The Public Enemy

Starring: James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward Woods, Joan Blondell, Donald Cook, Leslie Fenton, Beryl Mercer, Robert Emmett O'Connor
Directed by: William A. Wellman
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama
1931

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A young criminal (James Cagney) rises through the ranks in Chicago.

Review:

Tim: I was really looking forward to The Public Enemy. I'd read that it was one of James Cagney's most famous films, so I was eager to see what it was like. I've been trying to build my appreciation for Cagney (this is only the 5th film of his I've seen). While I though Cagney worked in the role, I was a little surprised I didn't enjoy the movie more. Sure, it is a dark and unflinching look at crime. Yes, there's not a lot of glamor in how the criminal underworld is depicted. But, as a whole, the film left me a bit underwhelmed. I enjoyed the movie and consider it a good film, but I expected it to be better.

The very beginning of the film tells us that the story was meant to highlight the evils of the criminal world without glamorizing the hoodlums who perpetrate the crimes. It gets the film off on a strange foot- are we supposed to care about the criminals in the lead roles? Or are we supposed to despise them? This is followed by making the main character a quite unlikable villain. It's an interesting approach, but it made the movie a bit difficult to watch. We spend the most time with James Cagney's Tom Powers. But, I was never sure what I was supposed to be feeling. I never liked his character for a second. He was a troubled, bad kid who grew up to be a selfish criminal. But, he was loyal to his friends and tried to take care of his mother. It was just an odd feeling. Since I didn't really care about him, the scenes with his mother lacked the emotion I suspect we were supposed to feel for him. The end of the film doesn't pack the emotional punch because I never really cared about the character, so I was unconcerned whether he lived or died. The whole film just felt like it told a generic gangster story. Characters matter. The movie could have made Powers more sympathetic, so we would have actually cared about him. Or, it could have made him a total monster, so we're hoping for his comeuppance. As much as I appreciate the crafting of a complex character with shades of grey, it almost felt too ambiguous. I didn't feel any emotional connection to a single character in the film. That hurts the film's appeal.

Cagney does give a good performance as Powers. He certainly seems to care about his mother, even as he repeatedly chooses to continue down the "wrong" path in life. Whenever I felt like maybe he had some good qualities, a scene would come along where it felt like no, he's just bad through and through. The grapefruit scene is certainly one of the most surprising, memorable aspects of the film. It's actually a bit hard to watch. It's just unnecessary domestic violence in such a cruel, surprising way. It was almost impossible to care about Powers after that, especially as he shows no remorse. He continues his violence against women later when he slaps a woman who seduced him when he was drunk. I don't know. Cagney does a good job, it just felt like the character wasn't written as well as it needed to be.

I was surprised that Jean Harlow got second billing. I didn't think she was good at all. Her performance was weak and one-note. I didn't see much talent or subtlety to her performance. It felt like a wasted role. Edward Woods was solid in his supporting role. He and Cagney work well together. I thought Robert Emmett O'Connor had some great moments as Paddy Ryan, but there were some moments where his acting felt off.

I will say that two of the best moments of the film happen near the end. The first is when Cagney walks towards the camera in the rain, bent on revenge. The scene was so cool, so cleverly shot. I was mesmerized by the rain and Cagney cloaked in black. That was pretty amazing. The other great scene happens a moment later, as he stumbles out of the building after committing his crime. Cagney's performance was spectacular. I can still see him moving slowly as raindrops splatter to the wet ground like bombs all around him. And then, he utters the best line of the film, one I'm still scratching my head about- "I ain't so tough..." It's a shockingly vulnerable thing for the tough guy Tom Powers to say. Was it just a response to his being injured? How much of it was the removal of a blind spot? Was this the moment that his life changes? Sadly, we never get to find out. I wish the movie played up this point more. The aftermath could have been even more powerful. I loved that scene, though.

As a whole, The Public Enemy is a good movie. Tom Powers isn't the best character, but he is at least somewhat interesting. I wish I felt a connection to any character in this film- that would have helped a lot. But, the movie gets some credit for delivering such a violent, unflinching look at crime. This might not be an especially strong movie, but it's a good one, no doubt.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



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