Actors: James Cagney, Edward Woods
Director: William Wellman
The Public Enemy opens with a statement that this film is intended as a cautionary tale about hoodlumery and gangsterdom. It then sets out very methodically showing that by way of vignettes - we see James Cagney's rise to being on the payroll of a prominent bootlegger, then his fall when the winds of the mob world shift against him. The trouble is, few of these scenes feel real - they all feel as though they are in the service of the opening statement. Worse, Season 3 of The Sopranos spoils the best scenes. Still, James Cagney's performance is worth seeing, even if the rest of the film is ho-hum by today's standards.
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