Public Ememies on Film

Rating: 10/10 (5 March 2011)

I love this movie for so many good reasons; great cast, subject matter, really talented director, Johnny Depp and Christian Bale in the same movie (Bale will always be American Psycho's reason for the stupid book having ever been written, my opinion) playing Good V. Evil and without really glamorizing either side, etc. My biggest smile while watching this film really comes from it's portrayal of agency (FBI in this case) dudes in a decidedly cold, psychopathic and wholly believable light , due to it's rarity actually and if torturing and beating people is heroic in anyone's American dream they must be agency themselves. The scene in which Pretty Boy Floyd is actually hunted, or chased down unarmed by Purvis in what appears to me as more of an orchestrated target practice by the terrified expression on Floyd's face (not an actual historic account, but metaphorically building some character development for our FBI characters here as they have no personality beyond extreme vanity) although he was actually the bank robber of that period that was most definitely shot down in cold blood. I've done my share of light research on the subject and the nutty trivia isn't necessary. Dillinger was never convicted of murder. Why wouldn't people find his death (and the whole crime scene was tampered with so much that it couldn't have been accidental)while (I guess he should have been more careful?!) out at the MOVIES? Hmmm...good thing I don't make scripts and produce movies as my version would suck, surely. The subtlety and obvious real interest in the really intriguing details, while allowing so many details to be historically inaccurate because nothing has really changed that much for America's big crime and punishment perspective, even with the internet.
Johnny Depp is one of the most gifted actors of our time. Christian Bale was cold as ice and every bit the psychopath without the dancing and chainsaw. As far as the many noted scenes where cars, signs and other markers of the time like popular music and type fonts; details that were purposely done as the film called for to maybe show that the story could happen any time and now, rather than as a documentary would require. I think the sheer number of them should get the point across to most who like film, yet some just don't get how that stuff conveys actual messages that are somehow undetectable to those who might keep the thing from being made, so long as that message is wordless and coupled with friendly interviews (why wouldn't anyone do so for research anyway?)and lack of conspiracy theories or obvious moral questions. Actually, it wouldn't be very good and some website already said the same thing with way less work, by a CIA agent! The Hoover impression was both perfectly creepy and hilarious at the same time.