Public Enemies Cinema Review

Shrouded in conspiracy and mystery, the story of 1930’s bank robber, John Dillinger is every bit as adaptable to film as any other criminal, and for those who enjoyed the likes of The Untouchables and Bonnie and Clyde, the similar premise will be almost irresistible. More than simply a bio-pic of the charismatic criminal, Public Enemies charts the solidification of the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the States’ primary criminal intelligence unit. Being based on Bryan Burrough’s Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, it offers a good deal of credence to what you might otherwise suspect could be a little wishy-washy.

Very much an action thriller, Public Enemies is directed by Michael Mann, a man clearly well versed in both history and crime filmaking, being involved with numerous similar titles such as Heat, Ali and The Aviator. Johnny Depp takes on the role of Dillinger, while Christian Bale plays the lesser known, but equally important Melvin Pervis, the FBI agent charged with bringing Dillinger to justice.

The remarkable thing about Dillinger’s story is how well loved he was amongst the downtrodden population of the U.S. at the time. Most of the population saw the banks over confidence as the main reason for the great depression. In his time as the country’s top bank robber, he performed many stunts, and brazenly flaunted his freedom and ability to raid banks at will, even going so far as to create a film set in a local bank to cover a real robbery. Even his time in prison and his numerous breakouts are gold for the director. Despite Purvis’ efforts and almost a third of the budget of the FBI being ploughed into apprehending Dillinger, little could be done to halt the man until a betrayal finally closed the door on Dillinger’s crime spree.

Public Enemies includes many references to other crime and justice greats from the time. Frank Nitti, the infamous Chicago boss as well as the sociopath ‘Baby Face’ Nelson feature in Dillinger’s life as does the then head of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup). More than anything, Dillinger’s life and activities served as the perfect PR exercise for the FBI, and Public Enemies is as much about the growth of that organization as anything else. Making Dillinger the first public enemy number one, deputizing a veritable platoon of trigger happy wild west lawmen, and heading up the investigation with the Clark Gable of justice, Melvin Purvis, all helped bring the organization to the public eye, and with Dillinger’s eventual betrayal and killing, Public Enemies can be seen as a powerful comment on the nature of the FBI today.