Review of The Public Enemy (1931) by Matt M — 29 Oct 2013

Though it was made in 1931, it still feels as raw and hard hitting as it did back when it was released. There is a certain air of dangerous brutality about Wellman's film that is simply unparalleled and culminated with a final shocking sequence.

But the film is made electric by an essential James Cagney performance, that also feels like an ultimate anti-hero portrayal. Here, his Tom Powers is bigoted, selfish and seemingly unable to show remorse of any human emotion, yet Cagney's unparalleled magnetism makes him seem strangely and sinisterly appealing.

The Public Enemy is less then an hour and a half in length, yet it is a powerful and influential perfect round-up of the gangster film of the thirties, which went on to influence many similar films that followed it and famously angered censorship boards.