Stupendous gangster movie about Dilillinger and his band with violent , rough gun battles

Rating: 7/10 (4 December 2010)

This is the most known and modern version based on the real life of notorious gangster of the 30s and follows Dillinger's midway through the criminal activities until his death outside Biograph Theatre . Based on the violent career of John Dillinger and his gang , this is a Dillinger biography who roamed US , terrifying the Midwest, robbing banks and killing . It is brought to life in this heavily romanticized story about the most colorful period of criminality in America . It's set during Depression era , when any job , even illegal one , was cherished and greed , money and power originated an interminable cycle of fury and violence . John Dillinger is magnetically played by Johnny Depp , he became number one public enemy and Melvin Purvis (Christian Slater), as a tough G-Man under direct orders of Edward Hoover (Billy Cudrup). Depp and the support cast (as Stephen Lang , Rory Cochrane, John Ortiz , among others) turn fine performances in this enjoyable account of the criminal life . It receives an extremely strong and thrilling fast-paced treatment , almost too violent ; gripping and intense at the time , but remains impressive and brilliant and not easily forgotten and never lets up .
The film starts on half his criminal career , Dillinger didn't stop his criminal rampage until a single FBI agent worked to chase the crime boss . After the spectacular escape from Lima (Ohio) prison , Dillinger falls in love with gorgeous Evelyn Billie Trechette (Marion Cotillard) and along with his band hold up a bank in Racine (Wisconsin), and rob the First National Bank of Chicago East , Indiana . But Dillinger is trapped in Tucson and moved to Crown Point (Indiana) . He's sent prison and in spite of security taken by 50 policemen and the National Guardsmen , he breaks out with a gun of wood . Then , he created a new band formed by Hamilton (Jason Clarke) , Pierpont (David Wenham), Homer Van Meeter (Stephen Dorff) , Eddie Green , McKeley , Tommy Carroll , Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi), Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum) and Lester Gilles , alias Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham) . They going on robbing banks , such as the Security National Bank and Trust of Sioux falls in Dakota South and the Merchant's National Bank of South Bend , Indiana . Other starring in the final chase of Dillinger , is Anna Sage (Katic) 'The lady in red' a Rumanian immigrant submitted possible deportation and she double-crossed him and informed to Melvin Purvis about the outlet from Biograph theatre where found Dillinger . Finally 'The lady in red' was deported to Romania in 1935 and never returned to America . Evelyn Trechette and John Dillinger Sr toured the country in 1935 with a show called 'Crime does not pay', she died as a spinster on an Indian reservation in 1969 . Harry Pierpont was jailed and condemned electric chair , Van Meeter , Mckley , Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson surrounded by policemen were shot to death . Marvin Purvis quited the FBI after Dillinger case and went into private business. He shot himself in 1961 with the same gun he used to kill Dillinger . Dillinger new address the combat silhouette targets used by the FBI.
This solid gangster flick is packed with a luxurious and glamorous cinematography by Dante Spinotti . Thrilling and evocative musical score by Elliot Goldenthal . The movie was professionally directed and produced (along with Robert De Niro) by Michael Mann , author of excellent films as ¨The last Mohican , Heat , The insider , Hunter¨ and many others . Other adaptations about this know story, are the following : 'Dillinger(1945)' one of the best B films of its kind , directed by Noel Nosseck with Laurence Tierney and Anne Jeffreys ; 'Young Dillinger'(1965) by Terry Morse with Nick Adams; 'Lady in Red'(1979) by Lewis Teague with Robert Conrad and Pamela Sue Martin ; Dillinger (TV, 1991) with Mark Harmon and Sherilyn Fenn and 'Dillinger and Capone' by John Purdy with Martin Sheen and F. Murray Abraham and specially known the classic version (1973) directed by John Milius with Warren Oates , Michelle Philips, Steve Kanaly and Richard Dreyfuss.