Public Enemies: The Rise of John Dillinger and Americas Crime Wave

Well now, let me tell ya a thing or two ’bout a movie called Public Enemies. Now this here flick, it’s all about them big ol’ criminals and the lawmen chasin’ ’em down. It’s set back in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, when things was real tough. Now, back then, folks didn’t have much to hold onto, but they sure did have criminals, and big ones at that. The movie, it’s a little dry, might not keep ya on the edge of your seat the whole time, but it’s got a story to tell, and it’s somethin’ you’ll wanna hear.

The story revolves around a fella named John Dillinger. Now, this here man was no stranger to trouble. He was born in a little town called Mooresville, Indiana, and I reckon he didn’t have an easy time growin’ up. His mama died when he was just a tiny feller, and his daddy, well, he weren’t much of a kind one. Beat him a lot, tryin’ to make him tough, but that only made him go down the wrong road. Folks said Dillinger had a taste for the finer things in life – fast cars, whiskey, good clothes – and he sure had a way with robbin’ banks. I hear tell he even had himself a soft spot for movies. Now, if that ain’t a picture of a man that had it all, I don’t know what is.

Now, this fella, Dillinger, he wasn’t alone in all this crime business. No sir. He had a whole crew of outlaws, and they was all called Public Enemies by the FBI. Folks like Baby Face Nelson, Bonnie and Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Machine Gun Kelly – just a whole bunch of them folks who didn’t mind breakin’ the law one bit. And them lawmen, they was workin’ hard, day and night, tryin’ to catch ’em. It was a real mess, you see.

Public Enemies is based on a book written by a fella named Bryan Burrough, and they turned it into a movie in 2009. Directed by Michael Mann, it’s a crime drama with plenty of shootouts and chases, though I’d say it might leave ya a little wanting more. There’s a lot of action, sure, but sometimes it feels like they’re just rushin’ through things. They show ya the last years of John Dillinger’s life, and well, it’s over a little too quick, like a meal that ain’t cooked long enough.

The film tells ya about the birth of the FBI too, how they came to be what they are now. Back then, they was just startin’ out, but they were mighty serious about catchin’ them criminals. They had to be. The country was in a tough spot, and folks was lookin’ for someone to blame. The movie doesn’t just show ya the bad side of these criminals, though. It gives ya a peek into their lives, their struggles, and what made ‘em turn to crime. It ain’t all black and white, y’know.

The actors in the movie do a fine job. Johnny Depp plays Dillinger, and let me tell ya, he gives that role a lot of flair. There’s also Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis, a lawman with the FBI, tryin’ his darndest to catch all them criminals. Now, I’d say Depp and Bale do good in their roles, but the movie itself doesn’t have that much heart. It’s like a good stew that ain’t quite simmered long enough – it could’ve used more time to cook, if you ask me.

But still, the movie shows ya the dirty business of crime during the Great Depression. People was desperate back then, and desperate times make desperate folks. John Dillinger and his gang, they was symbols of that desperation. They didn’t have much to lose, so they went after whatever they could get their hands on. The banks, the riches – all of it. But no matter how fast they ran, they couldn’t outrun the law for long. It’s a story of cat and mouse, and in the end, well, the mouse gets caught.

• Public Enemies is about famous criminals like John Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, and Pretty Boy Floyd.
• It shows how the FBI started catchin’ criminals during the Great Depression.
• The movie gives ya a good look at Dillinger’s life, but it doesn’t dig deep enough into the heart of it.
• Johnny Depp plays John Dillinger, and he does a fine job, though the movie feels rushed at times.
• The story of crime and lawmen in the 1930s is told with plenty of action, but it could’ve used more depth.

Now, I ain’t sayin’ it’s the best movie out there, but it sure does give ya a taste of history, and that’s somethin’ worth watchin’. So, if you like stories ‘bout outlaws and lawmen, and you don’t mind a bit of a dry film, Public Enemies might be just what you’re lookin’ for.

Tags: [John Dillinger, Public Enemies, crime, FBI, 1930s, Great Depression, Bonnie and Clyde, Johnny Depp, Michael Mann, crime drama, history]