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7.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Public Enemy remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Yes, absolutely, if only to see James Cagney basically invent the 'tough guy' archetype on screen.
You should watch this if you like fast-talking mobsters and movies that don't apologize for their main characters being total jerks.
You will probably hate it if you can't stand the theatrical acting style of the early 1930s or if you want a plot that isn't just 'guy gets rich then things go bad'.
It is hard to explain how much faster James Cagney moves than everyone else in this movie.
The other actors feel like they are still waiting for their cue from a stage manager, but Cagney is already across the room poking someone in the chest.
He has this weird, bouncy walk that makes him look like he is about to spring into a boxing match at any second.
Even when he is just standing there, he looks like he is vibrating with a sort of mean energy. ⚡
There is a scene early on where he and his friend are just kids, and the transition to them as adults is a bit jarring.
Suddenly, the kid is gone and Cagney is there, looking way too old to be 'just starting out' but somehow it works because he is so loud.
We have to talk about the grapefruit. 🍊
Everyone knows the scene where he shoves the grapefruit into Mae Clarke’s face.
What I didn't expect was how casual it felt.
It wasn't a big dramatic build-up; he just looks annoyed with his breakfast and decided to be a bully.
The look on her face is genuine shock, and it makes the whole room feel small and dangerous.
Then there is the stuff with his brother, Mike.
The scenes at home are always the slowest parts of the movie, and I found myself wanting to skip back to the city streets.
His mom is so sweet that it feels almost fake, like she is from a different movie entirely.
She keeps making excuses for Tom even when he is clearly a criminal, and it makes you want to shake her.
The sound is a bit rough in places, which is expected for 1931.
Sometimes the background noise just cuts out completely during a conversation.
But the way they filmed the rainy streets near the end? That looks incredible.
The shadows are deep and everything looks slick and greasy.
It reminded me a bit of the atmosphere in Pursued, even though that is a western.
There is a scene where a horse kills a guy, and the way the mob 'retaliates' against the horse is... well, it is dark.
It is one of those moments where you realize how different movies were back then; they didn't mind being genuinely grim.
The ending is the thing that really stays with you.
I won't spoil the visual, but that final knock on the door is one of the creepiest things I have seen in an old film.
The way the body just... falls. 🚪
It is a blunt, cold ending that doesn't try to give you a moral lesson, even though the movie starts with a text crawl saying it's a 'warning'.
You can tell the studio was scared of the censors, but the movie itself doesn't feel like it's sorry for anything.
If you have seen other early talkies like Disraeli, you know they can be stiff.
The Public Enemy isn't stiff. It is messy and loud and kind of mean-spirited.
It feels like it was shot in a hurry on actual dirty streets.
Cagney is just electric. You can't take your eyes off him, even when he is being a total jerk to his girlfriend or his family.
It’s a classic for a reason, I guess. 🥃
IMDb —
1924
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