Public Enemies DVD Review

Directed by Michael Mann, Public Enemies is a biographical crime drama about the Feds attempt to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) and Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum) during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.  The movie was released on DVD December 8th from Universal Studios.

Centered on John Dillinger, Public Enemies tells a story about some of the most notorious criminals of modern times.  Set in the midst of the Great Depression, Dillinger robbed banks as much out of principle as for the loot.  Despite his criminal ways, Dillinger was somewhat popular among common folks because of his country roots and his shared anger with banks and those that had money, while average Americans were starving.  Some have referred to him as a “modern day Robin Hood”.

Generally, Public Enemies appears to be firmly grounded in historical fact based on the characters and events.  There are some discrepancies with regard to timelines of events and occurrences, perhaps for dramatic effect.  The romantic side story in the movie is aided by the performance of Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose) who plays Dillinger’s long-time girlfriend Billie Frechette.

One of the best book movies, Public Enemies as an adaptation of Bryan Burrough’s book Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-43.  With a tremendous cast, Public Enemies adds entertainment to a nice history lesson on some of America’s Most Wanted.  Dillinger is known to have robbed about two dozen banks and four police stations and was involved in the death of several police officers in the process.  His two escapes from prison helped add to his mystique and fueled urban legends that glorified his accomplishments.

One reason for the long-running success of Dillinger (although he was killed at the age of 31) and other criminals of the era was a lack of law enforcement capabilities in tracking and hunting them.  Dillinger was a master at maintaining a public life yet managed to avoid pressure from the law by using bribes and taking safe haven in various brothels and homes.

Christian Bale neatly plays Melvin Purvis, the face of the G-Men, a group of elite law enforcement agents put together to help put an end to Dillinger’s gang and other major forces in the criminal element of the time.  Purvis leads a group of law men who track Dillinger, Nelson, and Floyd during the course of the story.  After years of attempting to catch the crooks only to see them escape prison, Purvis and his men finally close in on Dillinger and, as history foretold, a dramatic and significant conclusion ensues. 

Bale is a talented actor who has produced some great performances in the right roles.  He is solid as Purvis, and there are some other nice supporting players, but Depp is really the star of the show in Public Enemies, only adding to the growing collection of best Johnny Depp movies.  Though a bit long, Public Enemies is a compelling drama and an important historical experience about the nature of life during the Great Depression.

MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 140 Minutes
DVD Release Date: December 8, 2009

Grade: B+

Director: Michael Mann
Starring: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Stephen Graham, Channing Tatum, Stephen Dorff, James Russo, Billy Crudup, Giovanni Ribisi 

DVD Review by Neil of Movie Room Reviews

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