The story of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) is well known amongst gangster aficionados and those people with either a high interest in the criminally rich history of the United States, or a love of old gangster movies. Michael Mann’s Public Enemies is a retelling of that story, introducing a whole new generation of filmgoers to the world of 1930’s bank robbery and bringing classic gangster flicks back to the cinema with a bang.
One thing that differs between public enemies and the gangster films of old, is the shooting style, particularly the use of handheld cameras and the fact that Public Enemies was shot in a digital format as opposed to old style 35mm film, and while some viewers would say that removes it from the time period, in effect it succeeds in doing the opposite; creating a world so crisp and clear that it effectively pulls the audience right back into the 1930’s. A vision of the 30’s recreated so accurately that Michael Mann refused to go the traditional studio route, and shot the majority of the picture in the actual locations used and robbed by Dillinger and his crew.
Unlike some previous Dillinger based movies, Public Enemies picks up not during his original grocery store robbery, or even showcasing his youth time prison experience where he gained the skills needed to operate as a successful bank robber, but instead begins not long after; where John Dillinger and a small crew broke into Indiana State Prison in order to free the crew that he had handpicked to accompany him on his future career in bank robbery.
The sharpness of the introduction is felt almost instantaneously as the studios credits fade into silence and then mayhem suddenly ensues, before even a single character has been introduced; an effective method that catapults the viewer straight into the gritty reality of the 30’s gangster lifestyle without cutting any corners or pulling any punches as the viewers are sharply made aware that Dillinger isn’t afraid to rough up or even kill any guard, cop, or civilian that gets in his way; this is his world, like it or not.
However despite the dramatic intro, the pace soon slackens off to a steady and comfortable trundle which it holds until the conclusion. Even after Special Agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) is set on Dillinger’s trail and the real hunt begins, there is little of the cat and mouse feeling often felt throughout ‘Catch Me If You Can,’ and no Pacino/DeNiro ‘Heat’ style interaction between the main characters although the film really could have used it.
The characters are all portrayed well, despite being scripted in such a manner that one can never truly get behind either party, and feels no empathy for either Purvis or Dillinger. Dillinger is accurately presented and portrayed by Johnny Depp as a cool, calm and often ruthless bank robber who was not afraid to court a degree of celebrity (The real Dillinger loved the fact that he was often regarded as a modern day Robin Hood), and not averse to killing in order to get what he wanted. This accurately flawed vision of Dillinger creates a main character that it is at times easy to love, at others bewildering, because of just how abrasive and cocky he is, and at his most vicious, extremely difficult to like.
However Dillinger’s most likeable side (arguably) is shown through the relationship he develops from early on in the film, with a young woman named Billie Frechette (a difficult part played with subtle aptness by Marion Cotillard), who despite being resistant early on would become known for her attachment to Dillinger, and often regarded as the love of his life. It is through this relationship that Dillinger’s true personality shows, and it is more evident during the interactions between the two (although there are many other stellar examples), that Public Enemies may be Depp’s best ever performance.
Purvis is somewhat different, as Christian bale’s calm and collected approach, accompanied by the characters scripted dialogue distances him not only from the audience, but from the case he is investigating and in some instances, reality itself. Interestingly however it is the distance of the character that provides it with its greatest sense of realism; in that Purvis is shown as not totally incompetent, but unable to solve the case by himself, ala Kevin Costner in ‘The Untouchables,’ and is forced to draft in help from three extremely skilled Texas agents.
It is these agents that often help the story progress, providing ideas and strategies for Purvis to employ where he would have been lost himself, and it is often his own ideas, or the incompetency’s of the men he employs, that lead to problems, and the many shootouts featured in the film.
The many shootouts, getaways and prison escapes featured all occurred in real life, and some have even become famous enough to be classified as folk legend; all recreated with as much detail as possible, even going as far as to include a car actually used by John Dillinger himself in one scene. Obviously these scenes also contain a large number of period firearms, stunts and special effects which will not disappoint any gangster or action fan as they are both beautifully brutal, and shockingly realistic.
Public Enemies accurately retells the story of a true celebrity that was once Americas most wanted man and a target of the F.B.I.’s first ever war on crime, and while there may be certain elements that could have been improved upon and some viewers complain that the movie is too slow and has no real spark, anyone who enjoys old fashioned gangster epics or is interested in the history of the period will enjoy Public Enemies. Visually the film looks stunning, as Mann’s directorial flare once again shines through and enhances the subject material, as does the use of true locations and meticulous set decoration, props and costumes, it’s superbly accurate, it’s got plenty of action, a decent soundtrack, and some true to life characters that, owing to accurate and well performed portrayals, really help bring the story to life.
Picture:
Being filmed in 100% high-definition using completely digital technologies, Public Enemies 1080p transfer was always going to look fantastic; it’s astonishingly crisp and detailed, (as evident by the miniscule hairs, potholes and singular pores that can be picked out one actors faces during close-up shots) with both the main focused image and even small background items appearing rich with clarity.
The colour levels are spot on, with indoor and outdoor scenes performing equally well, as do both day and night scenes. Blacks are both bold and deep, and fleshtones are as natural as can be, all adding to the effect of an accurate looking period piece, which is in turn enhanced by the low level of grain present throughout the feature, and while the level of grain increases somewhat during night scenes later on in the film it is never to a point where it becomes distracting.
The digital technology helped to create a transfer that is near faultless, and required little to no enhancement as it contains no easily visible print errors or flaws. The rich level of detail and accurate contrast levels coupled with the low level grain and perfect fleshtones combine to create a transfer that is deserving of the title, high-definition.
Audio:
The Main audio track for Public Enemies is a 5.1 DTS HD MA mix that has been heavily critiqued by many viewers and blu-ray enthusiasts, mainly because of a stark leveling issue; the action scenes are horrendously loud, but the scenes which rely on dialogue are so quiet that even Superman would struggle to hear them, a problem not helped by the whispered mumbles that nearly every major character utters rather than speaking clearly and concisely.
However; aside from the leveling, the sound quality is excellent, there are some subtle but effective ambient noises that resonate from the rear surrounds (particularly in outdoor scenes), the music used in the soundtrack (both the period music and Elliot Goldenthal’s score) sounds superb and truly pops, but what really sounds impressive is the good number of action scenes where multiple machine guns, shotguns and noisy getaway cars burst from every speaker, being both excellently placed and very clear, so much so that on more than one occasion it feels like someone has blown a significant hole through the wall behind the speaker.
A mixed bag of excellent quality and terrible leveling leaves for an overall disappointing to average soundtrack, however if there’s nobody around and it’s possible to crank up the volume enough so that the quiet scenes (all of the dialogue scenes) are audible then the action scenes will not disappoint as every sound used is well placed, and never distorted, despite all of the action and the huge range of sounds used.
Extras:
Public Enemies comes bundled with a plentiful array of extras that are, for once, all presented in high-definition, and amount to over an hour of featurettes exploring issues as varied as gun training for the actors, to shooting in the actual locations frequented by Dillinger, to historical facts about Dillinger and Purvis, their respective methods for successfully completing their jobs and even a short concerning the growth of the F.B.I.
All of the features are interesting, from seeing rehearsal footage to learning about the antique cars used during filming, and the historical features are enhanced by the inclusion of actual newsreels of Dillinger and Purvis taken way back in the 1930’s.
In short, there is an interesting array of features that will surely have something for any fan of the film, and all are arranged into easily digestible separate features so that no-one need get bored waiting for something they like to come on screen, especially with the added inclusion of picture in picture features and a historical interactive timeline. The only possible downside for some viewers would be the commentary track, which sees Michael Mann go solo and rather than tell interesting set anecdotes, instead delivers a lecture on the effect of the depression on America and its influence in creating Dillinger’s folk status; a track that has its moments, but could potentially be a huge bore for anyone not too interested in the real history.
Conclusion:
Public Enemies may not be for everyone, but gangster epic fans will have a field day with it; it’s a true story set at the height of Americas criminal past, and featuring a man who was not only Americas most wanted man and target of the F.B.I.’s first war on crime, but so cocky that even after being interviewed for newspapers and escaping from jail he wasn’t afraid of walking into the F.B.I. office dedicated to his capture and discussing a baseball game with agents before leaving.
It’s the tale of a truly charismatic criminal told in a manner reminiscent of the gangster films of old, and while the pacing may seem slow for some and the hunt isn’t quite as fun as Catch Me If You Can or as intense as Heat, it is still nevertheless, a well performed and totally compelling hit.
The picture quality is superb with great detail and colours present throughout, and while the audio may not be perfect, if the volume is turned up enough to easily hear the dialogue scenes then the quality will shine trough (either that or a few eardrums may become perforated).
The extras are well arranged, informative, easy to watch and have enough interactivity to please anyone. There’s plenty of set and background information, as well as a good deal of historical matter nicely backed up with real life pictures and newsreel footage that will appeal to anyone interested in the period.
Overall, despite one or two minor issues, Public Enemies is well worth a look. Gangster fans will love it, as will Johnny Depp’s legions of fans, people who enjoy watching Christian Bale act moody and distant, or anyone that loves high quality action. Public Enemies is one to buy if you like your crime films like Bonnie and Clyde, but if you’re put off by the audio quality, think the extras sound boring, or just that it may not be for you, then give it a rent, because it’s definitely a film worth watching.
