Public Enemies
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"Public Enemies" is a 2009 crime film directed by Michael Mann that dramatizes the life of notorious bank robber John Dillinger during the Great Depression. The film matters as an example of Mann's filmmaking style and explores themes of law enforcement, criminality, and the era of famous outlaws in American history.
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Film · TMDB
6.7Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger's charm and audacity endear him to much of America's downtrodden public, but he's also a thorn in the side of J. Edgar Hoover and the fledgling FBI. Desperate to capture the elusive outlaw, Hoover makes Dillinger his first Public Enemy Number One and assigns his top agent, Melvin Purvis, the task of bringing him in dead or alive.
Released: 2009-07-01140 minDir: Michael MannCrime, History, Drama
Cast
- Johnny Depp as John Dillinger
- Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis
- Marion Cotillard as Billie Frechette
- Jason Clarke as 'Red' Hamilton
- Rory Cochrane as Agent Carter Baum
- Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover
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Key dates
- Published
Article
Public Enemies is a 2009 American biographical crime film directed by Michael Mann, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ronan Bennett and Ann Biderman. It is an adaptation of Bryan Burrough's 2004 non-fiction book Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34. Set during the Great Depression, the film chronicles the final years of the notorious bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) as he is pursued by FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale), Dillinger's relationship with Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), as well as Purvis' pursuit of Dillinger's associates and fellow criminals John "Red" Hamilton (Jason Clarke), Homer Van Meter (Stephen Dorff), Harry Pierpont (David Wenham), and Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham).
Burrough originally intended to make a television miniseries about the Depression-era crime wave in the United States, but decided to write a book on the subject instead. Mann developed the project, and some scenes were filmed on location where they occurred, though the film is not entirely historically accurate. Public Enemies premiered in Chicago on June 19, 2009, and was released on July 1, 2009, by Universal Pictures. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed $214.1 million worldwide against an $80–100 million budget.