The stars and their characters
In 2007, Mann renewed interest in the project with Universal
Pictures backing it. He wrote the screenplay with Ronan Ben-
Johnny Depp as John Dillinger: An American bank robber
nett and Ann Biderman and will also direct. Johnny Depp will
whose exploits dominated the press during what is sometimes
play Dillinger in the film. Burrough has read the film’s screen-
referred to as the public enemy era, between 1931 and 1935.
play and said, “it’s not 100 percent historically accurate. But it’s
Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis: An FBI agent chosen by J.
by far the closest thing to fact Hollywood has attempted, and
Edgar Hoover to lead a manhunt to catch Dillinger.
for that I am both excited and quietly relieved”.
Marion Cotillard as Billie Frechette: Dillinger’s torch singer
The decision to shoot parts of the film in Wisconsin came
girlfriend.
about because of the number of high quality historic build-
Channing Tatum as Pretty Boy Floyd: An American bank rob-
ings. Mann scouted locations in Baraboo and Columbus as
ber and alleged killer.
well as looking at 1930s-era cars from collectors in the Madi-
Giovanni Ribisi as Alvin Karpis: A noted criminal in the United
son area. In addition, the film will be shot on actual historical
States known for his alliance with the Barker gang in the 1930s.
sites, including the famous Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitow-
He was the last “Public Enemy” to be captured.
ish Waters, where Dillinger’s most famous gunfight with the
Stephen Dorff as Homer Van Meter: A criminal and bank rob-
F.B.I. occurred, and the old Lake County jail in Crown Point,
ber active in the early 20th century, most notably as a criminal
Indiana, where Dillinger staged his most famous escape when
associate of Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson.
he fooled jail guards with a wooden gun and escaped in the
Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover: The first Director of the Fed-
sheriff’s car. Scenes will be shot at places that he frequented in
eral Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States.
Oshkosh. The courthouse in Darlington, Wisconsin is the loca-
Leelee Sobieski as Polly Hamilton: Dillinger’s final girlfriend,
tion for the courthouse scenes. The courthouse is the oldest
ignorant of his true identity.
courthouse in the United States still in use.[citation needed] A
bank robbery scene will be shot inside the Milwaukee County
Historical Society, a former bank in Milwaukee that still has
A real story
much of the original period architecture.
In late March 2008 portions of the film were shot at Liber-
Public Enemies is based on Bryan Burrough’s non-fiction
tyville High School. Footage includes one of the school’s sci-
book, Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the
ence labs, an office, the school’s front entrance, and the locker
Birth of the FBI, 1933–34. He originally pitched the idea as a
rooms.
miniseries to HBO and was made an executive producer, along
In April 2008 the film was shot in downtown Oshkosh. Later
with Robert De Niro’s Tribeca Films. Burrough was also asked to
that month, filming started at the Little Bohemia Lodge, the ac-
write the screenplay. However, he felt more comfortable writing
tual location of a 1934 gun fight between Dillinger and the FBI.
it as a non-fiction book and spent two years working on it while
In April and May 2008, film crews shot on the grounds of
the interest in the miniseries disappeared. Burrough’s book was
Ishnala, a historic restaurant in the Wisconsin Dells area.
set to be published in the summer of 2004 and he asked HBO
Mann also brought composer Elliot Goldenthal on board to
to return the movie rights. They agreed and after the book was
score the film; Goldenthal also scored Mann’s 1995 film Heat
released, the rights were re-sold to production companies repre-
to critical acclaim
senting Michael Mann and Leonardo DiCaprio who was interest-
Public Enemies has received an MPAA rating of R for gangster
ed in playing John Dillinger. Burrough met with a representative
violence and some language. A preview of Public Enemies was
and then heard nothing for three years. The actor eventually left
seen at the end of the 81st Academy Awards, with the First
the project to appear in Martin Scorsese’s Ashecliffe. Trailer being released shortly after on March 5, 2009.t. n
eLatinoWeekly.com
13
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32