Dillinger (Depp) is robbing and killing people all around the country. He and his friends Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd spark the government into action to stop the rash of violence once and for all.
Melvin Purvis Tracks Down the Chicago Gangsters
J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) is the head of a new agency of law enforcement. Hoover has his sites set on stopping Dillinger. He appoints Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) to head the squad to take down Dillinger and his friends. At first Purvis thinks the job will be easy, but once he has his first gunfight with the gangsters he knows he needs to bring in more muscle.
While Purvis is plotting the capture of Dillinger, Dillinger is wooing Billie Frechette (Marion Cottliard). They first meet at a nightclub while the band is playing “Bye, Bye Blackbird,” which turns into their song and recurs throughout the film. Billie is enamored by the gentle demeanor of the man, and in no time they are sharing an apartment. Dillinger insists he will take care of Billie. He loves her and she knows that he will never let her down, unless of course he dies.
While the lovebirds are planning the next heist, Dillinger’s friends are being killed one after another. Soon he is the only one left.
With one more big heist, he knows he and Billie could be set for life. All he has to do is pull of this last job then they will head down to South America.
Johnny Depp Adds Humanity to the Character of Dillinger
For a while, Dillinger was admired by the public. He wouldn’t kill a civilian, if possible, and he wouldn’t steal from them. When he was in a bank during a heist, he saw some money and asked the customer if it was his, which is was. Dillinger told him to keep it. He didn’t want his money. He only wanted the bank’s money.
Depp’s performance of the gangster is first rate. He adds depth to the character and a lot of humor. Even though there is a lot of blood and violence in this film, some of Depp’s scenes are quite humorous. For example, one day he quietly walks into the police department’s “Dillinger Squad” detective office and looks around, unnoticed by any of the officers.
While John Dillinger was not a nice man, Johnny Depp makes him a likable character. And in the end, the audience might feel a twinge of sadness when he is killed.
- Studio: Universal Pictures
- Rated R for gangster violence and some language.
- Running Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
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