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Rating: 5 out of 5
The Public Enemy is by far one of the best old school gangster films around. This film is one of the true OGs in the gangster film genre. Along with the help of other gangster films produced and made during its time, like Scarface and Little Caesar, this is one that holds its own with the rest and stood the test of time. The screenplay is based off of two former street thugs who witnessed some of Al Capone’s years. It made you want to be a gangster with the rise of the main character. This film is honestly like an origin story to the greats of Capone, Dillinger, Nelson, and many others. Fancy cars, fancy suits, and hot women, with an iconic scene that made me go, “That was quite disrespectful!” Honestly, what more could you ask for in a film? Even though the film is quick, the story, violence, and acting set this movie apart from many others.
Directed by William A. Wellman while being based on the book “Beer and Blood” by John Bright and Kubec Glasmon. Wellman presents the tale of the life, rise, and fall of a prohibition-era gangster, Tom Powers. Wellman begins his story, with Tom’s childhood, which is quite crazy. We are introduced to a young Tom and his best friend Matt Doyle, who exists a beer hall, drinking a beer. Dudes couldn’t have been no older than twelve. Doyle is chasing those girls as he tries to spit game to one of them but has a door slammed in his face. He falls to the ground as a young Powers state, “That’s why you shouldn’t chase after a woman.” Wellman goes deeper into Powers’ young life as he steals, drinks beer, hitting on girls, hangs out in a pool parlor, and meets a low mobster named Putty Nose. Wellman’s story continues a few years later, the pair as young adults. Tom (James Cagney) and his pal, Matt Doyle (Edward Woods), are hired by ruthless but innately decent bootlegger Paddy Ryan (Robert Emmett O’Connor). The two quickly rise to the top of their organization while taking in the luxuries and finer things in life. Tom’s loving mother (Beryl Mercer) believes his son is a good citizen while his older brother Mike (Donald Cook) sees through Tom’s silver tongue. As his reputation grows and grows, Tom struggles to remain a devoted son and family man while the gang life, warfare, and the need for revenge pull him away.
There is only one person that needs to be talked about, and that is the star of the movie James Cagney as Tom Powers. Cagney was a beast as Powers. He was so believable as the mobster, it was crazy. He pulled off the character so well from the way he talked to his mannerisms. One example was when he is talking to Paddy about joining his crew, and the little eyebrow raises, and code talk was phenomenal. How he spoke to everyone. Like an actual mobster from back in the day and what kids see in Looney Toons. You know I like a good slap in films. One that makes you get up and shake your head because you felt the person’s pain from a slap. Cagney delivers a slap that made me go, “DAMN! NO HE DIDN’T!” While messing up a bartender’s bar for buying others products, Cagney starts pouring out the dude’s liquor. The bartender goes to stop him, and that’s when Cagney delivers one of the finest slaps EVER! It was a pimp slap, slap yo mama, and you better think about life type of slap. First, he insults the man calling him “Yeller,” and then in one fluid and elegant motion, backhands the man, then quickly slaps the man and finally slaps him under the chin upwards. No words, just take it like a man because you got OWNED!
Cagney also delivers by far one of the MOST DISRESPECTFUL scenes to a pretty woman. While arguing with his girl, Powers gets fed up with her because she doesn’t want him partying and says he might have found someone better. Powers takes a grapefruit and smashes it in her face. Dude SMASHES A GRAPEFRUIT IN HER FACE and walks away like a boss with a disgusted look on his face. Who does that? So disrespectful! Finally, Cagney shows Powers as being crazy. When his boss gets killed by a horse, he goes and shoots the prize-winning stallion. The horse throws the owner off of him, and Powers was like, “Naw, I can’t have that happening on my watch” and shoots the horse. That’s before THE Godfather and its famous horse scene.
The film’s story is like an origin story. Not just an origin story for people that become the boss, but for the mobsters that become high up in their organization. What is great about this story is you get to see the full life of a mobster. The progression of the story is presented in a way that the main character is a rebel in his family or the black sheep. His brother is honest and becomes a warfighter while his father was a cop. Yet, he becomes a hoodlum who likes to run with the wrong crowd as in stealing and going to bars. What is also great about the story is the progression of the main character and how, in the beginning, he made mistakes that ultimately cost him some things. One example of this is during his first big robbery. Tom goes into a show with his crew and about to steal some coats when he gets spooked by a giant stuffed bear. In his fear, Tom shoots the bear before running off. This action captures the attention of a cop who guns down one of his crew members as he escapes. The scene was intense yet comical because Tom got scared of a stuffed bear. Another aspect that is great and shows the time in history was during the start of Prohibition. It was funny as the start of Prohibition started, and people freakin ransacked places for liquor. Looked like hurricane season up in those places. One scene told it all. A couple holding a baby pushed a stroller full of alcohol down the street as they had the biggest smiles on their faces. In my mind, I was like “WTF!” Then I just shrugged my shoulders and was like, if something goes on sale and I can buy a hundred of them, I would. Back to the story, as Tom rises through the ranks, the story showed him buying more lavish items and becoming full of himself. Nice cars, nice clothes, and beautiful women. It must be nice. Well, like all good things, they must come down. When a mob boss dies, other crime lords swoop in like vultures to take over. That’s when the shit hits the fan because now people got to fend for themselves.
The Public Enemy is one of the greatest gangster films ever made. A pioneer in the film genre that is the first origin story for a mobster. Going off the wave of legend, Al Capone, James Cagney puts a captivating performance as a gangster who starts off as a hoodlum and untimely becomes a well-known mobster in his organization. A gangster that shoots horses, smashes a grapefruit in a woman’s face, and has all the coolness of any great mobster.
