Through voice recordings, so-called scientific methods, intimidation tactics, dirty tricks and torture techniques, the frighteningly paranoid Hoover was able to crush lawbreakers who in some ways represented America at its best due to their respect for working people and, in a strange way, their sense of right and wrong. Perhaps if Brad Pitt or Russell Crowe had played Purvis, there might have been some character balance, but Bale, at least at this point, simply isn’t in the same league as his gifted co-star.ĭuring “Public Enemies,” which features striking production designs that capture the period, Mann also inserts some themes about how the rapidly changing world doomed old-school gangsters like Dillinger. On the surface, that has some validity, but with “Heat,” the hugely gifted De Niro and Pacino seem balanced, which isn’t the case here.īale, who suffers due to a lack of character development, practically disappears from the screen whenever Depp is on it. Some viewers will recognize parallels between Mann’s “Heat,” which stars Pacino as a cop and De Niro as a criminal, and “Public Enemies,” which features Bale as a badge-wearer and Depp as a lawbreaker. Because their relationship is constantly threatened, the gangster and Billie possess an intense desire and bring a welcome spark to a film that could have centered solely on robberies and prison escapes and ignored romantic interaction. They start to view Dillinger as a detriment once his exploits generate too much attention and can no longer be ignored by paid-off officials.ĭillinger becomes smitten with an exotic hat-check clerk, Billie Frechette (French Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard of “La vie en rose”), whose fiery manner and passionate personality clearly capture his attention and heart. Those approaches initially tarnish and ultimately haunt Purvis, who begins to question the bloody results of his win-at-any-cost efforts.ĭillinger also faces a deadly challenge from other gangsters, particularly Frank Nitti (Bill Camp of “Reservation Road”). The extreme methods result in needless killing and unthinkable pain. The blindly ambitious Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale of “The Dark Knight”), who carries a Thompson submachine gun, falls under Hoover’s spell and goes after Dillinger with a vengeance. In “Public Enemies,” Hoover represents everything ugly about certain lawmen who claim they seek justice and will do anything - including torture (another element that echoes today’s world) - to achieve their goals. He plans to form a federal force that can cross state lines and apprehend or - as is often the case - kill criminals. Edgar Hoover (a terrific Billy Crudup of “Watchmen”), a shifty bureaucrat who has no field experience in apprehending criminals but has cast himself as a law enforcement visionary. That popularity with the press and public, however, causes the handsome gangster to come to the attention of J. Other famous criminals, including Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum of “Step Up”) and Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham of “Gangs of New York”), exist, but they are clearly on the D-list next to Dillinger. In “Public Enemies,” Dillinger, who grew up on a farm in Indiana, ranks as the master of the universe when it comes to underworld activities. Those willing to go along with the approach created by Depp and Mann should be swept away, but others may wish they had stayed home and put director Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” a more easily accessible film, in their DVD players. Dillinger is treated like a star by newspaper reporters, who hang on his every word, chronicle his exploits, and turn his prison escapes into something akin to sporting events. The gifted Mann, whose impressive credits include “Thief” (1981) with James Caan, “Manhunter” (1986) with William Petersen, “Heat” (1995) with the dream team of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro and “Ali” (2001) with Will Smith, initially creates an almost fairy-tale look at the criminal world. In the 1930s, Dillinger became a folk hero to middle class and poor citizens as he robbed rich institutions - a theme with strong echoes today due to our current economic woes caused by greedy bankers and opportunistic money manipulators - and never took a dime from working people. “Public Enemies,” despite its R rating and flashy television ads, isn’t that motion picture.īut viewers in the right frame of mind may find themselves totally intrigued by Depp’s interpretation of the famous gangster. That artistic decision may annoy viewers seeking a gritty mob movie with bloody battles waged by trigger-happy hoodlums. The 46-year-old superstar clearly saw Dillinger as a mythic figure and plays him that way. Johnny Depp plays gangster John Dillinger as the king of cool in director Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies,” an intriguing crime picture shot more like an art film than an action tale.
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