Review of The Public Enemy (1931) by Charles P — 06 Jan 2012

Using the same template as "Little Caesar", from one year previous, Warner Bros. improved on their story-telling technique and came up with an even better gangster film the second time around.

This movie detailed the rise and fall of an Irish gangster played by James Cagney in an iconic performance that made him a star and aided by a good supporting cast with the standout being Jean Harlow as the perfect gangster moll.

It's a good thing that this unusually tough gangster movie was made before "The Hays Code" was instituded because there's no way the extremely realistic and brutal final scene would have made it through the censorship code if it had been enforced at that particular time.

In my opinion, the toughest gangster film from that era. "Scarface" may have had more over the top violence but this film is more honest and cruel in its tough depiction of essentially the same theme.

A classic gangster film with the energetic Cagney searing the screen in every one of his scenes......Rating: 8.5/10..... 8).