In the action-thriller Public Enemies, Michael Mann directs Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and Academy Award® winner Marion Cotillard in the fascinating and factual story of infamous Depression bank robber John Dillinger (Depp), the charismatic bank blagger whose daring raids made him the most wanted of J. Edgar Hoover’s newly formed FBI and its top G-Man, Melvin Purvis (Bale). Dillinger was a folk hero to much of the downtrodden people of the time. No one could stop him. No gaol could hold him. His charm and bold prison breaks made him almost loved almost everyone from his girlfriend Billie Frechette (Cotillard) to the US public who hated for the banks that had sent the country spiralling down into the Depression. (No relevance to today then…)
But while the exploits of Dillinger’s gang, later including the madman Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) excited many, Hoover decided to capitalise on the pursuit of Dillinger as a way to promote his Bureau of Investigation into the federal law enforcement agency that became the FBI. He made Dillinger America’s first Public Enemy Number One. Hoover despatched Purvis, the “Clark Gable of the FBI”, to sort it out. Nevertheless, the Dillinger gang outthought and outfought Purvis’ men in manic chases and firefights. Only after recruiting a crew of Western ex-lawmen (newly enrolled as agents) who were real gunfighters, and planning and executing a notorious betrayal from the infamous “Lady in Red” on the Chicago crime boss Frank Nittiwere, were Purvis and the FBI able to catch up with Dillinger.
Watch online or download Public Enemies now.
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