Review of The Public Enemy (1931) by Matt P — 05 Oct 2010
Like most gangster pictures of that time, The Public Enemy follows the same basic plot structure, but does it in a way that forms a narrative rather then a simple story of an unsympathetic hoodlum. We watch Tom Powers grow from a small troublesome boy, to a dangerous, psychotic killer who does hits and odd-jobs for a living.
The story was both realistic, and compelling. We knew in the end the bad guy always gets it, but this time we really saw it from the bad-guy's POV. That is, we understood where he came from when he was a small boy.
It was fascinating to see how Cagney could re-create the period so perfectly. He depicted a character that was disturbing, yet the kind of character that's fun to watch onscreen. That is, he steals the show prominently.
I hadn't expected much from The Public Enemy, comparing it to other films at the time it was made of the same genre. The comparison is almost futile. Cagney's performance and Wellman's contemporary camera work are ahead of most gangster movies of that time.
And although the character and story have been seen before, here is a character that Cagney invented alone, that it not generic, and does NOT have a typical pompous attitude. He gives the audience a great show.
This review of The Public Enemy (1931) was written by Matt P on 05 Oct 2010.
The Public Enemy has generally received very positive reviews.
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