It is 1930’s Chicago. It is the time of Al Capone, Bonnie & Clyde and Pretty Boy Floyd. The great depression has brought America to its knees and organised crime is on the rise. Amidst the hysteria the US Government declares its first Public Enemy No.1 – John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), the mercurial bank robber, who together with his gang of hoodlums, including ‘Baby Face’ Nelson (Stephen Graham, This Is England) and Pete Pierpont (David Wenham) have an insatiable appetite for crime and infamy. They set about humiliating the US Government by exploiting the limitations in federal jurisdiction, with the gang seeking exile after bank heists by crossing state boundaries into relative safety.
John Dillinger And Melvin Purvis
Spurred by this exploitation, Federal Bureau president J. Edgar Hoover enlists Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) to catch Dillinger, whom the American people hold in somewhat sympathetic light for robbing the very banks that are responsible for the great depression. During these worrying times for the country, the American people have indulged themselves in escapism, taking to theatres to watch stars of the time such as James Cagney and Clarke Gable. Due to the media coverage of their crimes Dillinger and his mob become national celebrities, dangerous but intriguing in equal portion.
It is Hoover’s aim to manipulate media outlets by catching Dillinger and thus using the publicity to convince the government of the necessity for a unified, cross-state Federal Bureau of Investigation.
But Dillinger isn’t an easy target, he’s smart and Purvis, albeit dogged, is dangerously inexperienced. It is not until Purvis enlists the help of some streetwise Bureau officers and adopts the same cut throat tactics as Dillinger that he starts to make ground on the criminal.
Michael Mann Directs a Stylish Thriller In Public Enemies
There is rarely a black and white portrayal of good vs bad in the films of director Michael Mann (Collateral, The Insider and Heat to name a few) and this is what makes Public Enemies so compelling. Dillinger is initially seen as the ruthless criminal, taking banks with the cocky swagger he adopted from watching his Hollywood idols. Dillinger was living out the gangster movies of the time and loving every minute of it.
It’s not until he meets Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) that we see his softer side and as their relationship blossoms Dillinger promises to take her away from a life of crime. It is at this stage that Melvin Purvis and his team of investigators get dirty with their tactics, torturing Dillinger’s captured associates to obtain his whereabouts after he’s slipping through their fingers once too often. Suddenly as an audience we’re asked to question where our loyalties lie and as the story progresses you can’t help but feel sympathetic towards Dillinger and Frechette’s inevitable plight.
Mann also takes the risk of filming Public Enemies in high definition digital, something rarely used for a period piece. What this achieves is a closeness and sense of realism within the film, almost like you can reach out and touch the set. At times it feels more akin to a television drama than a big budget Hollywood epic but it gives a freshness which pays dividends.
Dante Spinotti’s stunning cinematography really gives the film a feel of the gritty 1930’s mid-west and the direction during the many shoot-outs between the cops and Dillinger’s gang is superbly choreographed with the use of hand held cameras to take you right to the heart of the action. The sound direction is also superb with the noise of Tommy gun fire ripping across the screen in a way never captured in gangster films of yester year.
Acting Performances In Public Enemies Hit the Mark
It is relieving to know that despite Leonardo DiCaprio being originally touted to play Dillinger it is Johnny Depp we see in the lead role. Depp has the gravitas and creative nouse to pull off the steely intelligence and cunning of Dillinger. There is a twinkle in his eyes at times that tells us, although his character may not be saying anything, there is so much more going on inside. Depp, as strong as ever, is in good company and is supported well by Oscar winner Marion Cotillard, who forms a believable on-screen chemistry with Depp as his lover Billie Frechette.
Christian Bale as Dillinger’s antagonist Melvin Purvis is also credible. Bale’s intenseness which can at times over flow into the melodramatic is perfectly pitched for the role of Purvis, suffering from the pressure heaped upon him to stop Dillinger in his tracks. The other stand out display comes in the form of rising Liverpudlian actor Stephen Graham who, despite his Chicago accent developing a slight scouse twang at times, is genuinely intimidating as the hot-headed Baby Face.
Although Public Enemies may not be held in the same esteem as other cat-and-mouse crime classics such as The French Connection, Dirty Harry or even Mann’s very own Heat it can rightly hold itself as one of the best gangster films of recent times. With The Academy Awards extending their Best Picture category to 10 films for 2010 expect this to be there or there abouts when the nominations come around.
Verdict: 5/5
Running time: 140 minutes
Rating: 15
Cast: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Stephen Graham, Giovanni Ribisi,
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