Beyond plot devices, Hollywood has never had much use for cities as real locations. They're loud, crowded, unpredictable—all of which is anathema to a micromanaged industry. A few filmmakers have embraced the urban cacophony with gusto, though. Jules Dassin shot The Naked City (1948) verite style on the streets of New York, as did William Friedkin 23 years later when making The French Connection.

But they were only prelude to Michael Mann. From his first film, Thief (1981), to his latest, the technothriller Blackhat, in theaters now, the fetishistic auteur has embraced the grit, danger, and pathos of cities like no one before him.