Public Enemies (2009 film)

Infobox Film
name = Public Enemies


caption =
director = Michael Mann
producer = Michael Mann
Kevin Misher
writer = Screenplay:
Ronan Bennett
Ann Biderman
Michael Mann
Book:
Bryan Burrough
starring = Christian Bale
Johnny Depp
Marion Cotillard
Channing Tatum
music = Elliot Goldenthal
cinematography = Dante Spinotti
editing = Paul Rubell
distributor = Universal Pictures
released = July 1, 2009
runtime =
country = United States
awards =
language = English
budget = $80 million (reported)
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 1152836

"Public Enemies" is a 2009 film adaptation of Bryan Burrough's book "Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34" directed by Michael Mann. The crime drama is set during The Great Depression with the focus on the FBI agent Melvin Purvis' attempt to stop criminals John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. Christian Bale will play FBI agent Purvis, Johnny Depp will play Dillinger, and Marion Cotillard will play Dillinger's girlfriend Billie Frechette. Principal photography began in Columbus, Wisconsin on March 17, 2008cite news | last = Burrough | first = Brian | title = Bryan Burrough: Public Enemies, Take One | work = | publisher = Vanity Fair | date = March 6, 2008 | url = http://www.vanityfair.com/ontheweb/blogs/daily/2008/03/bryan-burroug-1.html | accessdate = 2008-03-11 ] and is continuing in Chicago, Illinois, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and several other places in Wisconsin until the end of June, including the famous [http://www.littlebohemialodge.com/ Little Bohemia Lodge] in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin, the actual location of a 1934 gun fight between Dillinger and the FBI..cite news | last = Pitsch | first = Mark | title = Collectors hope classic cars will get movie role | work = | publisher = Wisconsin State Journal | date = January 28, 2008 | url = http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/269621&ntpid=2 | accessdate = 2008-01-28 ] Some parts of the film were shot in Crown Point, Indiana, the town where Dillinger was imprisoned and subsequently escaped from jail.

Cast

* Johnny Depp as John Dillinger: An American bank robber whose exploits dominated the press during what is sometimes referred to as the public enemy era, between 1931 and 1935.
* Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis: An FBI agent chosen by J. Edgar Hoover to lead a manhunt to catch Dillinger.cite news | last = Kit | first = Borys | title = It's Bale as manhunter in "Enemies" | work = | publisher = Hollywood Reporter | date = January 11, 2008 | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i4707d81dca25b8471fa66fc5d3ac4b92 | accessdate = 2008-01-28 ]
* Marion Cotillard as Billie Frechette: Dillinger's torch singer girlfriend.
* Channing Tatum as Pretty Boy Floyd: An American bank robber and alleged killer.cite news | last = Fleming | first = Michael | title = Michael Mann rounds up 'Enemies' | work = | publisher = Variety | date = January 27, 2008 | url = http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117979713.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2564 | accessdate = 2008-01-28 ]
* Giovanni Ribisi as Alvin Karpis: A noted criminal in the United States known for his alliance with the Barker gang in the 1930s. He was the last "Public Enemy" to be captured.
* Stephen Dorff as Homer Van Meter: A criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson.
* Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover: The first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States.
* Leelee Sobieski as Polly Hamilton: Dillinger's final girlfriend, ignorant of his true identity.
* Jason Clarke as John "Red" Hamilton: A Canadian criminal and bank robber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal associate of Dillinger.
* John Ortiz as Frank Nitti: Al Capone's right-hand man.cite news | last = Carroll | first = Larry | coauthors = | title = Ortiz Cast In ‘'Public Enemies", Revs Up For "Fast And The Furious 4" | work = | publisher = MTV Movies Blog | date = January 29, 2008 | url = http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2008/01/29/ortiz-cast-in-public-enemies-revs-up-for-fast-and-the-furious-4/ | accessdate = 2008-01-31 ]
* David Wenham as Harry Pierpont: A member of Dillinger's crew.cite news | last = Kit | first = Borys | coauthors = | title = Wenham, Graham join "Public Enemies" | work = | publisher = Hollywood Reporter | date = February 22, 2008 | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ia8852bfeb779d067e3ac4e2ff4ca04b2 | accessdate = 2008-02-25 ]
* Stephen Graham as Baby Face Nelson: He was a bank robber who acquired his moniker, Baby Face Nelson due to his youthful appearance and stature, a diminutive 5'3". After Dillinger's death in July 1934, Nelson became Public Enemy Number One.
* Christian Stolte as Charles Makley: A known associate of Dillinger's and who broke him out of prison in 1933. By the end of that year, Makley ranked fourth on Illinois' list of "public enemies", behind Dillinger, Pierpont, and Hamilton.
* Stephen Lang as Charles Winstead: He is the leader of the Texas Rangers who join the manhunt for Dillinger and his gang.
* Shawn Hatosy as John Madala: An FBI agent who helped capture Ma Barker.
* Branka Katic as Anna Sage: the infamous "Lady in Red" who was romantically involved with Dillinger at the time of his murder.
* Emilie de Ravin as Anna Patzke: a bank teller who was taken hostage by Dillinger and later released.
* James Russo as Walter Dietrich: a man who Dillinger met while in the Michigan City penitentiary. He taught Dillinger and others "the methods of Herman 'Baron' K. Lamm, a Prussian army officer turned highly successful bank robber".cite news | last = Bartyzel | first = Monica | title = Casting Bites: Russo, Chonacas, and Beaumon | work = | publisher = Cinematical | date = May 22, 2008 | url = http://www.cinematical.com/2008/05/22/casting-bites-russo-chonacas-and-beaumon/ | accessdate = 2008-05-27 ]
* Lili Taylor as Sheriff Lillian Holley: Sheriff of Lake County Jail, Crown Point, Indiana, where Dillinger was incarcerated cite news | last = Woulfe | first = Molly | title = Local Officers in Spotlight in 'Public Enemies' | work = | publisher = The Times, Munster, IN | date = March 21, 2008 | url = http://www.nwi.com/articles/2008/03/21/columnists/molly_woulfe/doc3bd97ba867c7996b862574110076d5e8.txt| accessdate 2008-07-02]

Development

"Public Enemies" is based on Brian Burrough's non-fiction book, "Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34". He originally pitched the idea as a miniseries to HBO and was made an executive producer, along with Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Films.cite news | last = Burrough | first = Brian | title = Bryan Burrough: From Page to Screen | work = | publisher = Vanity Fair | date = March 12, 2008 | url = http://www.vanityfair.com/ontheweb/blogs/daily/2008/03/public-enemies.html | accessdate = 2008-03-13 ] Burrough was also asked to write the screenplay. However, he felt more comfortable writing it as a non-fiction book and spent two years working on it while the interest in the miniseries disappeared. Burrough's book was set to be published in the summer of 2004 and he asked HBO to return the movie rights. They agreed and after the book was released, the rights were re-sold to production companies representing Michael Mann and Leonardo DiCaprio who was interested in playing John Dillinger. Burrough met with a representative and then heard nothing for three years. The actor eventually left the project to appear in Martin Scorsese's Ashecliffe.cite news | last = Mayberry | first = Carly | coauthors = Borys Kit | title = Depp casing Mann's "Public" heist | work = | publisher = Hollywood Reporter | date = December 4, 2007 | url = http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ida2e9d7e0740c3cf171ea0096dd7ba8d | accessdate = 2007-12-04 ]

In 2007, Mann renewed interest in the project with Universal Pictures backing it. He wrote the screenplay with Ronan Bennett and Ann Biderman and will also direct. Johnny Depp will play Dillinger in the film.cite news | last = Garrett | first = Diane | title = Johnny Depp goes "Public" | work = | publisher = Variety | date = December 5, 2007 | url = http://www.variety.com/VR1117977137.html | accessdate = 2007-12-04 ] Burrough has read the film's screenplay and said, "it’s not 100 percent historically accurate. But it’s by far the closest thing to fact Hollywood has attempted, and for that I am both excited and quietly relieved".cite news | last = Burrough | first = Brian | title = Bryan Burrough: Behind the Book, Not the Camera | work = | publisher = Vanity Fair | date = March 7, 2008 | url = http://www.vanityfair.com/ontheweb/blogs/daily/2008/03/bryan-burroug-2.html | accessdate = 2008-03-11 ]

The decision to shoot parts of the film in Wisconsin came about because of the number of high quality historic buildings. Mann scouted locations in Baraboo and Columbus as well as looking at 1930s-era cars from collectors in the Madison area.cite news | last = Bauer | first = Scott | title = It's official: Johnny Depp is coming to Wisconsin | work = | publisher = Chicago Tribune | date = February 26, 2008 | url = http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-ap-wi-johnnydepp-wis.,1,4195906.story | accessdate = 2008-02-27 ] In addition, the film will be shot on actual historical sites, including the famous [http://www.littlebohemialodge.com Little Bohemia Lodge] in northern Wisconsin where Dillinger's most famous gunfight with the F.B.I. occurred, the old Lake County jail in Crown Point, Indiana where Dillinger staged his most famous escape, when he fooled jail guards with a wooden gun, and escaped in the sheriff's car. Scenes will be shot at places that he frequented in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Darlington, Wisconsin is the location for the courthouse scenes. The courthouse is the oldest courthouse in the United States still in use.Fact|date=March 2008 A bank robbery scene will be shot inside the Milwaukee County Historical Society, a former bank building that still has much of the original period architecture, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [ [http://www.myfoxmilwaukee.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=0AA853652EDC17F86198352D0C1AA6F8?contentId=5905463&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1 MyFox Milwaukee | Johnny Depp Coming To Milwaukee ] ]

In late March 2008 portions of the film were shot at Libertyville High School. Footage includes one of the school's science labs, an office, the school's front entrance, and the locker rooms.

In April 2008 the film was shot in downtown Oshkosh, Wisconsin. [http://www.thenorthwestern.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080412/OSH0101/8041203721] Later that month, filming started at the famous [http://www.littlebohemialodge.com Little Bohemia Lodge] in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin, the actual location of a 1934 gun fight between Dillinger and the FBI.

Mann also brought avant-garde composer Elliot Goldenthal on board to score the film, Goldenthal also scored Mann's 1995 film "Heat" to critical acclaim. [ [http://upcomingfilmscores.blogspot.com/2008/04/elliot-goldenthal-public-enemies.html]

References

External links

*
* [http://www.littlebohemialodge.com the famous Little Bohemia Lodge] - In Manitowish Waters Wisconsin.
* [http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/LAND/parks/specific/mirrorlake Mirror Lake]