‘I’m immortal, you punk! I’m
Dillinger!’
For United States it was an era of
1930s and great depression but that didn’t exist for one man who proclaimed his
name loud and clear every time he robbed the bank with his gang. FBI and
American Press claimed him title of Public Enemy No.1. With more than two dozen
bank robbery and twice escape from prison, John Herbert Dillinger was one of
the most notorious and most wanted organized crime legend that America had ever
seen and Hollywood keep repeating Dillinger bio-pic on screen from one or
another sources. The latest was Michael Mann’s Johnny Depp- Christian Bale
starrer ‘The Public Enemy’. I haven’t seen other films but
Mann’s film clearly seems like misnomer affair compared to this John Milius’
striking crime biopic.
Warren Oates made indelible
impression to me in one of my all-time favorite Peckinpah film ‘Bring Me the
Head of Alfredo Garcia’ and after watching him as Dillinger here, I must say
he’s one who’s irreplaceable here too from start to finish. The film is
narrated by cigar in mouth clad FBI officer Melvin Purvis, played brilliantly
here by Ben Johnson. Purvis was G-man backed by J. Edgar Hoover, who proved
nemesis for organized crime and after lot of struggle finally ended the rule of
Dillinger & Co.
What is most striking feature of the film is its uninhibited display of on your face violence ranging from the first violent and messy bank robbery or that long and mind-blowing machine gun trotting action sequence trap at dawn set by Purvis or the climax at theatre are just as shatteringly brutal and violent as watching the climax of ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ or Peckinpah classics. The camera and production design captures the feel of 1930’s America in frames like those classic noirs of 40s and 50s. The dialogues are loud but punchy, the pace is what it should be one expects from film of this genre and the music is appropriately moody. Along with capturing violence and action, the film also used B&W photographic montages to give it documenting feel. But above all this is film about Dillinger and Purvis and Oates and Johnson are men to watch, Depp and Bale seems kids to them.
What is most striking feature of the film is its uninhibited display of on your face violence ranging from the first violent and messy bank robbery or that long and mind-blowing machine gun trotting action sequence trap at dawn set by Purvis or the climax at theatre are just as shatteringly brutal and violent as watching the climax of ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ or Peckinpah classics. The camera and production design captures the feel of 1930’s America in frames like those classic noirs of 40s and 50s. The dialogues are loud but punchy, the pace is what it should be one expects from film of this genre and the music is appropriately moody. Along with capturing violence and action, the film also used B&W photographic montages to give it documenting feel. But above all this is film about Dillinger and Purvis and Oates and Johnson are men to watch, Depp and Bale seems kids to them.
Mandatory for all crime and
gangster film fans.
Ratings-7.5/10
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