Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Public Enemies Blu-ray Movie Review

Mann's barebones period piece turns out to be an enthralling character drama...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 2, 2009

Filmmaker Michael Mann has built his career on adversarial relationships. In Manhunter, a former FBI agent is forced to consult with one serial killer to catch another, madmen whose twisted intellects rival yet repulse his own. In Heat, a volatile detective is in pursuit of a meticulous master thief, a man who under different circumstances could have easily been a close friend. In The Insider, a whistle blower has little choice but to turn to a shrewd reporter for help, a journalist whose handling of the story gives him pause. In Collateral, a good-natured cabbie has to outwit a hitman intent on using him as a pawn, polar opposites stuck on a path toward mutual self-destruction. In Miami Vice, the director's iconic detectives have to venture deep within the criminal underworld in an effort to further cleanse a city they've sworn to protect. And so we come to Public Enemies. Both a rapidfire period piece and an intriguing glimpse into lawman Melvin Purvis' hunt for notorious criminal John Dillinger, Mann's latest film deals with strikingly similar themes, relationships, and conflicts. Thankfully, the accomplished director avoids repeating himself, once again delivering an engrossing dual-character study that's often as captivating as it is intense.

Dillinger robbed more than two dozen banks in his sordid career...

1933. The Great Depression, after ravaging a despondent American economy, begins taking its toll on a populous now fraught with despair. It's in these desperate times that John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) -- bank robber, murderer, and hard-edged opportunist -- retreats to Chicago in the hopes that the local mafia will shelter him from the law. Elsewhere, a soft-spoken Bureau of Investigation agent named Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) is asked to hunt down Dillinger by none other than J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) himself. Hoover is as much an opportunist as Dillinger, but Purvis agrees, with the concession that the Bureau Director assign him a team of skilled agents. Using groundbreaking investigation techniques that seem positively quaint by today's standards, the persistent lawman succeeds in capturing Dillinger, a triumph quickly undermined by the penal system's failure to hold onto him. But after such a daring, high-profile escape, Dillinger finds his mafia connections in Chicago have turned their backs, leaving him to rely on his own wits and loyal gang members, including confidant and close friend John "Red" Hamilton (Brotherhood's talented Jason Clarke). In true Michael Mann style, Purvis and Dillinger are in constant opposition. While the two only appear together in a handful of scenes, each man's presence is continually felt by the other. It all leads to a climactic but tragic third act in which bullets fly, bodies fall, and lives are altered forever.

Like Pacino and De Niro in Heat, Depp and Bale bring such nuance and thoughtfulness to their separate roles that criticism about Mann's decision to forgo historical context and character origins is ultimately rendered moot. Public Enemies opens with events well underway and never pauses to fill in the blanks a more traditional period film would, but it forces viewers to focus solely on the men at the heart of the tale. The era is simply a component of the setting, the weathered warriors at its center are what Mann truly cares about. It's an interesting direction, one that will certainly leave some filmfans in a foul mood, but it effectively transforms Purvis and Dillinger into towering titans; incarnations of the straight-and-narrow and the bent-and-distended who seem to follow their paths because they aren't equipped to do anything else. To that end, Depp and Bale deliver bold, unexpectedly delicate and sophisticated performances that allow the actors to disappear within their characters. Depp sizzles with sharp wit, brazen gestures, and measured outbursts. His Dillinger is a refreshingly honest criminal, prone to loyalty and love, but is never presented as the folk hero so many considered him to be at the time. It's clear a flick of his wrist could end the life of anyone in his way, and his true motivations are rarely called into question. By contrast, Bale simmers with quiet frustration and stoic resolve. His reserved performance could easily be mistaken for apathy, but further examination reveals just how committed to portraying Purvis as he really was becomes oh-so-apparent. Bale is a chameleon by trade and his mastery of his craft is a sight to behold.

Still, I can't help but feel Mann squandered several perfect opportunities to push things further. Crudup, after establishing Hoover as a third cog in the director's at-times profound character drama, all but disappears, leaving many a stone unturned that would have added another dimension to the film. The same is true of actress Marion Cotillard and her moving performance as the love of Dillinger's late life, Billie Frechette. Her scenes are stunning, but her appearances are few. As for the story, I enjoyed being dropped into the middle of a mounting manhunt and being asked to find my own bearings. However, Mann takes little time to establish the atmosphere of the Great Depression. For such a hopeless era, he doesn't devote enough screentime to the average people who supposedly found Dillinger so fascinating. Too many dots are left unconnected; facets that would have made the story more cohesive, resonant, and relevant. Even so, I can't help but be smitten with Public Enemies as it is. With a smartly penned screenplay, commanding performances, gorgeous cinematography, a memorable score, and a slew of startling shootouts, it's a film I'll revisit again soon.

Public Enemies Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As he did with Collateral and Miami Vice, Mann shot the majority of Public Enemies with high definition cameras. The resulting image boasts greater detail and more revealing delineation, sure, but it also suffers from a harsh, digitized sheen (rife with shimmering hair and underbrush) that, at times, seems at complete odds with the subjects and era at hand. Still, regardless of one's appreciation or distaste for Mann's decision, it's difficult to deny the quality of Univeral's 1080p/VC-1 transfer. Colors, though regularly bathed in warm oranges and crisp whites, are rich and rewarding, skintones are convincing, and blacks are nearly bottomless. Likewise, textures are incredibly refined (particularly in close-ups) and foreground objects pop, lending the presentation a series of striking, occasionally jaw-dropping showcase shots. It helps that artifacting, banding, and crush are never an issue (well, aside from a lingering red light haunted by macroblocking), and source noise, while a bit more intrusive in some scenes (the worst of which occurs during a late-night shootout and subsequent car chase), isn't a significant problem.

My only legitimate complaint? As seems to be the case with many a Universal transfer, edge enhancement has been applied liberally, cursing high-contrast sequences and wide shots with obvious, sometimes distracting ringing. It certainly doesn't spoil the proceedings, but it does hinder the overall impact of Dante Spinotti's razor-sharp photography, even if ever so slightly. All things considered, the Blu-ray edition of Public Enemies remains quite faithful to Mann's vision and should please fans accordingly.

Public Enemies Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Let me cut to the chase. Public Enemies storms Blu-ray with a thundering yet nuanced DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track; one that renders gunfire as deafening and frightening as it should be. Unlike Transformers 2, G.I. Joe, and other Bay-inspired modern mixes, Mann's film draws listeners in with subtly and silence before assaulting them with roaring shotgun blasts and spewing Tommy Guns. The LFE channel is tremendously successful, imbuing everything from shootouts to the swell of Elliot Goldenthal's score with genuine presence. I wouldn't watch this one if anyone in your house is hoping to get some sleep. Even so, dialogue is clean and intelligible, rear speaker activity is involving, and the soundfield continually wraps its burly arms around all those in the vicinity. Pans are just as proficient; effects practically dance from speaker to speaker. Granted, directionality is a tad spotty and several scenes are strangely front-heavy (Dillinger's first press conference is surprisingly two-dimensional), but interior acoustics are, more often than not, believable (especially when it comes to the film's prisons, banks, and hotels). Even though some viewers will need to keep their fingers hovering over the volume buttons on their remotes, it's difficult to deny that Public Enemies sounds fantastic. Enjoy, dear readers, enjoy.

Public Enemies Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Public Enemies serves up a generous collection of supplemental features, all of which are presented in high definition. Better still, Universal has gone beyond the confines of the standard DVD edition's content and added quite a few quality exclusives to the package, chief among them a rewarding Picture-in-Picture track. BD-Live functionality, My Scenes bookmarking, D-Box support, and a Digital Copy round out the set. A feature-length Purvis/Dillinger documentary would have left a bigger grin on my face, but I was happy with the set nonetheless.

• U-Control Features: After breezing past Public Enemies' admittedly decent interactive historical timeline, I dove right into Universal's meaty Picture-in-Picture track; an absorbing experience brimming with behind-the-scenes featurettes, interviews, production insights, and a wealth of additional supplemental material, most of which doesn't appear anywhere else. While there are stretches of film devoid of PiP content, fifteen of the disc's twenty chapters offer relatively lengthy, well-conceived videos.
• Audio Commentary: Director Michael Mann delivers a strong, informative commentary, detailing the genesis of Public Enemies, his work with the cast, his aesthetic and thematic choices, his vision of Purvis and Dillinger's relationship, and his thoughts on the era and its titans. He grows quiet far too often, but when he speaks it's with authority and intent. While it isn't as chatty as most commentary junkies would have preferred, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the entire track.
• Michael Mann: Making Public Enemies (HD, 21 minutes): This satisfying behind-the-scenes documentary digs into the production challenges Mann had to overcome, the tone and style he brought to the film, and the story and characters he used to bring it all to life on the screen. Peppered with interviews and candid on-set footage, it's both engaging and extensive.
• Last of the Legendary Outlaws (HD, 9 minutes): Mann, Depp, and other key members of the cast and crew discuss John Dillinger, his exploits, his personality, and the era that gave birth to his particular breed of criminal.
• On Dillinger's Trail: The Real Locations (HD, 10 minutes): As self-explanatory as they come, this short offers fans a tour of the various landmarks, prisons, and locales featured throughout the film, and examines the set dressings and restoration techniques used to renew their dilapidated interiors.
• Criminal Technology (HD, 10 minutes): Better weapons, faster cars, and a brazen spirit. Explore the tools and advances Dillinger used to rise to the top, as well as the many ways he left pursuing law enforcement officials in the dust.
• Gangster Movie Challenge: Six rounds, ten questions per round. How much do you know about Public Enemies, American Gangster, Casino, Carlito's Way, and Scarface? How high can you score in this interactive trivia game?
• Larger than Life: Adversaries (HD, 10 minutes): Mann, Depp, and Bale helm this brief, synopsis-heavy featurette that looks at the real men that inspired the film.
• Pocket Blu Interactivity: An iPod touch and iPhone application that allows compatible devices to act as a remote control, a keyboard, and a mobile station for viewing bonus content.
• My Scenes Bookmarking
• Universal News Ticker
• BD-Live Functionality

Public Enemies Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While impressions of Public Enemies will vary wildly, Mann has delivered another memorable dual-character study, this one set during the equally fascinating era of the Great Depression. What it lacks in context and depth, it acquires with visceral imagery and exceptional performances; where it fails to provide insight, it offers sincerity and conviction. Universal's Blu-ray release is just as impressive, presenting fans with a strong video transfer, a booming DTS-HD Master Audio track, and a healthy batch of supplemental features. I couldn't ask for much more.