss whose influence reaches into the police department. This film noir sets domestic security against a corrupt urban order, tightening its investigation through stark black-and-white imagery and sudden eruptions of violence.

The Big Heat 4K UHD, Blu-ray & DVD editions

See which disc extras are included across selected editions.

Comparison of The Big Heat 4K UHD, Blu-ray & DVD Editions
Disc Extras	Criterion BD-A 4K/US 2025	Twilight Time BD-A/US/OOP 2016	Twilight Time BD-A/US/OOP 2012	Indicator BD-ALL/UK 2017	Wild Side BD-B/FR/OOP 2014	Sony DVD-1/US/OOP 2009	Columbia DVD-1/US/OOP 2001
Audio Commentary by Alain Silver and James Ursini
Audio Commentary by Lem Dobbs, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman
Video Essay by Farran Smith Nehme
Interview with Martin Scorsese
Interview with Michael Mann
Interview with Tony Rayns (33:21)
Audio Interviews with Director Fritz Lang
Stills Gallery [Columbia] - Lobby Cards (6 Images)
Stills Gallery [Indicator]
Isolated Score
Theatrical Trailer

Edition and Packaging Notes

Criterion’s 4K UHD includes a booklet with writing by Jonathan Lethem. The included Blu-ray is also available separately.
Twilight Time’s Blu-rays include a booklet with writing by Julie Kirgo.
Indicator’s Blu-ray includes a 36-page booklet with writing by Glenn Kenny. Reissued without booklet (2020/05/25).
Wild Side’s Blu-ray includes a 208-page booklet with writing by Jean Douchet (in French).
Sony’s DVD is included in the “Columbia Pictures Film Noir Classics I” box set with The Sniper (1952), 5 Against the House (1955), The Lineup (1958) and Murder by Contract (1958).