Public Enemies is a gangster action movie directed veteran Michael Mann. The film is adapted from non-fiction book Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34 by Bryan Burrough. Michael Mann as we know in the past decade has been producing quality crime film like Heat (1995) and The Insider (1999). The film stars two current megastar actors Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, accompanied by mid-board actors such as Marion Cotillard, David Wenham, Billy Crudup and Stephen Dorff.
The story of the film is based on a true story set in 1933 when the Americans had a bleak period due to the great depression as well as the increasingly rampant crime. John Dillinger (Depp), Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd are among the most wanted bank robbers in America. The FBI appointed agent Melvin Purvis (Bale) to hunt down Dillinger et al after recently he successfully hunted Floyd. Throughout the film depicts Dillinger's actions in bank robberies and Purvis's pursuit of criminals.
There is not much we can talk about about the movie plot. The plot has a lot of resemblance to the previous Mann directions, the Heat. The difference is only more concise. Almost three-quarters of the duration of the film is purely a show of chase and cats between Dillinger et al and the FBI. Scene after scene flows briefly and rarely linger with the characters. Such a fast storyline does not allow the audience to dissolve on every character in the movie. Even until the spice romance was presented with a succinct. See how Dillinger quickly captivated Billie Frechette (Marion Cottilard), the woman he had just met, to be his partner. The result, chemistry that woke between the two so fragile even to the end of the film. Another important moment when Dilliger meets face for the first time with Purvis. The moment that should feel very-very emotional just feels just flat. Try to compare with the Heat when the characters Al Pacino and Robert De Niro for the first time face to face, the scene is simple but able to be presented so emotionally. I do not know what the filmmaker is clear this film does not emphasize the dramatic element.
Plots that solely emphasize the action more complete with the use of handheld camera techniques and digital format (HD). The filmmaker tried different this time by not using the usual celluloid (35mm) format, and the result, the presented image has a "blur" tone like a documentary (tv news). Handheld camera technique plus digital format capable of presenting images that have a feel of realism so thick. This combination of techniques looks so special especially in its action sequences. The shooting sequences on the streets are presented as realistic as if "live" is displayed directly in our eyes. One more technical aspect that is very supportive is the effect of the sound of a series of machine guns that are so convincing that it seems like a shoot-out action is really happening near us. Guaranteed the sound of shots will be able to make you startled and jump from the stands.
Speaking of casting anyone would expect a lot of acting between two current superstars, Depp and Bale. But in fact, the script is minimal drama elements and more emphasis on action to make the appearance of two actors is far below their performance. Depp as Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean) is still much more charismatic than the character John Dillinger. Depp itself seems still less violent, cold, and cruel as Dillinger figure. While the fate of Bale is not much different even though this time he can be separated from the character Bruce Wayne (Batman). They both seem to have acted maximally in the movie. Mann seems to want to try to repeat the successHeat who pitted the acting of two Hollywood legends, De Niro and Pacino, but the treatment of this movie plot clearly does not allow the players to achieve the same. If De Niro and Pacino are playing even though the result will be the same.
Public Enemies it seems more fitting is called action film rather than gangster. The sound of gunfire and the roar of the vehicle engine speaks more than dialogue. A cinematic approach that uses the "documentary" tone actually puts the distance between the characters with us (the audience). We seem to have seen the recasting of the past (history) events so well designed. It could be the element of realism is what the filmmaker wants to achieve, in fact the packaging of the film is much more interesting than the content (story) of the film. As a closing remark, I am a heavy admirer of the Heat and The Insidadians after these two films the filmmaker seems to have lost his touch.
Thank you