Michael Mann’s Public Enemies is a crime picture about the last great bank heists in American history, and it treats those crimes like a tragedy. Johnny Depp plays John Dillinger, the outlaw who became a national hero in the early 1930s by robbing banks with a machine gun and a flair for publicity. Christian Bale plays Melvin Purvis, the FBI agent tasked with bringing him down. The movie wants to make both men feel human, and mostly succeeds.
The film is based on actual events, and it leans on the historical record to build its drama. Dillinger was a celebrity in his time, photographed by the press and celebrated by crowds who saw him as a Robin Hood figure. The FBI, led by J. Edgar Hoover, was still finding its footing as a national law enforcement agency. Mann dramatizes this clash between the outlaw and the new kind of police force that would define American law for decades after. That contrast between the charismatic criminal and the rising authority of the state is the engine of the film’s plot, and Mann uses it to create a sense of tragedy rather than simple entertainment.
Trailer, via Universal Pictures.
Dillinger and Purvis
Depp plays Dillinger with a loose, charismatic energy. He is charming, funny, and dangerous in equal measure. The character is a natural performer, comfortable in front of a camera, and Depp captures that perfectly. His Dillinger is not a monster but a man who has found a way to live outside the law with dignity and wit.
Bale plays Purvis as a quiet, driven man who believes in the cause he serves. He is not a cartoon villain, though the film sometimes treats him as one. Purvis is dedicated to his work, and the movie shows him struggling with the moral weight of hunting a man who has become a folk hero. Bale brings a restrained intensity to the role, and his scenes with Depp are the emotional core of the film. The film spends significant screen time exploring the tension between the two men, and that exploration is where the movie’s strengths are most apparent.
The Chicago Sequence
The film’s centerpiece is a long sequence set in Chicago during the summer of 1933. Dillinger and his gang hide out in the city, staying in hotels and moving through the streets as the FBI closes in. The sequence is shot with a slow, deliberate pace that builds tension. Mann uses wide shots of the city and close-ups of the characters’ faces to create a sense of unease. This is where the film finds its rhythm, and it is easily the best part of the movie.
The scene where Dillinger visits his father’s grave is particularly effective. Depp’s performance here is quiet and controlled, and it shows the depth of the character’s attachment to his family even as he lives a life of crime. It is a moment that humanizes Dillinger without excusing his actions. The sequence also gives Mann a chance to show Dillinger’s softer side, and Depp’s restraint makes that side of the character all the more affecting.
The Chase Scenes
The action sequences are well staged, but they are not the film’s strongest element. Mann knows how to shoot a car chase, but the editing is sometimes too fast, cutting between shots in a way that makes the violence feel less immediate. The shootout at the Little Bohemia resort is a highlight, with Depp and Bale facing off in a tense standoff. The film also includes a memorable scene where Dillinger and his gang break out of a prison in Indiana, using dynamite to escape. These moments are exciting, but they are not as memorable as the quieter character work.
| Element | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Character development | Strong | Some characters feel underdeveloped |
| Historical setting | Well researched | Some liberties taken with the facts |
| Pace | Slow and deliberate | Can drag in the middle |
The Soundtrack
The score, composed by Danny Elfman, is sparse and atmospheric. Mann favors silence over music, letting the sound of gunfire, car engines, and crowds carry the emotional weight of the scenes. This approach works well in the Chicago sequence, where the absence of music heightens the tension. The film also uses period music, including jazz and popular songs from the 1930s, which helps ground the story in its time. The mix of period music and the occasional absence of music keeps the soundtrack from overwhelming the narrative.
The Ending
The film ends with Dillinger’s death. In the movie, he is killed in a movie theater in Chicago, where he had gone to see a film about himself. The irony is that the man who became a legend by defying the law was finally brought down by the very fame he had created. The ending is somber, and it leaves the audience with a sense of loss rather than triumph. It is a fitting conclusion to a film that has spent its runtime building up Dillinger as a tragic figure rather than a simple villain.
The Critical Reception
Public Enemies received mixed reviews from critics. Some praised the performances and the direction, while others felt the film was too slow and weighed down by its own ambition. The film was a commercial disappointment, failing to match the box office success of other crime dramas of the era. It is now considered a minor entry in Mann’s catalog, a film that tried to do something ambitious but fell short in execution.
The Final Verdict
Public Enemies is a flawed but compelling crime drama. It is anchored by strong performances from Depp and Bale, and it benefits from a director who understands how to stage large-scale action. The film’s pacing is uneven, and some of its historical liberties are jarring, but the central relationship between Dillinger and Purvis holds the movie together. It is a thoughtful, if imperfect, look at a fascinating moment in American history.
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