Johhny Depp in Public Enemies
Director Michael Mann Examines the Life of 1930's Bank Robber
Public Enemies is an action-packed ride alongside America’s most notorious criminals with a touch of romance and human drama. Most of the film is a nerve-wrenching cat-and-mouse chase that leaves the audience at the edge of its seat, but it takes the occasional break to introduce its main character John Dillinger, played by Johnny Depp.
It was co-written and directed by Michael Mann, whose list of memorable films include Ali, Miami Vice, The Last of the Mohicans and Collateral. As always with a Mann film, the audience expects a shoot-em-up action thriller - which they promptly get - but besides the action they’re also exposed to profound examinations of human nature, sordid relationships and the subtle parts of its characters' lives.
Public Enemies was predominately shot in Dillinger's home state of Indiana utilizing Mann’s trademark film making style, consisting of shaky camera shots, guerrilla recording tactics, majestic views as well as up-close-and-personal shots that tend to add to the emotions of a scene.
Mann has no problem packaging the story in a way the audience enjoys, but the complexities of Public Enemies is a far shot from the breathtaking Heat.
Public Enemy Number One And The Formation of The FBI
While the film follows the experiences of a number of infamous gangsters – Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson – it also tracks the formation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Some have criticized the film for not going more in-depth into the lives of its main criminals.
Dillinger is considered a modern Robin Hood, a man forced to rob banks because of the Great Depression, and is supported by the people who've lost their own confidence in the banking system.
Public Enemies also showcases a J. Edgar Hoover years before ladies dresses, played by Billy Crudup, as he attempts to secure congressional appropriations and respect for the forming bureau.
The film demonstrates that the FBI we all know came to fruition after declaring Dillinger as public enemy number one and killing him in front of a movie theater in Chicago. Upon watching the birth of the FBI, the audience can see the incompetence of early agents and the fact that many of the bank robbers from this era were gunned down rather than hauled off to jail.
The screenplay is based on a book by Bryan Burrough entitled Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-1934.
The Ensemble Cast In Public Enemies Is Good But Lacks Passion
Depp gives a more reserved, emotionally brooding perspective of the infamous John Dillinger. He delivers a great performance, yet some critics took issue with what they believed to be a misrepresentation of the real Dillinger, who by accounts was outgoing and charming
Academy Award winning actress Marion Cotillard (La vie en rose) portrays Dillinger’s girl Billie Frechette. She is both beautiful and compelling as the woman who fell for America’s greatest bank robber.
Fresh off blockbusters like The Dark Knight and Terminator Salvation is Christian Bale as FBI agent Melvin Purvis, the man credited with catching up with Dillinger. Bale delivers a subdued performance that some have characterized as a waste of his acting ability.
Perhaps the most memorable performance was Crudup as the young, enterprising Hoover. He appears shorter, heavier and seems to lose his neck for the role. Crudup’s look and performance is dead-on to photographs of Hoover in the early 1930’s.
Enjoyable rating: 6 out of 10 for an action film with a touch of drama.
Rating: Rated R for violence and strong language.
Runtime: 140 minutes
Cast:
- Johnny Depp as John Dillinger
- Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis
- Billy Crudup as J.Edgar Hoover
- Marion Cotillard as Billie Frechette
If you enjoyed "Public Enemies" you'll also like: Heat or The Untouchables
Johnny Depp as John Dillinger in Public Enemies
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