Public Enemies 2009

As the cinematic canvas unfurls in 1933, John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) arrives at Indiana State Prison under the guise of a common inmate, courtesy of his partner John “Red” Hamilton (Jason Clarke). The ruse is merely a precursor to a meticulously planned escape. Within the prison walls, a coterie of gang members, comprising Charles Makley (Christian Stolte), Harry Pierpont (David Wenham), Ed Shouse (Michael Vieau), Homer Van Meter (Stephen Dorff), and Walter Dietrich (James Russo), conspire to smuggle firearms into their temporary confinement. These contraband weapons are cleverly concealed within boxes of thread bound for the prison’s shirt factory, which they then utilize to take a few unsuspecting guards hostage. Under the watchful eyes of these newfound captives, the prisoners orchestrate a daring heist, marching the hostages to the changing rooms and relieving them of their uniforms at gunpoint.

Meanwhile, the warden, none other than Dillinger’s acquaintance, is caught off guard by the gang leader’s sudden admission of identity. With handcuffs sprung open, Dillinger and Hamilton seize shotguns, compelling the warden to grant access to the break room, whereupon the remaining inmates join in the fray. Chaos erupts as Shouse succumbs to a fit of rage, brutally assaulting a guard, while another unfortunate soul meets his demise at the hands of a stray bullet. As the ensuing shootout unfolds, the gang members make their escape, only for their plans to be momentarily foiled by the untimely demise of Walter Dietrich, felled by a sniper’s bullet as he prepares to board the getaway car.

In a separate narrative thread, Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) and his team of FBI agents are hot on the heels of Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum). As Floyd flees through an apple orchard, Purvis takes aim with his rifle, firing a single shot that narrowly misses its mark. Undeterred, the FBI agent resets his sights and fires again, this time striking true, mortally wounding the notorious outlaw.

Simultaneously, Dillinger’s gang finds refuge in a hideaway, where they are persuaded by the duplicitous Martin Zarkovich (John Michael Bolger), a corrupt Chicago cop, to lay low in the Windy City. There, they can expect solace from their underworld connections, including a Mafia car dealer and acquaintance of Dillinger’s, Anna Sage (Branka Katic).

As Dillinger, Pierpont, and Makley ascend the stairs to the Racine, Wisconsin bank, they adopt the inconspicuous attire of dull overcoats and bowler hats. Pierpont, the mastermind behind the operation, effortlessly subdues a bank guard, while Dillinger springs into action, snatching the bank manager from his desk and using him as a human shield to gain access to the vault. Makley meanwhile expertly clears cash from the teller cages into a waiting duffel bag. When the manager attempts to stall, Dillinger exercises his authority by striking him with his pistol, leaving him the choice between a heroic demise or a life of cowardice. The manager wisely complies.

Outside, Van Meter assumes the role of lookout, carefully concealing his rifle beneath his coat as he keeps watch for any signs of trouble. His attention is piqued when he hears the screech of tires and sees a car come to an abrupt halt in the middle of the street. He quietly slips into the doorway, using his rifle to discreetly signal the robbers inside that they have unwanted visitors. The trio, however, remains focused on their task, as the money bags are hastily tossed to Pierpont and Dillinger takes the bank manager hostage. With an air of reassurance, he addresses a customer, explaining, “I’m not here for your money, I’m here for the bank’s.”

Meanwhile, Hamilton, the getaway driver, checks his watch with a sense of urgency as the first police units arrive on the scene. As the officers emerge from their vehicle and rush towards the bank, Hamilton pulls forward just in time to provide cover for the fleeing robbers. When a cop reaches the door, Van Meter nonchalantly inquires, “What’s the problem?” before swiftly dispatching him with his rifle, striking him across the neck and securing him in a chokehold. With his left hand firmly grasping the officer’s right shoulder, he levels his rifle and opens fire on the police.

As panicked pedestrians flee the scene, Dillinger, Pierpont, and Makley emerge from the bank, each accompanied by their respective hostages. The shields held by the robbers effectively shield them from incoming fire until a lone detective decides to take matters into his own hands, firing his pistol in defiance. In response, the robbers unleash a hail of gunfire from their Thompson submachine guns, mowing down the police before speeding away and abandoning their hostages on the outskirts of town.

In the nation’s capital, J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup), Director of the Bureau of Investigation, is left reeling after his latest request for funding is rejected, fueled by a lifetime devoid of notable arrests. Frustrated and determined to transform his agency into a national law enforcement force, he meets with Purvis, tasking him with leading the manhunt for notorious outlaw John Dillinger, declaring war on crime in the process.

As Dillinger navigates the streets of Chicago, he crosses paths with Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard), his captivating love interest. With a flourish, he woos her by presenting her with a luxurious fur coat, and despite his criminal reputation, she finds herself hopelessly smitten. The couple’s whirlwind romance unfolds as they grow increasingly inseparable.

Meanwhile, Purvis and his team track the trail left by Dillinger, tracing the source of an overcoat gifted to a bank teller hostage and piecing together the identity of a car dealer. Their investigation leads them on a wild goose chase, culminating in a botched ambush at a hotel where they believe Dillinger is hiding out. In the ensuing chaos, agent Warren Barton falls victim to Baby Face Nelson’s (Stephen Graham) trigger-happy tendencies.

The very next day, Dillinger, Pierpont, and Makley stroll into yet another bank, their overcoats concealing their firearms. As they move in tandem, Dillinger brandishes pistols in each hand while Pierpont overwhelms a security guard, allowing the trio to secure the vault at gunpoint.

That night, Hoover is seen lambasting Purvis for his bungled attempt to apprehend Nelson, demanding that he bring in professional lawmen capable of capturing criminals dead or alive. These new recruits include Texas “cowboy” Charles Winstead (Stephen Lang), who later arrives at Union Station alongside Purvis and the rest of the team.

As Dillinger, Billie, and their cohorts lay low in Florida, taking in the excitement of a horse racing event, they eventually retreat to Tucson. In the midst of their downtime, Dillinger and Billie are suddenly interrupted by a trio of armed men who burst into their hotel room, arresting him without warning. Later, when Pierpont and Makley share their own arrest stories with Dillinger, he learns that a fire broke out in their hotel room, leaving the authorities to discover their abandoned firearms.

As Dillinger’s extradition to Indiana comes to fruition, he finds himself locked up in the Lake County Jail in Crown Point, awaiting trial. Louis Piquett, a cunning syndicate lawyer, convinces the judge to keep the notorious criminal behind bars, opting for a more secure and isolated environment. With his trial just a week away, Dillinger concocts an audacious plan with fellow inmate Herbert Youngblood, utilizing a cleverly crafted wooden gun to deceive a guard into unlocking his cell. The pair then overpowers the other guards and makes their escape in Sheriff Lillian Holley’s car, leaving behind the confines of the jail.

Meanwhile, Dillinger is thwarted in his attempts to reunite with Frechette, who is under tight surveillance by authorities. His reputation preceding him, Dillinger learns that Frank Nitti’s Chicago Outfit associates are reluctant to provide assistance, their lucrative bookmaking racket imperiled by the government’s increasing efforts to prosecute interstate crimes as a federal offense. This shift in sentiment stems directly from Dillinger’s high-profile criminal exploits, which have sparked a national crisis.

Seeking new opportunities and alliances, Dillinger crosses paths with Tommy Carroll (Spencer Garrett) at a local movie theater, accompanied by Ed Shouse, who hopes to rejoin the gang. Carroll goads Dillinger into a bank robbery in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, promising a substantial haul. Despite his reservations about Baby Face Nelson’s involvement, whom he does not hold in high esteem, Dillinger agrees to participate, driven by his desire to utilize the spoils to facilitate Pierpont and Makley’s prison break.

As the motorcycle cop comes to a halt on the street corner, the assembled pedestrians are transfixed by the unfolding drama. Suddenly, the air is punctuated by the staccato rhythm of gunfire, and the officer falls to the ground, struck four times. The cacophony is none other than Nelson, unleashing a hail of bullets from within the bank’s confines. His triumphant cry of “I got one!” is followed by maniacal laughter as he peppers the ceiling with more shots. Outside, Van Meter’s reaction is swift and calculating, as he seizes a hostage to facilitate their escape. Meanwhile, inside the bank, Dillinger and his cohorts exchange glances, seemingly perplexed by the sudden turn of events. Frustration sets in as they realize their haul is far from sufficient, prompting Dillinger to snatch the bank manager and other hostages, ultimately leading them out into the fray.

As they make their escape, Nelson’s trigger finger becomes unhinged, sparking a chaotic shootout with police and vigilantes throughout the street. Dillinger takes a bullet in the arm, while Carroll suffers a fatal head wound, left for dead amidst the mayhem. The gang retreats to the Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin, seeking solace from their failed heist. There, Dillinger expresses hope of freeing his imprisoned cohorts, including Pierpont and Makley, but Red’s skepticism proves a dampening influence.

In a desperate bid to extract information, Purvis and his men apprehend the wounded Carroll, subjecting him to brutal interrogation in an effort to pinpoint the rest of the gang’s location. Despite the doctor’s pleas for medical attention, Purvis threatens to charge Carroll with obstruction if he doesn’t cooperate. The authorities arrive at Little Bohemia, only to orchestrate another botched ambush. In the ensuing chaos, a departing car is mistakenly identified as the robbers’ vehicle, resulting in the tragic loss of innocent lives and inadvertently alerting those within the lodge.

As Dillinger and Red make separate escapes from Nelson’s clutches, they find themselves pursued by Agents Charles Winstead and Clarence Hurt (Don Frye), who engage them in a grueling foot chase through the woods. The two lawmen exchange gunfire with their quarry in a desperate bid to apprehend them, ultimately leaving Red mortally wounded in their wake.

As Nelson’s escapades continue, he finds himself entangled in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse. Down a winding road, a brutal confrontation unfolds as Nelson shoots and kills Carter Baum (Rory Cochrane) and commandeers his vehicle. Purvis and Johnny Madala seize the opportunity to join the chase, jumping onto an arriving BOI car as they pursue Nelson, who has picked up Shouse and Van Meter. The ensuing showdown sees Purvis unleash a hail of gunfire from the running boards of the BOI car, while Van Meter returns fire with a BAR rifle until it malfunctions. As the gangsters’ car skids off the road and flips over twice before coming to a halt in a nearby field, Shouse is tragically killed in the crash. Van Meter attempts to make a break for it, but Purvis cuts him down. Nelson, undeterred by his comrades’ demise, opens fire once more, only to be met with a barrage of bullets from Purvis and Madala. The agents’ relentless gunfire ultimately proves too much for Nelson, who falls to the ground, defeated.

Meanwhile, Dillinger and Hamilton pilfer a farmer’s vehicle and make their getaway, but fate is not on their side - Hamilton meets his untimely demise later that night, and Dillinger is forced to lay him to rest in a makeshift grave, using lye to cover his body. The events of the day weigh heavily on Dillinger’s conscience as he confides in Frechette about his plans to pull off one final heist, hoping it will be enough to secure their freedom together. However, his hopes are cruelly dashed when he watches helplessly as she is apprehended by the authorities.

In a separate development, Agent Harold Reinecke (Adam Mucci) subjects Frechette to a brutal beating in an attempt to extract information about Dillinger’s whereabouts, but she remains resolute in her silence. Purvis and Winstead arrive on the scene, their anger palpable as they put a stop to the interrogation. As Dillinger navigates the treacherous landscape, he crosses paths with Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi), who tries to recruit him for a lucrative train robbery with his associates, the Barker Gang. However, Dillinger’s thoughts are consumed by Billie, as a cryptic message from her lawyer, Louis Piquett (Peter Gerety), warns him against attempting to rescue her from prison.

In a surprising turn of events, Purvis enlists the help of Anna Sage, a desperate individual seeking to avoid deportation and willing to play both sides in order to stay in the United States.

As the credits rolled on Manhattan Melodrama, John Dillinger (actor’s name), accompanied by his cohorts Sage and Polly Hamilton, exited the Biograph Theater. Little did they know, a trap was waiting for them outside. The agents, led by the relentless Melvin Purvis, closed in. Dillinger, sensing danger, reached for his gun, but it was too late. A hail of bullets rained down on him, leaving at least four distinct marks on his body. Two glancing blows only grazed him, another pierced his chest, while a fourth and fatal shot tore through the back of his head, shredding his spinal cord, brain, and finally emerging above his right eye. As Dillinger lay dying, Winstead leaned in to listen for any final words, but reported to Purvis that there was nothing audible.

The aftermath of this tragic event saw Winstead reunite with Frechette behind prison walls. He revealed to her that Dillinger’s parting words were a poignant “Tell Billie for me, ‘Bye bye Blackbird.’” The narrative concludes by highlighting the significant impact of these events on the key players involved. Melvin Purvis, worn down by the relentless pursuit of his targets, eventually left the FBI and met an untimely demise in 1960. Billie, meanwhile, spent the remainder of her life in Wisconsin following her release in 1936, ultimately passing away in 1970. The curtain closes on a somber note, underscoring the devastating consequences of Dillinger’s demise.