Tom Long: Film Review: 'Public Enemies' -- GRADE: B-

History overwhelms character in 'Public Enemies'

More interesting than involving, "Public Enemies" focuses on history at the expense of the characters that lived that history. It's all story without emotional impact.

The history itself is as fascinating as it is bloody. Director Michael Mann, who also co-wrote the script, looks at the Depression-driven wave of bank robber-popular heroes in the early '30s, an era that immediately preceded both the rise of organized crime and the organized crime-busting of the FBI.

The central focus is John Dillinger (a suave Johnny Depp), with second-billing going to Melvin Purvis (lock-jawed Christian Bale), the federal agent charged with hunting down Dillinger.

Along the way, Mann also offers up such legendary figures as Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum), Baby Face Nelson (a riveting Stephen Graham), Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi) and the young J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup).

The problem is scope, a bit too much of it. Mann swings so wide he has little time to flesh out his two main characters, leaving the viewer instead with a number of finely tuned smaller performances -- Stephen Lang is drolly powerful as a Texas Ranger, Branka Katic smoothly calculating as Dillinger's downfall -- that, while impressive, can't carry a film with epic ambitions.

All we know about Dillinger, aside from his daredevil robberies and escapes, comes from a quicky synopsis he offers his mistress, Billie (Marion Cotillard). And that's far more than we ever find about the stoic Purvis. That lack of background and context keeps both characters at a distance, and that distance undermines the film.

The history itself, though, is somewhat mind-boggling. Dillinger becomes public enemy No. 1 (Who would that be today? Bernie Madoff?) after he helps some jail-yard pals escape prison and begins sticking up banks in the Midwest with consistent success. Thanks to payoffs and a general reign of corruption, he's able to hide in plain sight in Chicago, where he meets and seduces Billie Frenchette.

Having had success in tracking and killing Pretty Boy Floyd, Purvis is sent by Hoover to Chicago to capture Dillinger. Unfortunately the Bureau of Investigation's agents at the time are untrained desk jockeys, so Purvis imports some experienced Texas Rangers.

The hunt commences, but Dillinger always manages to stay a few steps ahead of the Feds, mostly out of sheer luck and gutsiness. Eventually, though, his luck begins running out and the steady Purvis gains ground.

There are some riveting action sequences here ... and some not-so-riveting ones. Two-thirds of the way through the film the addition of Stephen Graham ("This is England") as the mad punk Nelson turns up the heat, but by then you may be wondering where the heat's been.

Depp is charming as Dillinger, although his practice of shielding himself with innocents as he flees from a bank somewhat diminishes his anti-hero sheen. But aside from the charm, and your basic rebel heart, he has little to work with.

Bale, at least, has a conflict to deal with, that being Hoover's cold-blooded promotion of torture and intimidation as weapons in the fight. He may not have depth, but Purvis certainly has righteousness.

Just as Mann may not have fully formed characters, but he certainly has a story. As a result, for such a bloody movie, "Public Enemies" feels oddly bloodless.

tlong@detnews.com (313) 222-8879