Loading ...Public Enemies (2009)
- IMDb page: Public Enemies (2009)
- Rate: 7.0/10 total 102,174 votes
- Genre: Biography | Crime | Drama | History
- Release Date: 1 July 2009 (USA)
- Runtime: 140 min
- Filming Location: Aurora, Illinois, USA
- Budget: $100,000,000(estimated)
- Gross: $97,030,725(USA)(30 August 2009)
- Director: Michael Mann
- Stars: Christian Bale, Johnny Depp and James Russo
- Original Music By: Elliot Goldenthal
- Soundtrack: Ballroom Bounce
- Sound Mix: SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS
- Plot Keyword: 1930s | FBI | Bank | Love | Bank Robber
- Ronan Bennett (screenplay) and
- Michael Mann (screenplay) &
- Ann Biderman (screenplay)
- Bryan Burrough (book "Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34")
Known Trivia
- As a result of the writers’ strike, director Michael Mann was able to cast Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard once their respective projects had been postponed. Depp was preparing to film Shantaram with Mira Nair while Cotillard was rehearsing for Rob Marshall’s musical, Nine.
- Leonardo DiCaprio was initially attached to star in a leading role when this project was put into development in 2004.
- This is the third time Johnny Depp and James Russo work together on a film. They both appeared in Donnie Brasco and The Ninth Gate.
- John Dillinger was actually left-handed. The gun held by Johnny Depp is backwards.
- While filming on location in Oshkosh, WI a boy aged 11 told Johnny Depp he loved his fedora hat and would like to have one like it. Depp told the boy he would see what he could do about that. After filming finished, Depp sent the boy the hat in the mail.
- Contains a spoiler to the Clark Gable movie Manhattan Melodrama.
- Former Ethiopian Emperor and Rastafari Messiah Haile Selassie appears in an uncredited role in a newsreel.
- Although Billie Frenchette was never given “third degree” interrogation by the FBI as shown in the movie, the FBI agents did in fact perform similar tactics on Helen Nelson (the wife of Baby Face Nelson), Alvin Carpis, and a John Dillinger associate in Chicago named James Probasco. In the instance of Probasco, he ended up falling to his death from a upper-floor window. Offically, it is believed he committed suicide in order to avoid further interrogation. However, some historians believe that the FBI agents interrogating Probasco attempted to make him talk by hanging him out of a window and that the agents lost their grip on Probasco.
- It’s true that John Dillinger enjoyed taking photographs of police officers when the opportunity presented itself, and even late in his career he would often attend Cubs games and frequent bars in Chicago, but he probably didn’t enter the offices of the Dillinger Squad, as depicted in the film. Dillinger also tended to brag about his exploits. As with many other events in his life, he would have surely related such a fantastic thing to his family, his lawyer, or his lawyer’s investigator, Art O’Leary, a man Dillinger often confided in. However, according to Bryan Burrough’s book, he did enter the same building as the Chicago police department on a few occasions, and he did accompany Polly Hamilton into the building to get her waitress’s license.
- After his embarrassment before the Senate Appropriations Comitte, J. Edgar Hoover is telling his assistant to release a press statement through Walter Winchell to discredit the senator who humiliated Hoover. Walter Winchell was famous radio show host and New York news columnist who was friends with Hoover. Winchell also hung around with famous New York gangsters like Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, and Frank Costello.
Goofs: Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): After the FBI Agents arrest and interrogate Billie, Agent Reinecke asks the secretary where Agent
Plot: The Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930s. Full summary » »
Story: This is the story of the last few years of the notorious bank robber John Dillinger. He loved what he did and could imagine little else that would make him happier. Living openly in 1930s Chicago, he had the run of the city with little fear of reprisals from the authorities. It's there that he meets Billie Frechette with whom he falls deeply in love. In parallel we meet Melvin Purvis, the FBI agent who would eventually track Dillinger down. The FBI was is in its early days and Director J. Edgar Hoover was keen to promote the clean cut image that so dominated the organization through his lifetime. Purvis realizes that if he is going to get Dillinger, he will have to use street tactics and imports appropriate men with police training. Dillinger is eventually betrayed by an acquaintance who tells the authorities just where to find him on a given night.Written by garykmcd
Synopsis
Synopsis: The film opens in 1933 as John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) is brought to the Indiana State Prison by his partner John "Red" Hamilton (Jason Clarke), under the disguise of a prisoner drop. Dillinger and Hamilton overpower several guards and free members of their gang including Charles Makley (Christian Stolte) and Harry Pierpont (David Wenham). The jailbreak goes off without a hitch, until gang member Ed Shouse (Michael Vieau) beats a guard to death. A shootout ensues as the gang makes its getaway. Dillinger’s friend and mentor Walter Dietrich (James Russo) is killed, and a furious Dillinger kicks Shouse out of the car. The rest of the gang retreats to a farm house hideout, where crooked Chicago cop Martin Zarkovich (John Michael Bolger) convinces them to hide out in Chicago, where they can be sheltered by the Mafia.
In East Liverpool, Ohio, Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) and several other FBI agents are running down Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum). Purvis kills Floyd and is promoted by J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup), who is struggling to expand his Bureau into a national police agency, to lead the hunt for John Dillinger, declaring the first national "War on Crime."
In between a series of bank robberies, Dillinger meets Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), his love interest, at a restaurant, and proceeds to woo her by buying her a fur coat. Frechette falls for Dillinger even after he tells her who he is, and the two quickly become inseperable.
Melvin Purvis leads a failed ambush at a hotel where he believes Dillinger is staying. An agent is shot and killed by the occupant. After the man escapes, Purvis realizes the killer wasn’t Dillinger but Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham). After this incident, Purvis demands that Hoover bring in professional lawmen who know how to catch criminals dead or alive, including Texas "cowboy" Charles Winstead (Stephen Lang).
Police finally find Dillinger and arrest him and his gang in Tucson. Dillinger is extradited back to Indiana where he is locked up pending trial. Dillinger and a few inmates escape. Dillinger is unable to see Frechette, who is under tight surveillance. Dillinger learns that Frank Nitti’s (Bill Camp) Chicago Outfit associates are now unwilling to help him; Dillinger’s crimes are motivating the U.S. government to begin prosecuting interstate crime, which imperils Nitti’s lucrative bookmaking racket.
Later, Dillinger meets fellow bank robber Tommy Carroll (Spencer Garrett) in a movie theater; with him is Ed Shouse, who wants to rejoin the gang. Carroll goads Dillinger into a bank robbery job in Sioux Falls, promising a huge score. Even though Baby Face Nelson is involved, whom he doesn’t like, Dillinger agrees. A shootout (triggered by Nelson shooting a cop outside the bank) occurs in which Dillinger is shot in the arm, and Carroll is shot and left for dead. They retreat to Nelson’s wilderness lodge hideout at Little Bohemia, where Dillinger’s wounds are treated; the gang is disappointed to find that their haul is only a fraction of what they expected. Dillinger expresses hope he can free the rest of his gang still in prison, including Pierpont and Makley, but Red convinces him this is unlikely to happen.
Purvis and his men apprehend Carroll (who is still alive) and torture him to find the rest of the gang’s location. They arrive at Little Bohemia and Purvis organizes another failed ambush, in which several civilians are killed in the cross-fire. Dillinger and Red escape separately from Nelson and the rest of the gang. Agents Winstead and Hurt (Don Frye) pursue Dillinger and Hamilton through the woods on foot, engaging them in a running gun battle in which Red is shot and fatally wounded. Trying to escape along the road, Nelson, Shouse and Homer Van Meter (Stephen Dorff) hijack an FBI car, killing several agents in the process, including Purvis’s partner Carter Baum (Rory Cochrane). After a car chase, Purvis and his men kill Nelson and the rest of the gang. Further down the road, Dillinger and Hamilton steal a farmer’s car and make good their escape; Hamilton dies later that night and Dillinger buries his body, covering it in lye.
Dillinger manages to meet Frechette, telling her he plans to do one last job that will pay enough for them to escape together. However, Dillinger drops her off at a hotel he thinks is safe and helplessly watches as she is captured. An interrogator, Agent Reinecke (Adam Mucci) viciously beats Frechette to learn Dillinger’s whereabouts, but she refuses to talk; Purvis and Winstead arrive and angrily break up the interrogation. Meanwhile, Dillinger is meeting with Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi), who tries to recruit a disinterested Dillinger in a train robbery with his associates, the Barker Gang. Dillinger receives a note from Billie through his lawyer, Louis Piquet (Peter Gerety), telling him not to try and break her out of jail.
Through crooked cop Zarkovich, Purvis enlists the help of madam and Dillinger acquaintance Anna Sage (Branka Katic), threatening her with deportation if she is not cooperative. She agrees to set up Dillinger, who is hiding with Sage.
That night Dillinger and Sage see a Clark Gable movie called Manhattan Melodrama at the Biograph Theater. When the movie is over, Dillinger and the women leave as Purvis moves in. Dillinger spots the police and is shot several times before he can draw his gun. Agent Winstead, who fired the fatal shot, listens to Dillinger’s last words.
Later, Winstead meets Frechette in prison. He tells her that Dillinger’s dying words were "Tell Billie for me, ‘Bye bye Blackbird.’" The closing text reveals that Melvin Purvis quit the FBI shortly afterwards and died by his own hand in 1960, and that Billie lived out of the rest of her life in Wisconsin following her release in 1936.
FullCast & Crew
Produced By:
- G. Mac Brown known as executive producer
- Bryan H. Carroll known as co-producer
- Gusmano Cesaretti known as co-producer
- Kevin De La Noy known as co-producer
- Michael Mann known as producer
- Kevin Misher known as producer
- Maria Norman known as associate producer
- Robert De Niro known as executive producer (uncredited)
- Jane Rosenthal known as executive producer (uncredited)
Supporting Department
Makeup Department:- Denise Baker known as additional hair dresser
- Howard Berger known as special makeup effects: KNB EFX Group
- Anneliese Boise known as hair department: KNB EFX Group
- Mark Boley known as hair department: KNB EFX Group
- Jack Bricker known as hair department: KNB EFX Group
- Eadra Brown known as additional hair dresser
- Chris Cera known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Barry Crane known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group
- Michael Deak known as shop supervisor: KNB EFX Group (as Mike Deak)
- Deborah K. Dee known as makeup artist (as Deborah Dee)
- Karisa DeLuca known as additional makeup artist
- Alex Diaz known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Latrice Edwards known as additional makeup artist
- Glen Eisner known as sculptor: KNB EFX Group
- Jane Galli known as department head makeup
- Jake Garber known as on-set supervisor: KNB FX Group
- Susan Germaine known as hair stylist: Ms. Cotillard
- Pam Getautas known as additional hair dresser
- Agnes M. Gibicar known as key hair stylist (as Agnes Gibicar)
- Joe Giles known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group
- Brian Goehring known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group
- Vivian Guzman known as additional hair dresser
- Steve Hartman known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Alma Izquierdo known as additional makeup artist
- Debra James known as additional makeup artist
- Lisa Jelic known as additional makeup artist (as Lisa Jelic-Watson)
- Leslie Jenkins known as additional hair dresser (as Les Jenkins)
- Rosalind Jones-Crosby known as additional hair dresser
- Steve Katz known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Bob Kretschmer known as wig maker
- Derek Krout known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Mike Lachimia known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Jim Leonard known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group
- Aimee Lippert-Bastian known as additional makeup artist (as Aimee Lippert)
- Helen Marchfield known as additional makeup artist
- Lauren Marchfield known as additional makeup artist
- Karen McDonald known as key makeup artist
- Emanuel Millar known as department head hair
- Claire Moores known as additional makeup artist
- Gregory Nicotero known as special makeup effects: KNB EFX Group (as Greg Nicotero)
- Joey Orosco known as sculptor: KNB EFX Group
- Gary Pawlowski known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group
- Jason Pinsker known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Linda Rizzuto known as additional hair dresser (as Linda R. Rizzuto)
- Dirk Rogers known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Sally Ryan known as additional hair dresser
- Andy Schoneberg known as sculptor: KNB EFX Group
- Carolyn Schraut-Barczak known as additional hair dresser
- Shannon Shea known as shop supervisor: KNB EFX Group
- Lino Stavole known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group
- Thomas Terhaar known as additional hair dresser (as Tom Terhaar)
- Patricia Urias known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Vicki Vacca known as additional makeup artist
- A.J. Venuto known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group (as AJ Venuto)
- Kevin Wasner known as sculptor: KNB EFX Group
- John Wheaton known as designer: KNB EFX Group
- Jessica Williams known as additional makeup artist
- Daria Wright known as additional makeup artist
- Patty York known as makeup artist: Mr. Depp
- Kelly Zipperer known as additional hair dresser
- Laura Calvo known as makeup artist (uncredited)
- Chelo known as hair stylist (uncredited)
- Vicki L. Fischer known as makeup artist (uncredited)
- Danielle Friedman known as background makeup supervisor (uncredited)
- Rob Hinderstein known as special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
- Connie Kallos known as key hair stylist (uncredited)
- Justin Stafford known as special hair pieces (uncredited)
- Tim Toth known as assistant hair stylist (uncredited)
- Alicia M. Tripi known as hair stylist: second unit (uncredited)
- : KNB EFX Group
- Barry Crane known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group
- Michael Deak known as shop supervisor: KNB EFX Group (as Mike Deak)
- Deborah K. Dee known as makeup artist (as Deborah Dee)
- Karisa DeLuca known as additional makeup artist
- Alex Diaz known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Latrice Edwards known as additional makeup artist
- Glen Eisner known as sculptor: KNB EFX Group
- Jane Galli known as department head makeup
- Jake Garber known as on-set supervisor: KNB FX Group
- Susan Germaine known as hair stylist: Ms. Cotillard
- Pam Getautas known as additional hair dresser
- Agnes M. Gibicar known as key hair stylist (as Agnes Gibicar)
- Joe Giles known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group
- Brian Goehring known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group
- Vivian Guzman known as additional hair dresser
- Steve Hartman known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Alma Izquierdo known as additional makeup artist
- Debra James known as additional makeup artist
- Lisa Jelic known as additional makeup artist (as Lisa Jelic-Watson)
- Leslie Jenkins known as additional hair dresser (as Les Jenkins)
- Rosalind Jones-Crosby known as additional hair dresser
- Steve Katz known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Bob Kretschmer known as wig maker
- Derek Krout known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Mike Lachimia known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Jim Leonard known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group
- Aimee Lippert-Bastian known as additional makeup artist (as Aimee Lippert)
- Helen Marchfield known as additional makeup artist
- Lauren Marchfield known as additional makeup artist
- Karen McDonald known as key makeup artist
- Emanuel Millar known as department head hair
- Claire Moores known as additional makeup artist
- Gregory Nicotero known as special makeup effects: KNB EFX Group (as Greg Nicotero)
- Joey Orosco known as sculptor: KNB EFX Group
- Gary Pawlowski known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group
- Jason Pinsker known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Linda Rizzuto known as additional hair dresser (as Linda R. Rizzuto)
- Dirk Rogers known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Sally Ryan known as additional hair dresser
- Andy Schoneberg known as sculptor: KNB EFX Group
- Carolyn Schraut-Barczak known as additional hair dresser
- Shannon Shea known as shop supervisor: KNB EFX Group
- Lino Stavole known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group
- Thomas Terhaar known as additional hair dresser (as Tom Terhaar)
- Patricia Urias known as art department: KNB EFX Group
- Vicki Vacca known as additional makeup artist
- A.J. Venuto known as mold maker: KNB EFX Group (as AJ Venuto)
- Kevin Wasner known as sculptor: KNB EFX Group
- John Wheaton known as designer: KNB EFX Group
- Jessica Williams known as additional makeup artist
- Daria Wright known as additional makeup artist
- Patty York known as makeup artist: Mr. Depp
- Kelly Zipperer known as additional hair dresser
- Laura Calvo known as makeup artist (uncredited)
- Chelo known as hair stylist (uncredited)
- Vicki L. Fischer known as makeup artist (uncredited)
- Danielle Friedman known as background makeup supervisor (uncredited)
- Rob Hinderstein known as special makeup effects artist (uncredited)
- Connie Kallos known as key hair stylist (uncredited)
- Justin Stafford known as special hair pieces (uncredited)
- Tim Toth known as assistant hair stylist (uncredited)
- Alicia M. Tripi known as hair stylist: second unit (uncredited)
Companies
Production Companies:
- Universal Pictures (presents)
- Relativity Media (in association with)
- Forward Pass
- Misher Films
- Tribeca Productions (in association with)
- Appian Way (in association with)
- Dentsu (in association with)
Other Companies:
- American Humane Society animals monitored by
- American Roadshow Motion Picture And Television Catering catering: second unit (uncredited)
- Angels the Costumiers costumes (uncredited)
- Apollo Masters manufacturer: vintage recording discs at
- Arizona Historical Society courtesy: stock photos
- Behind the Scenes Freight shipping by (uncredited)
- BridgeStreet Worldwide production housing (uncredited)
- Central Casting extras casting (uncredited)
- Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment camera and dollies (as Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment, Inc.)
- Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment camera cranes (uncredited)
- Chicago Film Office the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Chicago Fire Department the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Chicago History Museum courtesy: stock photos
- Chicago Transit Authority the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Chicago Tribune, The courtesy: newspaper
- City and the people of Aurora, IL, The the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- City and the people of Beaver Dam, WI, The the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- City and the people of Columbus, WI, The the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- City and the people of Crown Point, IN the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- City and the people of Darlington, WI, The the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- City and the people of Joliet, IL, The the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- City and the people of Lockport, IL, The the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- City and the people of Milwaukee, WI, The the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- City and the people of Oshkosh, WI, The the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- City and the people of St. Anne, IL, The the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Company 3 digital intermediate
- Corbis courtesy: stock photos
- David Haddad transportation equipment (uncredited)
- Decca Records soundtrack
- Direct Tools & Fasteners expendables (uncredited)
- EFilm film-out
- Eric Stonerook Music music preparation
- Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- ExtraOrdinary Casting extras casting (uncredited)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) we want to thank: Office of Public Affairs, Laboratory, Operational Technology Division, Training Academy and Chicago FBI
- Film Wisconsin the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film (as Film Wisconsin, Inc.)
- Fletcher Chicago equipment and support
- Haddad's transportation equipment (uncredited)
- Hat Trick Catering catering (as Hat Trick)
- Illinois Department of Corrections the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Illinois Film Office, The the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film (as Illinois Film Office)
- Indiana Dunes State Park the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Intelligent Media international monitoring agency
- Iron County, WI the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Joan Philo Casting extras casting (uncredited)
- LaFayette County Courthouse, WI the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- LaserPacific digital motion picture services
- Lee Caplin / Picture Entertainment acknowledgement: True Detective® is a registered trademark of
- Lincoln Avenue Merchants, IL, The the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Little Bohemia Lodge-Manitowish Waters, WI the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Loblaws acknowledgement: National Tea Co. food store signage courtesy of (as Loblaws Inc.)
- Manhattan Center Studios music recorded at (as Manhattan Center)
- Menominee People, The we would like to thank for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Milwaukee County Historical Society the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Mirror Lake State Park, WI the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Movie Movers office trailers (uncredited)
- Movie Movers star trailers (uncredited)
- Movie Movers transportation (uncredited)
- Newman Scoring Stage, Twentieth Century Fox Studios, The music recorded at (as Fox)
- Nielsen Business Media permission: Billboard magazine (as Nielsen Business Media, Inc.)
- Old Sheriff's House Foundation, IN the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Oshkosh Police and Fire Departments the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- PACE specialty hi-def equipment
- Paramount Theater, IL, The the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Paws for Effect animals provided by (uncredited)
- People and City of Chicago, The the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film (as The City and the people of Chicago)
- Reed Rigging rigging crew and equipment supplied by
- Reel Security Production Security
- Research Studios main title design
- Rockbottom Rentals Nextel cell phone rentals (uncredited)
- Rockbottom Rentals cell phone rentals (uncredited)
- Rockbottom Rentals junxion box rentals (uncredited)
- Rockbottom Rentals modem card rentals (uncredited)
- Runway post-production services (uncredited)
- Scarlet Letters end crawl
- Securitas Security on-set security (uncredited)
- Sony Cinealta F23 Studio Equipment camera systems
- Sony Pictures Studios music recorded at (as Sony)
- Soundtrack adr facility (uncredited)
- Spacecam Systems aerial cameras provided by (uncredited)
- State of Illinois, The the producers wish to thank the following for their kind cooperation in the making of this film
- State of Wisconsin the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Steadicam Rickshaw steadicam rickshaw provided by (uncredited)
- Theodore Presser Company acknowledgement: The Etude Music Magazine used by permission of the
- Thought Equity courtesy: stock footage (as Thought Equity Motion)
- Turner Entertainment company licensing: "Manhattan Melodrama" (as Turner Entertainment Co.)
- Victory Gardens Theater, IL the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Village Recorder, The music mixed at (as The Village Recorders)
- WPA Film Library courtesy: stock footage
- Warner Bros. Entertainment licensing: "Manhattan Melodrama"
- Warner Bros. Studio Facilities music recorded at (as Warner Bros.)
- Wildfire Studios ADR recording facility (uncredited)
- Winnebego County, WI the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
- Wisconsin State Capital the producers wish to express their gratitude and thank the following for their support and cooperation in the making of this film
Distributors:
- Universal Studios (2009) (worldwide) (all media)
- Universal Pictures (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
- Finnkino (2009) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Toho-Towa (2009) (Japan) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2009) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2009) (Chile) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2009) (Greece) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2009) (Poland) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2009) (Singapore) (theatrical)
- Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2009) (Belgium) (theatrical)
- Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2009) (Germany) (theatrical)
- Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2009) (France) (theatrical)
- Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2009) (Republic of Macedonia) (theatrical)
- Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2009) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Universal Home Entertainment (2009) (UK) (DVD)
- Universal Home Entertainment (2009) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
- Universal Pictures Benelux (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Universal Pictures Benelux (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
- Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2009) (Finland) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
- Universal Pictures (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
- Universal Pictures (2009) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
- Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
- Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
Other Stuff
Special Effects:
- Illusion Arts (special visual effects) (as Illusion Arts, Inc.)
- VFX Collective (visual effects)
- Hammerhead Productions (visual effects) (as Hammerhead)
- Invisible Effects (visual effects)
- Wildfire Visual Effects (visual effects)
- Pixel Playground (visual effects)
- Lowry Digital Images (visual effects) (as Lowry Digital)
- K.N.B. Effects Group (makeup effects) (as KNB EFX Group)
- CafeFX (uncredited)
- RotoFactory (additional visual effects) (uncredited)
- XYZ-RGB (cyber scanning) (uncredited)
- Johnathan R. Banta known as digital artist: Illusion Arts (as Jonathan Banta)
- Laurel Beck known as visual effects production assistant
- Ken Blackwell known as visual effects editor
- Jeremy Bradley known as visual effects editor
- David C. Bryant known as tracking: Pixel Playground (as David Bryant)
- Josh Bryson known as visual effects
- Casey Cannon known as digital artist: Illusion Arts
- Daniel Chuba known as visual effects producer: Hammerhead (as Dan Chuba)
- Jamie Dixon known as visual effects supervisor: Hammerhead
- Renee Dunham known as project lead: Lowry Digital
- Syd Dutton known as visual effects supervisor: Illusion Arts
- Dick Edwards known as visual effects supervisor: Invisible Effects
- Devin Fairbairn known as tracking: Pixel Playground
- Collin Fowler known as production coordinator: Illusion Arts
- Fortunato Frattasio known as visual effects senior artist: Wildfire Visual Effects
- Fortunato Frattasio known as visual effects supervisor: Wildfire Visual Effects
- Ryan Gomez known as project lead: Lowry Digital
- Holly Gregory Horter known as compositor: Wildfire Visual Effects (as Holly Horter)
- Michael Kennedy known as co-visual effects supervisor: Hammerhead
- Adam Kowalski known as visual effects: VFX Collective
- Cory Lee known as compositor: Pixel Playground, Inc.
- Don Lee known as visual effects compositor: Pixel Playground
- Don Lee known as visual effects supervisor: Pixel Playground
- Kim Lee known as visual effects producer: Pixel Playground
- Van Ling known as compositing supervisor: Illusion Arts
- Isaac Lipstadt known as visual effects staff
- Ben Marks known as visual effects assistant coordinator
- Fumi Mashimo known as compositing supervisor: Illusion Arts
- Daniel Mellitz known as compositor: Hammerhead (as Dan Mellitz)
- Todd Perry known as 3d lead: Hammerhead
- John J. Renzulli known as compositor: Pixel Playground (as John Renzulli)
- Lauren Ritchie known as visual effects producer: Wildfire Visual Effects
- Alexis Ross known as project lead: Lowry Digital
- Robert Stadd known as visual effects supervisor
- Morning Star known as internal producer: Lowry Digital (as Morningstar Schott)
- Catherine Sudolcan known as visual effects producer: Illusion Arts
- Bill Taylor known as visual effects supervisor: Illusion Arts
- Andrew Tucker known as 3d artist: Illusion Arts
- David S. Williams Jr. known as visual effects: VFX Collective
- Steve Cho known as digital compositor: The Syndicate (uncredited)
- Eric D. Christensen known as visual effects producer: RotoFactory Inc. (uncredited)
- Brandon Davis known as effects animator (uncredited)
- Mike Ek known as compositor (uncredited)
- Jean-François Ferland known as digital compositor (uncredited)
- Ben Grossmann known as visual effects supervisor: CafeFX (uncredited)
- Alex Henning known as compositing supervisor: The Syndicate (uncredited)
- Nicholas Johnson known as visual effects coordinator: Wildfire VFX (uncredited)
- Vincent Lavares known as data manager: Laser Pacific (uncredited)
- Tim LeDoux known as digital compositor (uncredited)
- Darren Orange known as visual effects production assistant (uncredited)
- Shinichi Rembutsu known as compositor (uncredited)
- Andy Schwab known as visual effects coordinator: Wildfire VFX (uncredited)
- Doyle Smith known as digital effects artist (uncredited)
- Jonathan Stone known as digital effects producer: The Syndicate (uncredited)
- Alexandre Tremblay known as digital compositor (uncredited)
- Adam Watkins known as cg supervisor: The Syndicate (uncredited)
- Steve Yamamoto known as previsualization artist (uncredited)
- USA 18 June 2009 (Chicago, Illinois) (premiere)
- USA 23 June 2009 (Los Angeles Film Festival)
- Canada 1 July 2009
- Ireland 1 July 2009
- UK 1 July 2009
- USA 1 July 2009
- France 2 July 2009 (Paris Cinéma)
- Greece 2 July 2009
- Denmark 3 July 2009
- Mexico 3 July 2009
- Czech Republic 6 July 2009 (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)
- France 8 July 2009
- Indonesia 8 July 2009
- Morocco 8 July 2009
- Switzerland 8 July 2009 (French speaking region)
- Croatia 9 July 2009
- Czech Republic 9 July 2009
- Israel 9 July 2009
- Malaysia 9 July 2009
- Slovakia 9 July 2009
- Bulgaria 10 July 2009
- Estonia 10 July 2009
- Latvia 10 July 2009
- Turkey 10 July 2009
- Hungary 16 July 2009
- Poland 17 July 2009
- Romania 17 July 2009
- Netherlands 20 July 2009 (Amsterdam) (premiere)
- Belgium 22 July 2009
- Philippines 22 July 2009
- Hong Kong 23 July 2009
- Kazakhstan 23 July 2009
- Russia 23 July 2009
- Singapore 23 July 2009
- Thailand 23 July 2009
- Ukraine 23 July 2009
- United Arab Emirates 23 July 2009
- Brazil 24 July 2009
- Norway 24 July 2009
- Sweden 24 July 2009
- Taiwan 24 July 2009
- Egypt 29 July 2009
- Argentina 30 July 2009
- Australia 30 July 2009
- Chile 30 July 2009
- Lebanon 30 July 2009
- Netherlands 30 July 2009
- New Zealand 30 July 2009
- Switzerland 30 July 2009 (German speaking region)
- Iceland 5 August 2009
- Germany 6 August 2009
- Portugal 6 August 2009
- Syria 6 August 2009
- Austria 7 August 2009
- India 7 August 2009
- Peru 13 August 2009
- South Korea 13 August 2009
- Finland 14 August 2009
- Panama 14 August 2009
- Spain 14 August 2009
- Colombia 21 August 2009
- Uruguay 21 August 2009
- Slovenia 10 September 2009
- Italy 6 November 2009
- Japan 12 December 2009
MPAA: Rated R for gangster violence and some language
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Filmography links and data courtesy of The Internet Movie Database
Public Enemies (2009) Related Movie
Movie Keyword:
- agnes gibicar
- chicago cta billboard poster for johnny depp public enemy poster
24 Nov 2011, 7:10 am
This film goes out of its way–with a poor grasp of history's time-line, by the way–to show us what Dillinger did and who he hung around with, but it does next to nothing to explore who Dillinger was as a person or even as a criminal. It hints that Dillinger might be a passionate lover and loyal friend, but shows us little evidence aside from a few thrown-together seduction scenes (which make his girlfriend/heroine look like a dim-witted pushover) and an awkward love scene.
Even Dillinger's foil, Melvin Purvis, is a mystery in Mann's hands. Did he care about justice at all, or was he just a fascist on a personal crusade? Was he competent in the least or was he just a bumbling idiot? Squinty-eyed stares can only convey so much, after all.
Michael Mann seems to be in a terrible hurry to tell this story, as he is stuck between the rock of having to relate a relatively complete "crime-ography" of a notorious American gangster and the hard place of keeping the movie shorter than 2 1/2 hours.
As a result, a beautifully shot and edited movie that had a lot of promise ends up little more than a dumb, shoot-'em-up action movie wearing the fedora of "historical romance." Good for a date, but not a serious film.
Grade: C+. Things to look for: Mann's ham-handed and laughably obvious political commentary on the use of torture about 2/3 of the way through the movie; psychotically trigger-happy Baby Face Nelson well-played by Stephen Graham; cool old products (Zenth radio); great fashion sense.
24 Nov 2011, 7:10 am
This movie tells the later stages of the crime career of John Dillinger, famous bank robber. What's good: Johnny Depp and Christian bale are good, the pacing is good, the sets and period detail are perfect. The score is quite good too.
What's bad: a shootout sequence is obviously shot on a video camera looks cheap and has a major discontinuity in it. Other scenes the camera is shaky.
Also for a movie that prides itself on historical detail, it plays fast and loose with the facts about the Dillinger gang. For instance the death of "Baby Face" Nelson is complete fiction. You are duped into thinking the director cares about historical details with all the period sets, cars, news stories on the radio etc, but actually major parts of the plot are just made up. Of course the reason that historical movies rarely follow history exactly is that real events don't naturally follow standard narrative.
So it is not a documentary, which is fine, so it must be a character movie right? This brings me to its biggest flaw. An important goal of a movie like this is to build an emotional connection with the central character. This ought to be easy with a character like Dillinger, because he actually built a huge public fan base as a latter day "Robin Hood", despite being a murderous bank robbing crook. It tries hard and it does get close, particularly with the scenes involving Billie, one of Dillinger's many girlfriends. In the end, though, I just did not care all that much about him..
It is competent, but ultimately it fails to match up in comparison with other movies of this genre. Right now the IMDb rating for this movie is higher than "The Untouchables", "Once Upon a Time in America" or "Goodfellas", which is a testament to the cinematic ignorance of the majority of IMDb voters. No doubt the same people will rate this comment down, probably without even reading it, simply because I did not give the movie a 9 or 10.
24 Nov 2011, 7:10 am
"I like baseball, movies, good clothes, fast cars… and you. What else do you need to know?" – John Dillinger. Johnny Depp IS John Dillinger. He's perfect for the role. The cool, confident and almost cocky nature of the character is really portrayed on screen (such as bragging to reporters about his bank jobs and teasing Purvis and agents who are after him). It's a look of how a man lived and succeeded in a hard time. Dillinger was a man that lived in the moment as only a man in the depression could. From the worlds on John Dillinger, "I'm to busy having fun today to even think about tomorrow." Who knows what tomorrow might bring? Bale also succeeds in his role and is a solid counterpart against Depp. It works well having two top, well known actors opposing each other on screen.
The film is directed by Michael Mann who brought us such films as Heat, The Insider, and Collateral and he adds another good film to his resume with this one. The action sequences, bank heists, and shootouts in this film are probably the biggest highlights. After all, this is from the same guy who gave us one of the most famous and arguably the best shootout of all time in Heat. The sequences are cool, slick, and gritty. Excellence at it's best. (I have to throw in a note of praise for the superb shootout at the Little Bohemia lodge, which was an extremely impressive scene)
The cat and mouse aspect makes it intriguing, but I think more could have been added to it. It just feels as if something was missing. Much of the film focuses on the love story between Dillinger and Billie Frechette (Marion Cottillard) It's also interesting to see the other gangsters of this time and how they relate to Dillinger and the criminal world.
Much has been made of Public Enemies being filmed on HD video, mostly complaints. I must say that at times, the picture looked amazing. The night sequences, especially looked beautifully slick and realistic. I loved the cinematography here. The cars, headlights, street lights, and everything looked fantastic. Other times, it doesn't look as good. It just felt as if something didn't look right. I'm not sure what to think about this.
One problem I had with this film would have to be the lack of character depth in many of the characters. At times, it seems as if we are expected to know and understand the characters before going to see the film because it is a real life story. But as a film, it could have developed the characters more to help us (and those who know nothing about Dillinger, his life, or Purvis and the FBI) understand them better. Another problem was some of the historical inaccuracies. Many things portrayed in the film, do not happen as they did in real life. Many sequences are just out of order. I know the filmmakers had to know about this and just tried to work it in as best as they could. It's not a documentary, it's a movie.
I really enjoyed Public Enemies. It's a solid crime drama and a good summer film. I understand expectations were through the roof, but that's a little hard to ask for. It's a really good film, but not quite a great one… The action is fun, the story is interesting. Maybe instead of being a very good film, it could have became a really great film if more was put into the characters? I'm not sure. It just felt as if something were missing. But who can knock a film for still being good?
24 Nov 2011, 7:10 am
Very disappointing retelling of the 13-month John Dillinger crime spree across the Midwest in 1933-34. Here's why without any BS: 1.) No personality. Gang members remain ciphers throughout. (When Red Hamilton (Jason Clark) dies after being in EVERY OTHER SCENE you think: Who the hell is he. None of the subsidiary people pop, unlike the vast number of vivid unique individuals in HEAT. 2.) Depp miscast badly. Read about Dillinger: he was ebullient, charming, commanding. With NO experience he commandeered the best pro bank robbers in the Midwest to follow his lead and led them on a 13-month blaze of glory and infamy. Depp instead is pensive, moody, brooding, internalized: he never displays the charisma and guile that the historic Dillinger did. He was chosen for his romantic chops, not his gangster chops, because of . . . 3.) Misemphasis on romantic. Mann pays too much attention to Dillinger's least interesting thing, that is, his affair with Billy Freschette. This was clearly NOT a love-unto-death deal like Bonnie and Clyde. Before Billy, Dillinger had girlfriends, after Billy Dillinger had girlfriends and during Billy, Dillinger had girlfriends. The guy had been in stir 9 years; he had a lot of catching up to do. Mann emphasizes this affair, ignores Dillinger's unique connection to his family in Indiana (very interesting), his leadership skills, his courage. Very odd and unfortunate (and disappointing) choice. 4.) Accuracy, as in, lack thereof. Mann really doesn't progress beyond Milius's 1973 truncated take; he starts out with lies (Dillinger at escape from state pen by his cohorts, Purvis singlehandedly bringing down Pretty Boy Floyd) in the first two scenes and it never gets better. In fact most of the men we watch die in the film died AFTER, not before, Dillinger, including Floyd and Babyface Nelson and Homer Van Meter and Harry Pierpont. Why did Mann buy rights to Burroughs' "Public Enemies" if he was going to make stuff up? Also (SPOILER): a major meme in the film is that the syndicate, under Frank Nitti, "got" Dillinger because his kind of spectacular showboat caper was screwing things up for the big money boys; in the literature, I can find NO evidence of this being the case. 5.) Introduced, then abandoned, themes: Mann intros at least four major ideas about Dillinger and his fate which could serve as a kind of structure for the movie; then he abandons all of them, leaving them as pointless curiosities. The first I've mentioned: that the mob got Dillinger. No. 2 (from Burroughs): Hoover used the Road Warrior bandits crime spree as a methodology to grow his Bureau and cement his own control of it and his place in popular culture. No. 3: the coming of western gunman. Indeed, at a certain point, the Bureau did bring in experienced gunfighters as Mann shows, but he never really dramatizes or builds on their contribution to the take-down of the bad guys. He seems to set up, then walk away from the idea of cowboys vs. bank robbers. Very disappointing. 4. The inexperience of Hoover. He includes a scene (it actually took place in 1936, not '33) where a Senator derides Hoover and makes a big deal over the fact that Hoover's never made an arrest. Then of course Mann doesn't bring that issue to conclusion, showing Hoover arresting Alvin Karpis, who is a kind of mystery guest (he's played by Giovonni Ribisi) who appears and disappears from the film without explanation. Which leads to: 6.) Editing woes. Ribisi is just one such mystery guest; other big name, well-known people appear in meaningless, undeveloped characters, suggesting that whole subplots of the film were left out and what we're seeing in a hasty, shortened edit (like the version of "Once Upon a Time in America" that was initially released). You can fairly ask: what the hell are Ribisi, Leelee Sobieski, Matt Craven and Steven Lang even doing here when they have so little to do; Craven doesn't even have any lines! I am looking forward to a director's cut sometime in the future. On the plus side, yes: great clothes, great cars, great location shots, superb editing and beast of all great gunfights. But the guns demonstrate some astonishing marginal attention to detail while much large issues of history are deliberately misstated. Why does Mann get the fact the Babyface had a Colt .38 Super converted to a machine pistol with a Thompson vertical fore-grip mounted on the dustcover (look fast or you'll miss it) at the Little Bohemia shootout but insist, after John Milius, (SPOILER) that the Babyface was slain there. Nelson didn't die until October and he went down hard, taking two FBIers with him. Ultimate judgment: such a squandered opportunity! There's probably never going to be another big Dillinger movie and it sickens me that Mann willfully made so many dubious decisions. These people lived and died and fought and bled for and against us, gave us their lives; they deserved SO MUCH BETTER.
24 Nov 2011, 7:10 am
This film is mediocre at best. I saw it last night, and was hoping that I'd get the rant over with before this morning, but sadly I find that I cannot find many things that were right with this film!!
1. Death Sequences: These were all mixed up and, as a bit of a history buff, I didn't like that! Dillinger was not the last of his gang to die, I believe it was Baby Face Nelson (who was not killed with Homer Van Meter either). And, Pretty Boy Floyd (although no real link with Dillinger) was killed after Dillinger and his boys.
2. Character Development: This was very, very poor for what was rumoured to be a big hit of Summer 09! Too much time was definitely spent on the whole Dillinger/Billie relationship, and on Purvis. Sure, they were the big name stars, but it should've been about characters not star pulling power!! "Handsome" Harry Pierpont, Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, etc. deserved more screen time! The scene with Pretty Boy Floyd; I had no idea who he was meant to be at first! I thought it was some random chase through an orchard! Pierpont disappears about halfway through, never to be heard from again. Then, Dillinger's going round with some more guys, who shortly end up dead. Half the time, I was lost as to who was who except the big-name stars and the characters I'd learnt a bit about.
3. Action sequences: Way too long in my opinion, and could've been cut down to make way for more character development. The sound effects weren't even that effective, as to me they sounded more like fireworks at some points or were too loud.
The good points are few in number. The acting was good, camera work was sub-standard, lighting was good, angles were okay if not a little dodgy in places, etc. There is, however, nothing that I can really stick to as a fantastic feature of this film.
24 Nov 2011, 7:10 am
Now, Johnny Depp is a fine actor, and he reminds us in this movie that he isn't only a go-to man for quirky, weird, whimsical, and bizarre characters. In Public Enemies Depp reminds us that he is talented as a traditional actor and that he is still one of the best in Hollywood today. The problem is the script he is given for Public Enemies never lets him expand on anything regarding John Dellinger as a person. In Ridley Scott's 'American Gangster' Denzel Washington was given a chance to really emphasize the qualities he felt reflected his view of Frank Lucas. Public enemies, Johnny Depp never truly gets to define what he feels are the most important aspects of his portrayal of Dellinger because often the film gets too caught up in the action and events instead of its characters.
Christian Bale bounces back after a sub-par performance in 'Terminator: Salvation' and it's good to see him working his voice manipulation ability again, because I for one was beginning to think he'd gotten stuck on his Batman-style growl. Playing the FBI agent pursuing Dillinger he is an interesting character due to his dedication and could have been a really interesting character, but like Depp, Bale never really gets a chance to try and expand on his character.
The music isn't anything you haven't heard before in previous crime films of this sort, but for the most part it works. I wouldn't buy the soundtrack to this film, but it certainly didn't take away from the experience. Also, songs from the 30s are played throughout, and most of the time they manage to fit into the story's many montage scenes very well.
Director Michael Mann seems a tad bit off when compared to some of his previous films. He often goes for a look that makes the audience feel that they're in the middle of everything, and that's good in small stretches, but I felt he used this technique too often and I found myself growing a tad bit dizzy at times, and had a desire to see what was going on in the shootouts. I found it strange, that with his recent films such as 'Collateral', where the characters had been the center-focus of the entire film, he could then make a movie about one of the most infamous criminal minds and have it be more about the history than the characters who lived it.
The thing that is most fascinating about this film is the costumes and sets. The men and women behind these really outdid themselves and created a very authentic view of 1930s Chicago. This aspect of the film alone makes it worth seeing! Every costume and set seems to have been made with the utmost attention to detail, and the final result is very pleasing to the eye.
The final product in an okay docu-drama on the life of one of America's most infamous criminals, but in the end you really don't discover anything about John Dillinger that you couldn't have found out by looking him up on Wikipedia. So this is a pretty film to look at, and with Depp and Bale it's a good way to introduce those unfamiliar with Dillinger to the criminal, but if you were looking for a character study on the bank robber you may find yourself a tad-bit disappointed.
I wouldn't come close to calling Public Enemies one of the best movies of the summer, or of the year, but when compared to several other films that are currently being screened I would still highly recommend it. With movies like 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' out there your money is best spent on Michael Mann's Public Enemies.
24 Nov 2011, 7:10 am
Set in 1933 John Dillinger is brought to a penitentiary, but is there to break out the rest of his gang. After loosing a few of his friends, he's headed to Chicago to make his mark on the banks. Melvin Purvis is upgraded by J. Edgar Hoover, who is protecting the FBI from scrutiny by politicians, to lead the hunt for John. John later meets Billie Frechette, whom he takes to dinner. He states plainly what he will do for her and how he will treat her if they are to have a relationship. After a shoot out gone horribly wrong and making the police look more incompetent, Purvis demands that Hoover bring in professional lawmen who know how to catch criminals dead or alive. Though Hoover had hoped for more pristine agents, he agrees. While John and Billie are enjoying the luxuries across the States, the police finally find Dillinger and arrest him and his gang in Miami. However, Dillinger and a few inmates escape from prison using a fake gun. He is goaded into a bank robbery job by an acquaintance, Dillinger agrees. The robbery goes fine until Nelson impulsively kills a nearby police officer, alerting more of the robbery, making Dillinger Public Enemy Number 1.
Now Public Enemies is by no means a bad film, some of the actors were terrific and the sets were perfect as well as the whole feel of the film. But it just won't stop with the "Run! Chase! Run! Chase! Shoot! Shoot!" scenes that seem to dull down after a while. The love story between Dillinger and his gal, Billie didn't seem too necessary, it added to the story but for me felt a little out of place at times. I have to tell you that I'm feeling so incredibly bad for Christian Bale this year as it seems like he's been given characters who are not well written, but I'm starting to wonder if the Batman voice is his new trademark because he was starting to use that voice again in a few sentences. Depp does the best he can, but once again with the lack of material; he's made out completely as the hero of the film, instead of maybe having more of a documentary feel to it and being biased on how cool Dillinger was. Maybe he's Mann's personal hero, who knows. But over all the film is decent enough for the watch, I'd just say if you want to see it, go for a matinée or a rental, it wasn't worth the full price.
7/10
24 Nov 2011, 7:10 am
I'll spare you any suspense, here. Simply put, Public Enemies is a major disappointment. There is one aspect that the film has going for it, though, and that is the performances. Johnny Depp is great but, as I've read in other reviews, not exactly irreplaceable. Marion Cotillard is fantastic, but underused. Christian Bale is solid, but pretty forgettable. Unfortunately, everything else about the film proved disappointing.
This is the story of John Dillinger, who robbed banks, broke out of prisons, shot a lot of guns, loved a woman he met and didn't spend much time with, and…not much else. At least, that's what Public Enemies would have you believe. So little actually happens in this film it's a marvel they managed to stretch the running time past an hour and a bit.
A short run through: John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) escapes from a prison. Then he robs a bank. Then he meets Billie (Marion Cotillard), and they fall in love. He robs another bank. Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) wants to catch him. Shootout. Bank robbery. Repeat. He gets shot. How long did that take me, 30 seconds? I'm not saying the film was unnecessary, it was just unnecessarily long. So many scenes could have been cut down or just taken away altogether. The shootout near the middle of the film took so long to get through, that about halfway through it I had completely forgotten what it was they were doing. From that point on, it was nothing but bullets, blood, yelling and a lot of flashes from the guns that nearly blinded me.
The film wasn't exactly a treat for the eyes, either. The look of the film was horribly uneven, split evenly three ways between beautiful, crystal clear shots, amateur student film hand-held, and security camera footage. Either one wouldn't have been awful on its own, but it was just so wildly inconsistent that a good chunk of the time I was too distracted, wondering what had happened to the camera (sometimes between shots in the same scene), to worry about the story.
And like I said above, there's not much story to tell here. I'm sure the man had a very interesting life, but there was no real point to the film. It didn't seem like there was any specific story to tell. Quite simply put, it was merely about John Dillinger. "Well, just what about John Dillinger?", you ask. And I don't have an answer for you. Sorry. Either way, the film didn't highlight Dillinger as a hero or as a villain, and while I don't mind the impartial nature of the film in itself, I had a hard time really caring about what happened to him.
The love story was easily the most entertaining part of the film. Too bad it didn't show up much. My favorite parts of the film involved Marion Cotillard, and they didn't last long. What a shame. If they had cut down the major shootout or cut out one or two of the bank robbery scenes that were mostly all the same, they could have focused more on that story and I wouldn't have minded the runtime as much.
So, aside from the good performances from just about everyone involved, there's not much to get excited about here. It was overlong, pretty low on plot, and filled to the brim with unnecessary scenes that had left my mind before I had even left the theater. Such a disappointment. It could have been something great, and it just…wasn't.
6/10
24 Nov 2011, 7:10 am
Why is it that anyone who is critical of Michael Mann's "Public Enemies" is promptly branded as a "hater" on this Web site? I don't hate this film or the filmmaker, I just believe it's not a very good film.
I've enjoyed some of Mann's films in the past. I am a fan of "Thief" (1981), "Manhunter" (1986) and "Heat" (1995) and thought "The Insider" (1999) and "Ali" (2001) were interesting. But, as far as I am concerned, "The Last of the Mohicans" (1992) was over-blown – it is not, as one poster claimed, one of the five best films ever made; it's not even one of the 5,000 best films ever made – "Collateral" (2004) started off intriguingly before turning into an utterly conventional thriller, and "Miami Vice" (2006) was rubbish.
But I went into "Public Enemies" with much optimism, given that it stars Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard. And the subject seemed thoroughly suited for Mann.
What a tremendous disappointment "Public Enemies" turned out to be.
There is absolutely nothing special about this film. The best it can be called is middling. It is hum-drum, run-of-the-mill and certainly not something I expected from someone of Mann's caliber.
For starters, this film is not about public enemies; it's about a public enemy. Blink and you will miss Pretty Boy Floyd. And you have no idea who Baby Face Nelson is until someone in the film points him out.
The film began promisingly with the exciting breakout from an Indiana penitentiary. The cinematography looked terrific in that opening shot and there was something delightfully visceral about that sequence.
But then came the rest of the film.
The story moved from one tedious set piece to another. Roger Ebert, whose criticism I respect, lauded Mann for his "meticulous" research for this film. I wonder if Mann's meticulousness included killing off Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson and Homer Van Meter *before* Dillinger when, in real life, they all outlived Dillinger. And Van Meter was *not* gunned down along with Baby Face Nelson.
I realize Mann's fans claim this is a movie and Mann was taking artistic license to enhance his story, as is his wont. But I wonder whether these fans would have echoed similar sentiments if Mann, say, had Muhammad Ali fight Joe Frazier in the Rumble in the Jungle in "Ali" or had Ali lose the fight to Foreman in that film.
Historical inaccuracies aside, "Public Enemies" is just dull. Mann wants us to believe that Dillinger and Billie Frechette were soul mates. But the only word to described their relationship – as Mann shows it – is bland. Which is a shame considering he had two fine actors in Depp and Cotillard and completely wastes them. They are given very little to work with and their dialogue is, at times, downright embarrassing.
Depp has oodles of charm and charisma, but he plays Dillinger solely as cool. There's nothing more to his persona, and when Depp has to be mean on a few occasions, it just doesn't work. Christian Bale, on the other hand, is entirely forgettable as Purvis. It's a nothing character and Bale plays him exactly as he has all his other recent roles. This is a somnambulist Batman and John Connor playing Purvis, mumbling his lines and showing next to no emotion. You learn nothing about Purvis throughout the entire film.
I felt sorry for the wonderful Cotillard because her relatively minor role is made even more minute because her character has no depth and she gets little help from a wanting script. In fact, none of the characters has much depth, if any, and so Mann wastes a talented cast of supporting players that includes Stephen Dorff, Stephen Lang, David Wenham, Matt Craven, Giovanni Ribisi, Jason Clarke, Leelee Sobieski and James Russo.
Then there's the cinematography and I really don't know if one can blame Dante Spinotti for this. I realize Mann is in love with digital technology and while that might have worked on "Collateral" and "Miami Vice," it does not here. With the exception of a few lovely shots, the rest of the film looks like it was shot on someone's cheap holiday camera. I have seen home movies that looked crisper, brighter. The night-time scenes look thoroughly washed out and sans any contrast and the infamous shoot-out in Little Bohemia – which is terribly choreographed – looks like a lousy video game.
I am not averse to shooting in digital. There are countless films that look terrific shot on high-definition digital. Take a peek at "The Lookout" (2007), for instance. It looks spectacular shot on high-def. I personally believe that period pieces should be shot on film, but even granting Mann's decision to shoot digital, why on earth didn't he use, say, Panavision's Genesis or the Red One cameras? He certainly wasn't constrained by the budget.
I realize Mann could take a crap at Hollywood and Vine and his fans would consider it a masterpiece. But it's still crap and just because it came from Mann doesn't turn it into gold.
"Public Enemies" is simply a disappointing movie. It lacks any depth, the characters are boring at best, insipid at worst. The film ambles along without any sense of how to tell a story or put that story into the context of American history and, after a while, all I could think of was how much better Arthur Penn fared with "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967), how much more I wanted to see that film instead and could we please get to The Biograph already.
But Mann even managed to screw up the grand finale by adding an unnecessarily hokey and sentimental coda.
24 Nov 2011, 7:10 am