The gangster movie has long been one of the more prolific subgenres in fictional media, dating all the way back to the early days of film as a whole. In recent years, gangster stories have been saturating the market on the small screen, with shows such as The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, and Peaky Blinders (among many more) dominating on streaming, even long after they’ve wrapped. The latest series to enter the fray is Guy Ritchie and Tom Hardy‘s MobLand. Also co-starring Pierce Brosnan and Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren, MobLand has done incredible numbers for Paramount+, dominating streaming charts week after week since its debut in March. But what some may not know is that MobLand‘s creator, Ronan Bennett, also co-wrote Michael Mann‘s underrated 2009 gangster film, Public Enemies.
Set against a Depression-era backdrop and following the exploits of notorious real-life gangster John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) in tandem with the manhunt to bring him to justice, Public Enemies received generally positive reviews upon its release, as well as grossing a respectable $214 million worldwide against an estimated budget of $80 million. Despite that, the film has since fallen into a state of relative obscurity, rarely being brought into the conversation when discussing the best modern gangster films. And while John Dillinger has been the subject of many mob films dating back several decades, Public Enemies stands leagues above its predecessors as the definitive telling of the Dillinger crime spree and subsequent manhunt, albeit not an entirely factual one.
‘Public Enemies’ Features a Captivating Performance From Johnny Depp and a Stacked Ensemble Cast
Having just come off his third turn as the iconic Jack Sparrow in 2007’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, as well as his Oscar-nominated role in Tim Burton‘s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Johnny Depp was not only arguably at the peak of his stardom, but was also deep into his phase of playing quirky, Jack Sparrow-esque kooky characters (usually burying Depp under a mountain of make-up), so Public Enemies was something of a return to form for Depp at this time. Depp is far more restrained here than his fans were used to in the late 2000s, showing off his natural charisma and dramatic chops as John Dillinger in what is one of his better performances from this period of his career. Depp is by far the most complex portrayal of Dillinger put to film, reckoning with every shade of one of America’s most infamous criminals.
Equally excellent is co-lead Christian Bale, who portrays Melvin Purvis, the FBI Agent promoted by J. Edgar Hoover to lead the Dillinger manhunt. Bale, much like Depp, was also riding something of a career high around the time of Public Enemies‘ release, having just come off of Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight the year prior, not to mention his Oscar win for David O. Russell‘s The Fighter the following year. Bale perfectly captures the ambition of Purvis in his relentless pursuit of Dillinger, playing to the stereotype of the determined cop while managing to keep the character from feeling surface-level.
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“What keeps you up nights, Mr. Dillinger?”
But while Depp and Bale make for reliably great leads, the film’s superb supporting cast is not to go unmentioned. Stephen Graham‘s sociopathic Baby Face Nelson makes for a remarkably entertaining addition to the cast, as does Marion Cotillard‘s Billie Frechette, the complicated love interest to Depp’s Dillinger. Carey Mulligan, Stephen Dorff, and Jason Clarke round out the supporting cast, all turning in reliably sturdy work and bringing these real-life figures to life on the big screen like never before.
Michael Mann Challenged Industry Norms With ‘Public Enemies’
Another notable fact about Michael Mann’s Public Enemies is that it was one of the first major productions to fully utilize digital cameras at a time when 35mm film was still the industry standard. This creative choice gives Public Enemies a uniquely sleek look compared to most big-budget productions of the time, as well as showcasing Mann’s desire to push the medium of film into the future. While the majority of Hollywood films are shot with digital cameras today, this was somewhat of an oddity in 2009, and it puts Public Enemies in an interesting position in retrospect.
All-in-all, Public Enemies is a handsomely crafted gangster epic which brings its 1930s backdrop to life with stunning attention to detail, telling this timeless American crime saga with gritty sincerity. Michael Mann is well-known for his crime dramas, and for good reason. Mann knows how to construct a distinct crime film, and Public Enemies is one of his most entertaining efforts to date. It’s worth a watch for both fans of history and the gangster subgenre as a whole. Public Enemies is now streaming on Max.
Public Enemies
- Release Date
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July 1, 2009
- Runtime
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140 minutes
- Director
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Michael Mann
