The Public Enemy | Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy (II)

The Public Enemy | Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy (II) | The Ultimate Tough Guy

DVDs:

The Public Enemy

	The Public Enemy Edgar Bergen, Charlie McCarthy (II) Warner Home Video, 2005 average customer review:based on 46 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

James Cagney gives a tour-de-force performance in his tough-guy portrayal of a petty hoodlum who rises to big-time gangster.Running Time: 82 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 012569690622

WILLIAM A. WELLMAN, OPUS 23

***** 1931. Directed by William A. Wellman. The screenplay earned an Academy award nomination. During the prohibition, Tom Powers and Matt Doyle become part of the Paddy Ryan gang and enjoy the mobster life. For a while. Cagney, Harlow and Blondell are great in this film any movie lover should own. At least, two scenes of THE PUBLIC ENEMY are already part of history: the grapefruit squeezed over the face of James Cagney's girl-friend and the final apparition of Cagney more spectacular than any movie of THE MUMMY serie. Masterpiece.

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The Ultimate Tough Guy

Tom Powers (James Cagney) is a heel and has been ever since childhood when he and his friend Matt Doyle (Edward Woods) used to steal beer and torment the neighborhood. Now he's all grown up and he has moved on to bigger but not better things. From manhandling his women (Mae Clarke) to murdering old pals, Tom is nothing short of a terror. In spite of his nastiness, one can't help but like him and hope that he gets away with his terrible deeds.

The use of violence in the film is interesting. We never really see anything happening until the very end, which makes for more powerful scenes. The crimes committed are no different than those in modern gangster movies; the difference is the amount of the acts that we are allowed to see. In some ways, the subtlety is more moving, and William Wellman creates some beautiful scenes in spite of the seedy subject matter.

Also appearing are Joan Blondell and Jean Harlow who had spectacular careers after this film. By this time, Blondell had appeared in two movies with Cagney and was an expert actress. Harlow was just starting out and it shows. However, it is interesting to see her in this early role before she adopted the fast-talking persona that made her a star.

It is interesting to note that although this movie depicts and sometimes glorifies the life of a gangster through the charm of Cagney, it warns against it. Modern movies have dumped this part of the gangster film but have expanded on the other parts.

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A great film

Amazingly this film came out the same year as 'Little Ceasar'. Two great and highly influential gangster movies released in 1931.

The most obvious film that this influenced was Scorsese's Goodfellas. Cagney's character is Tommy (Tommy is Joe Pesci). The first ten minutes of the film are two boys learning how to be gangsters. Its the same in Goodfellas. Robert DeNiro played Jimmy Conway. 'Nails' Nathan is Jimmy. Both play the older guy looking after their younger compatriates.

The film itself is well structured, with unusually strong parts for women, which are helped by, for the time a brilliant script. William Wellman directs with style and perhaps saves the best until the last scene which is quite shocking even to this day.

For 1931 this is a remarkable film, and its influence remains to this day.

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Classic Period Piece

Public Ememy is a classic "period piece" that takes you back to that time & place in American history (which is what the truely great period movies do) and it still "hold up well" even though it is going on 80 years old.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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