Public Enemies: Disappoint
The film Public Enemies is directed by Michael Mann, starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. It is based on the book, Public Enemies: America’s greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI by Bryan Burrough and the film have been crafted after thorough research.
Even Dillinger’s speaking style has been emphasized upon and Mann has shot the film on original location in Crown Point Jail, Little Bohemia Lodge and the Lincoln Avenue on two sides of Biographer Theater.
The film unfolds with John Dillinger’s way of introduction. It’s crisp and clear. It only says the simple truth that he robs banks. His lifetime comprised of getting away from the prison and robbing banks during day and lying dead in the alley at night.
This stark reality said that Dillinger was a bad man. There is not much sneak peek into his childhood, his psychology or sentiment. He liked sex but not as much he enjoyed robbing banks.
He robbed the banks but never took customer’s money for he reflected charm of legendary Robin Hood. Johnny Depp and director Michael Mann revealed the man Dillinger behind the veil slowly but steadily.
Dillinger was a bold, passionate, violent and disciplined man who runs around under compulsion that the film chose not to explain. He was the leader of a gang and his members loved him as they made money. Dillinger was always on a move contemplating on his next assignment. He simply had no retirement plans or exit strategy.
Dillinger liked a woman Billie Frechette and he showered his love not with silent expressions. For example, taking her out at night and buying a fur coat. In this scene the only vulnerability that Dillinger showed was the tiny smile when he gives the coat to Billy. They had sex but the movie does not highlight that. All it does is shows the power of Dillinger to show up and protect his love. So it is a protection against the danger of being his girl.
Both Dillinger and Billy get portrayed in the film as individual characters defined by their needs. She is vulnerable and she needs to be protected, while Dillinger needs to protect to portray his invincible character. Dillinger is the man who hates the hypocrite system. This means the banks that hold people money, the prison that holds people and the cops who jumps into his life.
Dillinger performed extremely well and he would pick up his style or two the way 30s gangsters would do from the Hollywood scripts. Here also, in this movie, in the last night of his life, Dillinger watched a movie of Clark Gable.
On the other side Christian Bale lives his entire life fighting criminals. But, he admires his boss Hoover who is a romantic guy with suit-n-tie. Finally we can see Hoover hiring some people from Arizona, trained in gunfight.
Towards the end audience will see how Dillinger gets betrayed by Anna Sage, just outside the Biograph. Anna Sage in the book is pictured with an orange skirt and white blouse and Mann’s research never failed and she does the same in the movie. It aptly points out John Ford’s statement that When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.
A good film that could have been a great one if we at least got hints as to why Dillinger robbed banks or something more behind the scenes of John Dillinger.
Film: Public Enemies
Cast: Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis, Marian Cottilard as Billie, Billy Crudup as J Edgar, Branka Katic as Anna Sage
Director: Michael Mann
Run time: 2 hours and 20 minutes
Rating: 3.5/5
Also Read:
Stills of movie Public Enemies
Bale praised by real life FBI agent’s family for Public Enemies
Public Enemies premiere
Posted on Sunday, July 5th, 2009 at 10:27 am