Public Enemies (2009)

It's ironic how fascinated our society is with our history's harden criminals. People who willingly enjoyed breaking the law and were usually hunt down and killed have turned into icons of our history's checkered past. Death was no punishment for these men, they got exactly what they wanted in life and in death, a thrill and brief fame while they were alive and their names forever remembered in history books and on the big screen for all to remember in death. I'm in no way stating the life and crimes of the golden age of bank robbery is not interesting, it truly is, but it's still quite ironic when you think about it how men that terrorized the United States in the late 1920's and 30's have actually turned into superstars, I guess they really did have the last laugh.

Public Enemies chronicles the final leg of the Dillinger gang which ultimately ends in Dillinger's murder in July of 1934. John Dillinger was among one of the more famous "gangsters" of the 1930's and the era known as the golden age of bank robbery. But what set Dillinger apart from some of the more blood thirsty criminals of this time such as Al Capone, and Baby Face Nelson is Dillinger was actually somewhat beloved by the public. People tend to disagree when it comes referring to Dillinger as a gangster, while he was a bank robber he wasn't known to be a harden killer (at least by the public). He only stole from the banks never from the people, which is really quite a gimmick when you think about it because the banks' money is essentially the peoples, but it made Dillinger appear more of a Robin Hood type character to the public.

Dillinger prided himself on maintaining a clean cut public image, this allowed him to blend into the public and gain the trust of many people throughout the United States who would assist him and harbor him. But Dillinger's run began to grow thin at the end of the golden era, criminals were beginning to stray towards more organized crime which brought in a lot more money, and a lot less attention. The new era of organized crime had no appeal to him and they wanted nothing to do with him, in fact he was a threat to their continuing operations as the development of the FBI and the proposal of federal laws threatened to interfere with their nationwide operations. Dillinger lived for the thrill and the limelight he enjoyed making the authorities look foolish, ultimately he couldn't be ignored which lead to him to become public enemy number one. As Dillinger attempts to survive in the ever changing world of crime, the FBI and Melvin Purvis are constantly on his tail, his final heist promises to provide him with a very nice nest egg and the ability to leave the country, but it's the night before the heist that Dillinger's life comes to it bitter climax.

Public Enemies is filmed in a documentary style with the occasional shaky camera and a sometimes choppy flow. There's no real story to the film, but it's more an account of the final year of John Dillinger an account that doesn't appear to be too entirely accurate, at least concerning the other well known characters in the film. A quick browse through Wikipedia turned up a few inconsistencies with the film, such as the death of Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Dillinger's partner Homer Van Meter. All were killed in the film prior to Dillinger's death but in actuality they all outlived him by a few months. While not a huge stray from the truth it's still rather odd as to why this change was made, and makes me question what else in the film is not historically correct. Dillinger's escape from the Indiana jail, and his death seems to be accurately portrayed but one certain scene where Dillinger strolls into the Chicago police station and goes into the office of the station's "Dillinger Squad" leaves me with some doubt that it actually happened, it certainly adds to the flavor of the character but it seems slightly unrealistic.

Overall, I found Public Enemies quite enjoyable. The unique documentary style of the film takes a little while to get used to but it's interesting and a nice change. The film has plenty of action, which is the main reason for the R-rating, but I think in all honesty this film could have received a PG-13 rating. In terms of the cast Johnny Depp was a great choice for the role, he certainly gives Dillinger that Hollywood star quality that he supposedly had, and anyone else in the role would have made the film a whole lot less enjoyable. Christian Bale was good, but as I normally notice the role wasn't much of a stretch for him and I believe any other talented actor could have filled the role of Melvin Purvis as well if not better. In the end, Public Enemies is worth checking out, and I'd go as far to say it's the best film I have seen this year, it's style and execution sets it apart from other gangster films and is sure to go down as one of the better ones. I'm now looking forward to reading one of the many biographies on Dillinger to see how much of this film is actually a realistic depiction.

8/10