Present day films set in the 20’s and 30’s make Life appear much cleaner than it ever really was.
Weren’t no colors like now.
Sepia a good word to describe how all lot of it looked.
Which is just a fancy way of saying dingy.
Public Enemies with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale was sanitized.
In more ways than one.
*
I appreciate many of the roles they’ve taken,
Mr. Depp delights me particularly.
He a special odd ball.
Any good performers could handle their parts in this movie – as no great demands of acting or characterization was expected.
The jail scene - so the two could be together once – was clumsy and contrived.
If Mr. Bale mailed his performance in - none would have been wiser
*
Uneven in every aspect - exemplified by bitsy snippets of soundtrack.
Only one of the songs by Blind Willie and Holiday was played all the way through.
Too bad.
Just toots of the time period.
Prick teasers for lovers of music.
Most scenes was shot rapid fire in mimic of the famous Tommy.
The gun fire sounded pretty good - a least it brought back memory to me.
I’m guessing that’s the way it was.
Lights flashing and pop pop pop.
Much of the dialogue played the same tune.
I couldn’t catch some of what was said.
Except during the ‘love scenes’.
No where near steamy.
Co-stars don’t always click.
Takes more than being pretty.
*
They fashioned Dillinger a good guy – but he weren’t.
He was very popular during the Great Depression.
Bank robbers always garnered admiration.
Everybody hated the banks in them days with good reason.
Dillinger escaped from prison several times.
That meant he was clever.
Held up police stations.
Got his weapons there – teehee.
Sense of humor.
He had many girlfriends.
Horn dog.
Schtupping the one who turned him in.
This movie glossed over that.
*
Now a few anecdotes:
Anna Sage – as the ‘women in red’ commonly known – was pubically vilified for turning coat on Dillinger.
Inspite of promises made to her by the FBI, she got deported.
Died 12 years later. Liver failure. Romania.
Melvin ‘Nervous” Purvis hunted down Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd too.
He resigned from the FBI a year after Dillinger was killed.
He went back to Law. At one time, spokesman for Dodge automobiles.
Served in the army.
Rumored to have died 1960 using the Dillinger death gun.
Cleaning it.
Stomach got in the way.
Doctor said he distraught over his health.
His son penned a bio.
Revealing a 20 year vendetta against his father by J. Edger Hoover.
The guy who ran the Federal Bureau of Intimidation for nearly 40 years.
I can see that.
Hoover a – homosexual crossdresser – had a mean vindictive streak.
And that was least of his problems.
*
Left out of this film – after Dillinger shot down – a crowd gathered.
Folks rushed up to dip handkerchiefs in his blood.
Some keepsakes was sold as souvenirs.
Many hung on to them awhile.
My Mama knew a girl in Chicago who got one.
No doubt she dragged it out to show guests and gatherers.
Until one day – forgetting - blew her nose on it.
Then tossed into the wash.
*
I’d give Public Enemies a sideways thumb.
It took me out of my own grief for a whole 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Did nothing to change my life.
So much for celebrity.
-lp(c)09-
original art based on stills from the film and newsprint by theCodifyer
Speak your mind!
Thanks, I needed that:
1 – because YOU told it; LuRain speaks, I listen!
2 – My temptation to see it evaporated
3 – I really only wanted to see it for hot sex scenes & I’m so over that
No steamy sex, sorry.
Didn’t want to put you off.
Save your bucks and get it from the library.
Not a blockbuster.
Love,
LuRain
x
GREAT! I particularly like the line about the music being a prick teaser…very poetic and visual!! tee hee!
As usual, my dear Lu Rain, your comments are pithy and witty.